LOCATION CAMBERT MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Cambert loam, native grassland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--4 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--9 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 8 to 20 inches)
Bk--13 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silty clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; weak fine and medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine roots; many fine tubular pores; many soft masses of lime; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Cr1--21 to 38 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) semiconsolidated sedimentary beds that crush to silt, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots in cracks; common fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
Cr2--38 to 45 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) semiconsolidated sedimentary beds that crush to very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots in cracks; few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); abrupt smooth boundary.
Cr3--45 to 54 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) semiconsolidated sedimentary beds that crush to silt, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots in cracks; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); gradual smooth boundary.
Cr4--54 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) semiconsolidated sedimentary beds that crush to silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots in cracks; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: McCone County, Montana; 210 feet south and 120 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 35, T. 19 N., R. 48 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Control section - 18 to 35 percent clay and less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser.
Depth to the Bk horizon - 15 to 28 inches.
Depth to the Cr horizon - 20 to 40 inches.
Phases- noncalcareous--0 to 5 percent calcium carbonate; calcareous--5 to 10 percent calcium carbonate.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value: 4, 5, 6, or 7 dry; 3, 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: loam or silt loam
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent
Effervescence: none to violently; calcareous phase has 5 percent or more calcium carbonate equivalent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4; calcareous phase has pH 7.4 to 8.4.
Bw1 horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam; very fine sand makes up the bulk of the sand fraction
Effervescence: none to violently; calcareous phase has 5 percent or more calcium carbonate equivalent
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4; calcareous phase has 5 percent or more lime
Some pedons have A1 and A2 horizons in lieu of A1 and Bw1 horizons.
Bw2 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam (very fine sand makes up more than half of the sand fraction)
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Effervescence: slightly to violently
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
Bk horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6
Texture: loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam (very fine sand makes up more than half of the sand fraction)
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Effervescence: strongly or violently
SAR: 5 to 13
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
Cr horizon - Siltstone or interbedded siltstone and sandstone.
COMPETING SERIES:
Cherry (ND) - very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - sedimentary plains and hills.
Elevation - 2,000 to 4,500 feet.
Slope- 0 to 25 percent.
Parent material - semiconsolidated loamy sedimentary beds stratified with thin layers of semiconsolidated shale.
Climate - cool with long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 11 to 19 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 90 to 135 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for dry cropland and for range. The potential native vegetation is western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, little bluestem, needleandthread, bluebunch wheatgrass, threadleaf sedge, forbs, and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sedimentary uplands of eastern Montana and western North Dakota. Cambert soils are extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Valley County, Montana, 1976.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Records: MT0173, MT0688. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon from the soil surface to 7 inches (A and Bw1 horizons); cambic horizon from 7 to 13 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons); calcic horizon from 13 to 21 inches (Bk horizon); a paralithic contact at a depth of 21 inches (Cr horizon); a particle-size control section from 10 inches to the paralithic contact. Cambert soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data S74MT-55-4, S74MT-55-1.