LOCATION CANYOUNG NV

Established Series
Rev. JVC/JBF
02/2012

CANYOUNG SERIES

The Canyoung series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from limestone, dolomite and calcareous shale. Canyoung soils are on mountains. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 600 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic Xeric Calcicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Canyoung extremely gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 60 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones.

A--0 to 10 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 55 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

ABk--10 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 5 percent, 1 to 2 mm thick secondary calcium carbonate concretions on the bottom of rock fragments; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

Bk1--30 to 69 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent secondary calcium carbonate pendants on the bottom of rock fragments; 65 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 50 cm thick)

Bk2--69 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent secondary calcium carbonate as pendants on the bottom of rock fragments and finely disseminated throughout the matrix; 70 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; about 0.25 mile south of Pole Canyon Creek and about 0.25 miles north of Mount Wheeler Mine, adjacent to the west boundary of Great Basin National Park; USGS Wheeler Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 53 minutes 53.8 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 20 minutes 9.9 seconds W; UTM Zone 11, 731019e, 4308862n, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section during winter, spring, and early summer, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 4 to 7 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 20 to 38 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon: 20 to 38 cm.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 65 to 90 percent, dominantly gravel. Lithology of fragments is limestone and calcareous shale.

A and ABk horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate content: Greater than 40 percent in the less than 20 mm size fraction; 5 to 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the less than 2 mm fraction. Secondary calcium carbonate forms thin concretions on the bottom of rock fragments in some profiles.

Bk horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Rock fragments: 65 to 90 percent, dominantly gravel.
Structure: Subangular blocky or massive.
Identifiable secondary calcium carbonate: Common to many (15 to 40 percent) pendants on rock fragments and/or concretions on peds.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: Greater than 40 percent in the less than 20 mm size fraction; 15 to 25 percent in the less than 2 mm fraction.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bartine, Fritz, Gepton, Skibo, Zeale, and Zeelnot series.

Bartine soils are moderately deep. Fritz soils have 40 to 70 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine-earth fraction. Gepton soils have mean annual soil temperature of 1 to 4 degrees C. Skibo soils have a calcium carbonate equivalent of 40 to 80 percent in the less than 2 mm fraction and lack an ABk horizon. Zeale soils have a calcium carbonate equivalent of 40 to 80 percent in the less than 2 mm fraction and are dry for 100 to 125 consecutive days. Zeelnot soils have a calcium carbonate equivalent of 40 to 50 percent in the less than 2 mm fraction and have horizons with secondary silica.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Canyoung soils are on mountains. They typically occur on shoulder and backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium derived from limestone, dolomite and calcareous shale. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 2,055 to 3,340 meters. The climate is moist-subhumid with cold, wet winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 450 to 700 mm, the mean annual temperature is 3 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 40 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Haunchee and Meegero soils. Haunchee soils are shallow to lithic contacts and do not have calcic horizons. Meegero soils are very deep and have thick mollic epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high hydraulic saturated conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Canyoung soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly curlleaf mountainmahogany, mountain big sagebrush, mountain snowberry, muttongrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass. This site is correlated to Ecological Site R28AY059NV Mahogany Savana.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 2009. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (A and ABk horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 30 to 150 cm (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (lower part of the ABk, Bk1 and upper part of the Bk2, horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA:
The profile description is from a road cut.

Previous authors and editors include: EWB-IJR-WED

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.