LOCATION CAPSUS                  NV

Established Series
Rev. DJM/RLB/JVC
06/2016

CAPSUS SERIES

The Capsus series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from andesite, rhyolite, and tuff. Capsus soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic Aridic Lithic Argiustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Capsus very cobbly sandy clay loam--forest land. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partially covered with 30 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel.

A--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 20 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

Bt1--5 to 18 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine mainly exped roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; common faint clay films lining pores; many pressure cutans on faces of peds; 5 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Bt2--18 to 41 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium mainly exped roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films lining pores; many pressure cutans on faces of peds; 10 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 23 cm thick)

R--41 cm; fractured andesite.

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; in the Delamar Mountains about 5 miles southeast of the Delamar ghost town; approximately 2,250 feet south and 700 feet west of the projected northeast corner of section 10, T. 6 S., R. 65 E.; USGS Slidy Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 37 degrees 26 minutes 25 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 41 minutes 30 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 37.4402778 latitude, -114.6916667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section for short periods in winter and early spring months; moist for short periods in late summer due to convective thunderstorms; aridic moisture regime that borders on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 11 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm to a lithic contact.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 60 percent;
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as andesite, rhyolite, and tuff.

A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.

Bt horizons - Hue: 5YR through 10YR.
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly clay loam or gravelly clay.
Structure: Subangular blocky or angular blocky commonly within prismatic.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cabezon, Cross, and Luzena series.

Cabezon and Luzena soils are moist for more than six-tenths of the time when the soil temperature is above 5 degrees C. in normal years and have an ustic moisture regime that borders on aridic. Cross soils have a thin Bk horizon with up to 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Capsus soils are on mountains. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from andesite, rhyolite, and tuff. Slopes are 15 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,590 to 2,075 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, intermittently moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 280 to 330 mm, the mean annual temperature is 9 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Slidymtn soil. Slidymtn soils are loamy-skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; very slow permeability; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Capsus soils are used for woodland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly singleleaf pinyon, Utah juniper, big sagebrush, Utah serviceberry, green ephedra, Gambels oak, desert bitterbrush, muttongrass, and blue grama.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 29.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Nevada, South part, 1992.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 41 cm (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 41 cm to underlying hard, unweathered rock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 41 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.