LOCATION DEARBUSH                NV

Established Series
Rev. BKP/PWB/JBF
01/2019

DEARBUSH SERIES

The Dearbush series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium over residuum derived from metamorphic, granite, and rhyolite parent material. Dearbush soils are on mountains. Slopes are 35 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 650 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Dearbush loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered by 20 percent gravel.

Oe--0 to 3 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moderately decomposed plant material, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 10 cm thick)

A1--3 to 7 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 20 cm thick)

A2--7 to 24 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.

A3--24 to 54 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (30 to 50 cm combined thickness of A2 and A3 horizons)

A4--54 to 64 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium, few coarse roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 14 cm thick)

C--64 to 74 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) extremely cobbly sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive structure; loose, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.9) abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

R--74 cm; granite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; on the Humboldt National Forest south of Harrison Pass in the Ruby mountains; 410 feet south and 1658 feet west of the northeast corner of section 26, T. 28 N., R. 57 E.; USGS Harrison Pass 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 17 minutes 8.47 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 30 minutes 52.88 seconds W; UTM zone 11, 626258e, 4460525n; WGS Decimal Degrees 40.2856861 latitude, -115.5146889 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist during late fall through spring, usually dry in summer through mid-fall; moist in all parts for more than 120 days following the winter solstice; typic xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 4 to 7 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 8 to 15 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 75 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a lithic contact.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent in the upper part.

A1 horizon
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 through 3 moist.
Organic matter content: 3 through 6 percent.

A2 and A3 horizons
Value 2 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 3 or 6 percent.
Texture: Fine sandy loam, sandy loam and loam.
Rock fragments: Average 15 to 35 percent. May have sub-horizons that range up to 40 percent.
Structure: Weak or moderate, and fine through very coarse.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, slightly sticky or nonsticky, and slightly plastic or nonplastic.

A4 horizon
Value 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Rock fragments: Average 35 to 60 percent.
Structure: Weak or moderate.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, and slightly plastic or nonplastic.

C horizon (when present)
Hue: 2.5YR through 10YR.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Texture: Sand, loamy sand, and sandy loam.
Rock fragments: Average greater than 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 percent or less.
Structure: Weak or moderate, medium or coarse, and subangular blocky structure or is massive.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baldridge, Beehunt, Burgi, Chambeam, Climine, Ginser, Glean, Labmring, Lonecabin, Pinochle, Rondowa, Shorthike, Sinker, Smidale, Webfoot, Westbutte, and Willynat series.

Baldridge, Beehunt, Chambeam, Climine, Glean, Lambring, Lonecabin, Rondowa, Shorthike, Smidale, Webfoot, and Willynat soils are deep or very deep.
Beehunt, Burgi, Chambeam, Ginser, Glean, and Pinochle soils have a mean summer soil temperature that averages greater than 15 degrees C.
Beehunt, Burgi, Chambeam, Climine, Ginser, Lambring, Pinochle, Sinker, Smidale, and Westbutte soils average greater than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Burgi soils contain secondary carbonates in the profile below 100 cm.
Climine soils contain secondary silica in the lower part of the profile.
Lambring soils have xeric bordering aridic soil moisture regime.
Lonecabin, Rondowa, and Shorthike soils have a mean annual soil temperature greater than 7 degrees C.
Beehunt, Lonecabin, and Shorthike soils average greater than 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
Webfoot soils have redox concentrations and endosaturation within 60 cm of the soil surface.
Willynat soils average 2 to 5 mm gravel in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dearbush soils are on mountains. They typically occur on concave-linear upper and mid-elevation mountain backslopes. These soils formed in colluvium derived from metamorphic rocks, granite or rhyolite. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 2,600 to 3,125 meters. The climate is semiarid with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. Snow load on these soils is thicker and persists longer as a result of windblown snow accumulation from nearby geomorphic surfaces. The mean annual precipitation is 610 to 710 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 40 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Inpendence, Hapgood, Tusel and Wrenza soils. Inpendence soils have a base saturation of 10 to 30 percent, reaction of very strongly acid to moderately acid. Hapgood soils have a lithic contact between 100 to 150 cm, clay percent of 18 to 27 percent in the particle size control section, and winter precipitation is regularly removed from this site by winds. Tusel soils have a lithic contact at 100 cm and clay percent of 25 to 35 percent in the particle size control section. Wrenza soils have a base saturation of 10 to 50 percent, a reaction of moderately acid to slightly acid, and receive increased moisture as run on from snow melt.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Dearbush soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Ceanothus, black chokecherry, mountain brome, and Idaho fescue.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 25.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Humboldt National Forest, Nevada, North Part, 2016.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 3 cm to 64 cm (A1, A2, A3 and A4 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 74 cm to underlying indurated, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 74 cm (A3, A4 and C horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.