LOCATION DEVILFENCE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Devilfence very channery loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very channery loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and many very fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent channers; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very channery loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate, medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 5 percent flagstones, 40 percent channers; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bk1--7 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; 10 percent flagstones, 55 percent channers; lime coatings on rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Bk2--11 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots between channers; 15 percent flagstones, 60 percent channers; lime casts on rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bk horizons is 7 to 12 inches thick)
R--14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) hard fractured shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Montana; 1,500 feet south and 325 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 34, T. 4 N., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 38 to 43 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches or between 4 inches and the lithic contact if less than 12 inches.
Depth to the Bk horizon - 5 to 10 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches.
The surface when mixed to a depth of 7 inches, does not meet the requirements of a mollic epipedon.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 45 percent--0 to 5 percent flagstone, 25 to 40 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bw horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--5 to 10 percent flagstones, 35 to 50 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bk horizons - Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent--5 to 20 percent flagstones, 45 to 60 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Cinnadale (NM) - does not have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Cypher (NM) - does not have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation; is slightly to moderately acid throughout.
Deville (MT) - does not have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Kounter (MT) - has a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; has a calcic horizon.
Quaint (MT) - has hue redder than 10YR throughout; formed in material from red shale.
Roegulch (MT) - has a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have horizons of secondary carbonate accumulatio.
Shaboom (MT) - does not have a horizon of secondary carbonate accumulations; formed in material from granite bedrock.
Sharrott (MT) - does not have a horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation; has less than 15 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - escarpments, ridges and hills.
Elevation - 4,400 to 6,500 feet.
Slope- 2 to 60 percent slopes.
Parent material - residuum derived from hard brown shale or argillite.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 19 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 36 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 105 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Devilfence soils are primarily used for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, needleandthread, Sandberg bluegrass, big sagebrush, and juniper. Some areas have a thin overstory of Douglas-fir and limber pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Devilfence soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Montana, 1998.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT1561. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the surface to 7 inches, mixed (A, Bw horizons); a cambic horizon from 3 to 11 inches (Bw, Bk1 horizons); a particle-size control section from the surface to 14 inches (A, Bw, Bk1, Bk2 horizons); a layer of lime accumulation from 7 to 14 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons); hard shale bedrock at 14 inches (R horizon). Devilfence soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.