LOCATION ERVIDE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Entic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ervide loamy fine sand, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--9 to 17 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); diffuse boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
BC--17 to 23 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; 5 percent sandstone pebbles; few lime coated sandstone fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
2Ck--23 to 32 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; very hard, friable, sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine pores; 20 percent sandstone pebbles; many prominent lime coatings on surface of pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
R--32 inches; indurated sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Cascade County, Montana; 1,300 feet east and 600 feet south of the W1/4 corner of sec. 27, T. 19 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: 40 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section: approximately between the depths of 12 and 35 inches Mollic epipedon thickness: 10 to 20 inches
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent sandstone pebbles in 2Ck
Control section: 5 to 10 percent clay in upper and 15 to 30 percent clay in lower part of control section
Depth to Bk horizon: 15 to 30 inches
Depth to bedrock: 20 to 40 inches
Ap horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bw horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy fine sand
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
BC horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, 7, or 8 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loamy fine sand
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
2Ck horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, 7, or 8 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 8 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Torex (MT) - very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - uplands.
Elevation - 3,000 to 4,300 feet.
Slope - 0 to 8 percent.
Parent material - sandy alluvium or eolian material deposited over lake sediments underlain by sandstone.
Climate - long, cold winters, moist springs, and warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 14 to 18 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 38 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 105 to 135 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability in the upper part and moderate in the 2C horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Ervide soils are used for dryland cropland and rangeland. Potential native vegetation is mainly prairie sandreed, little bluestem, sand dropseed, and yucca.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ervide soils are of small extent in north-central and eastern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cascade County Area, Montana, 1975.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Records: MT0036. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the surface to 17 inches (Ap, Bw horizons); no cambic or argillic horizon; a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches or 10 inches to the lithic contact (Bw, BC, 2Ck horizons). Entic Haploborolls feature a mollic epipedon and no cambic horizon. Ervide soils have an ustic moisture regime and a frigid temperature regime.