LOCATION FERA                    NV

Established Series
Rev. WMA/ELS/JBF
11/2016

FERA SERIES

The Fera series consists of deep well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from conglomerate and shale. Fera soils are on mountain sideslopes. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Aridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Fera very gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry, soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partially covered by 2 percent stones.

A1--0 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

A2--13 to 28 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many fine and very fine tubular pores; 60 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary, (0 to 20 cm thick)

Bt1--28 to 46 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium and fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 60 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (48 to 78 cm thick)

Bt2--46 to 107 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium and fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 60 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (48 to 78 cm thick)

R--107 cm; conglomerate bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; 700 feet west and 1,600 feet south of the northeast corner of section 23, T. 24 N., R. 54 E.; USGS Diamond Sprngs 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 56 minutes 59 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 50 minutes 53 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.9497222 latitude, -115.8480556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and early spring, aridic bordering on xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 16 to 17 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon: 25 to 40 cm thick and includes the Bt1 horizon in some pedons.
Base of argillic: 90 to 122 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 100 to 150 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, mainly gravel with few cobbles and stones.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Weak or moderate, fine or medium granular or subangular blocky.

Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry and 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6.
Structure: Moderate to strong, very fine to medium angular or subangular blocky, some pedons have weak prismatic structure.
Texture: Clay loam or clay.
Modifiers: Gravelly or extremely gravelly.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bagard, Blitzen, Gosumi, Kleckner Quarz, Slaven and Snellby series.

Bagard and Kleckner soils are very deep. Blitzen, Quarz, Slaven and Snellby soils are moderately deep. Gosumi soils have secondary carbonates.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fera soils are on mountain sides. Elevations are 1,830 to 2,290 meters. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from conglomerates and shale. The climate is cool semiarid continental with an average annual precipitation of 200 to 300 mm that comes mostly as snow. The mean annual temperature is 5 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free season is 50 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Passar and Roca soils. Passar soils have cryic temperature regime. Roca soils are moderately deep.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; slow permeability; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Principal vegetation is big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and rabbitbrush. Remnants of pinyon-juniper stands are found in fire-protected areas; this vegetation type was dominant before clean cutting and burning were practiced.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. Fera soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County (Diamond Valley Area). Nevada 1971.

REMARKS: Fera soils were formerly classified as Chestnut soils.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 28 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 28 to 107 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 107 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 28 to 78 cm (Bt1 and part of the Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.