LOCATION FIGARO MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy Vitrandic Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Figaro cobbly ashy loam, in forest (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 0.5 inch; partially decomposed needles, twigs and leaves.
Oe--0.5 to 2 inches; decomposed needles, twigs and leaves. (Combined thickness of O horizons is 1/2 to 3 inches.)
A--2 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) cobbly ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; 10 percent cobbles and 15 percent pebbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt/E--7 to 18 inches; Bt part (60 percent) grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) cobbly ashy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; E part (40 percent) light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) cobbly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; few faint clay films bridging sand grains and on faces of peds in Bt part; 10 percent cobbles and 15 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 11 inches thick)
Bt--18 to 30 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) ashy clay loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; many medium tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
BC--30 to 43 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) ashy clay loam, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; hard, frim, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots, few medium and coarse roots; common medium tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
C--43 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) ashy clay loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and medium roots; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Deer Lodge County, Montana; 1950 feet east and 1300 feet north of the SW corner of sec. 16, T. 3 N., R. 11 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 32 to 40 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 40 to 46 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Volcanic glass - 30 to 50 percent in the coarse silt and sand fraction.
Acid oxalate Al + 1/2 Fe - .12 to .20 percent
Depth to argillic horizon - 6 to 16 inches.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent--0 to 15 percent cobbles and stones, 15 to 20 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.5
Bt/E horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: ashy loam, ashy clay loam or ashy sandy clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles and stones, 5 to 25 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 7.3
Bt horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: ashy clay loam or ashy sandy clay
Clay content: 35 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles and stones, 5 to 25 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
BC and C horizons - Hue: 5Y, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: ashy loam or ashy clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--0 to 10 percent cobbles and stones; 5 to 25 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - alluvial fans, footslopes, mountains and hills.
Elevation - 6,200 to 6,800 feet.
Slope - 8 to 25 percent.
Parent material - colluvium and alluvium from welded tuff bedrock.
Climate - long, cold winters; cold, moist springs; short, cool summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 20 to 30 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 30 to 38 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 30 to 60 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Figaro soils are mainly used for woodland, understory grazing, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The potential overstory vegetation is mainly subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, Englemann spruce and whitebark pine. Understory vegetation is mainly grouse whortleberry, elk sedge, Oregongrape, common beargrass, and pinegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Figaro soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deer Lodge County, Montana, 1999.
REMARKS: Soil interpretive record: MT1743. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from 2 to 7 inches (A horizon); an argillic horizon from 7 to 30 inches (Bt/E and Bt horizons); a particle size control section from 7 to 27 inches (Bt/E and part of Bt horizons). Figaro soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime bordering on udic.