LOCATION FLEECER MT

Established Series
Rev: TJK-KTS-RJS
04/2011

FLEECER SERIES

The Fleecer series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium or alluvium derived from granite or other coarse grained igneous or metamorphic rocks. These soils are on hills and mountain slopes, alluvial fans, fan remnants, drainageways and swales. Slopes are 2 to 45 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 17 inches and mean annual air temperature is about 37 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Haplocryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Fleecer coarse sandy loam, in grassland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A1--0 to 4 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, and common fine and medium roots; 10 percent, mainly fine, gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary.

A2--4 to 18 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent, mainly fine, gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons - 16 to 36 inches)

Bw--18 to 32 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent, mainly fine, gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)

BC--32 to 50 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots in upper portion; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 30 percent, mainly fine, gravel and 2 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); diffuse wavy boundary. (8 to 28 inches thick)

C--50 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) gravelly loamy coarse sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent, mainly fine, gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Silver Bow County, Montana; approximately 1,700 feet south and 1,700 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 16, T. 2 N., R. 8 W. Butte South topographic quadrangle, Latitude 45 degrees 55 minutes 35.4 seconds N. Longitude 112 degrees 35 minutes 49.2 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 36 to 42 degrees F. Cryic temperature regime
Mollic epipedon thickness - 16 to 48 inches
Depth to coarse sandy substrates - 26 to 52 inches

Note: These soils contain a high proportion of medium, coarse and very coarse angular sand in the sand fraction due to granite or granite-like parent materials.

A horizons
Value: 2 to 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2; dry or moist
Texture: loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 30 percent--0 to 25 percent gravel (mainly 2 to 5 mm), 0 to 15 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.8

Bw horizon
Value: 5 or 4 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragment content: 10 to 30 percent--10 to 25 percent gravel (mainly 2 to 5 mm), 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.4 to 7.2

BC horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: loamy coarse sand or coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 4 to 14 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 35 percent--15 to 35 percent gravel (mainly 2 to 5 mm), 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.4 to 7.6

C horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6; dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, loamy coarse sand or loamy sand
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 40 percent--15 to 35 percent gravel (mainly 2 to 5 mm), 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.4 to 7.8

COMPETING SERIES:
Aycab (NV) - is moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Brownsgulch (MT) - does not have a coarse sandy substratum
Coffepot (NV) - is deep to a paralithic contact
Coutis (WY) - rock fragments average less than 15 percent in the particle-size control section
Earcree (ID) - have a xeric soil moisture regime
Foxvire (NV) - have a xeric soil moisture regime
Gardners Fork (UT) - have an udic soil moisture regime
Grayhead (CO) - is deep to a paralithic contact
Hailman (UT) - is deep to a paralithic contact
Moonlight (ID) - rock fragments average less than 15 percent in the particle-size control section
Naz (ID) - have an udic soil moisture regime
Razorba (CO) - is calcareous throughout
Shook (MT) - is moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Skyway (CO) - is moderately deep to a lithic contact
Taral (AK) - have a lithologic discontinuity
Tosp (NV) - have an udic soil moisture regime

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - hills and mountain slopes, alluvial fans, fan remnants, drainageways and swales
Elevation - 5,180 to 7,450 feet
Slope - 2 to 45 percent
Parent material - colluvium or alluvium derived from granite or other coarse grained igneous or metamorphic rocks
Climate - long cold winters; moist springs; short, cool summers
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 21 inches
Mean annual air temperature - 34 to 40 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 30 to 70 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the Branham, Highrye, Zonite and Wissikihon series. Zonite and Branham soils have granite bedrock within 10 inches and 20 to 40 inches, respectively, and occur on more convex slope positions of hill and mountain slopes. Wissikihon soils are sandy throughout most of the control section and have a mollic surface less that 16 inches thick. Highrye soils have a mollic surface less than 16 inches thick. Both Wissikihon and Highrye soils can occur on similar landscape positions as the Fleecer series but they tend to occur less often in local concave or otherwise depositional sites.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability above the BC horizon, moderately rapid to rapid permeability in the BC and C horizons.

USE AND VEGETATION: Fleecer soils are primarily used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly rough fescue, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, Nelson's needlegrass, Richardson's needlegrass, rubber rabbitbrush, silvery lupine, soft cinquefoil and prairie smoke.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Fleecer soils are of limited extent in southwestern Montana. MLRAs - 43B, 44B.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Silver Bow County, Montana, 2006.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 32 inches (A1, A2, Bw horizons)
Sandy substrata - from 32 to 60 inches (BC, C horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches (part of A2, Bw, part of BC horizons)

Fleecer soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.

Additional Information: Gravel throughout the profile is primarily less than 5 mm in diameter (pea gravel).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.