LOCATION FULSTONE NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. JVC-JBF
03/2017

FULSTONE SERIES

The Fulstone series consists of shallow to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous rocks. Fulstone soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 180 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic, shallow Abruptic Xeric Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Fulstone cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; gray (10YR 6/1) cobbly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few medium, and many fine and very fine interstitial and vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and vesicular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

Bt1--13 to 33 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common pressure faces; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

Bt2--33 to 46 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films lining pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 23 cm thick)

Bqkm1--46 to 56 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) cemented material, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong very thick platy structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; indurated by opaline silica; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silica-cemented laminae with roots matted on surface; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 38 cm thick)

Bqkm2--56 to 76 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) cemented material, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, alternating weakly and strongly silica and carbonate cemented lenses; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 79 cm thick)

2Bqk--76 to 122 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few thin to thick weakly silica and carbonate cemented lenses and masses; 30 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Lyon County, Nevada; in Smith Valley about 9 miles south-southeast of Smith; about 800 feet north and 500 feet west of the southeast corner of section 33, T. 10 N., R. 24 E.; USGS Desert Creek Ranch 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 40 minutes 48 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 17 minutes 42 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.6800000 latitude, -119.2950000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry from June through October; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 9 to 13 degrees C.
Ochric epipedon thickness: 3 to 13 cm.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to indurated duripan: 36 to 50 cm.
Other features: An abrupt horizon boundary is present between the A and Bt1 horizons accompanied by an increase in clay content of 15 percent or more; some pedons have a thin Bt3 horizon with clay or clay loam texture.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 45 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent with individual horizons ranging to as high as 20 percent. Lithology of fragments is mixed igneous rocks such as andesite, basalt, tuff, or granodiorite.

A horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 5 to 30 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.

Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay or gravelly clay.
Clay content: 45 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent gravel due to mixing by burrowing animals.
Structure: Prismatic, angular blocky, or subangular blocky.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Bqkm1 horizon
Cementation: Very strongly cemented or indurated, but broken in some places by burrowing animals.

2Bqk horizons
Texture: Very cobbly sandy loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam, or extremely gravelly sand.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 85 percent gravel and some cobbles.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons have up to 40 percent durinodes; some pedons have texture of extremely gravelly sandy clay with up to 50 percent clay.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Antholop, Esmod, Grassycan, Kunaton, Puls, Ridenbaugh, and Rogerson series.

Antholop soils have moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline Bt horizons, have 40 to 60 percent cobbles and stones in the duripan, and are intermittently moist for 10 to 20 cumulative days between July and October due to convection storms. Esmod soils are influenced by volcanic ash and have duripans which are weakly to strongly cemented. Grassycan soils have lithic contacts at depths of 18 to 36 cm. Kunaton soils have lithic contacts at depths of 50 to 100 cm. Puls soils have lithic contacts at depths of 28 to 150 cm. Ridenbaugh soils have identifiable secondary carbonates in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Rogerson soils have duripans that are 8 to 18 cm thick and do not have skeletal material below the duripan.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fulstone soils are on fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed igneous rocks. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,280 to 2,134 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm. The mean annual temperature is 8 to 11 degrees C. The frost-free period is 90 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hunewill and Stucky soils. Hunewill and Stucky soils are loamy-skeletal, very deep, and do not have duripans.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Fulstone soils are used mainly for rangeland. Some of these areas have water spread on them to stimulate the growth of grasses. The vegetation is mainly low sagebrush or Lahontan sagebrush along with Sandberg's bluegrass, Thurber's needlegrass, and littleleaf horsebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are extensive with about 115,000 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 26, while other acreage occurs in MLRAs 23, 25, and 27.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lyon County Area, Nevada, 1981.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 13 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 13 to 46 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Abruptic subgroup feature - The abrupt clay increase of more than 15 percent at 13 cm (between A2 and Bt1 horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 46 to 76 cm (Bqkm1 and Bqkm2 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 46 to 122 cm (Bqkm1, Bqkm2, and 2Bqk horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 46 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: User pedon ID: 2006NV019001
Other authors and editors include WMA-RLB-SES.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.