LOCATION GABICA NV
Established Series
Rev. TRM/RLB/JVC/JBF
03/2017
GABICA SERIES
The Gabica series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Gabica soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 8 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 400 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Gabica gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; many fine interstitial and tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)
Bt1--13 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)
Bt2--23 to 38 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; many coarse roots; common faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.0); clear irregular boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)
R--38 cm; fractured bedrock; weathering evident in joints.
TYPE LOCATION: Storey County, Nevada; about 1.5 miles west of Virginia City near the Storey-Washoe county line; about 2,100 feet north of the southwest corner of section 30, T. 17 N., R. 21 E.; USGS Virginia City 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 18 minutes 29 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 40 minutes 34 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.3081667 latitude, -119.6772222 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, and are dry between depth of 10 cm and the lithic contact for 45 to 70 consecutive days in mid and late summer; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to base of mollic epipedon: 23 to 48 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm to a lithic contact.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent in the mollic epipedon.
Reaction: Moderately acid through neutral.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 24 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is volcanic rocks such as andesite or rhyolite.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay loam or very gravelly loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel with up to 10 percent cobbles and stones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Anaud,
Bellenmine,
Celeridge,
Cleavage,
Cleavmor,
Cropper,
Gaciba,
Genoa,
Gerdog,
Gidwin,
Grandeposit,
Granquin,
Grosschat,
Hawkridge,
Hutchley,
Loope,
Majorsplace,
Mascamp,
Mattier,
Melling,
Pernog,
Pernty,
Realmcoy,
Rozara,
Shalcleav,
Shalper,
Slatter,
Tractuff, and
Tweener series.
Anaud,
Gaciba,
Granquin,
Pernty,
Shalper, and
Tractuff soils have an aridic moisture regime.
Bellenmine,
Cropper, and
Grosschat soils are intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October.
Celeridge,
Genoa and
Loope soils average 60 to 80 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
Cleavage soils have mollic epipedons that include a transitional BA horizon and do not include the upper part of the argillic horizon.
Cleavmor soils have identifiable secondary carbonates in the argillic horizon and are slightly alkaline.
Gerdog,
Hawkridge,
Mattier,
Rozara,
Shalcleav and
Tweener soils have bedrock within 36 cm.
Gidwin soils have mollic epipedons that include the entire argillic horizon and average 18 to 24 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Grandeposit and
Realmcoy soils have quartzite and slate, or quartzite rock fragments and bedrock.
Hutchley soils have transitional AB horizons and are neutral to slightly alkaline.
Mascamp soils have dominantly cobbles and stones in the particle-size control section and have identifiable secondary carbonates coating the lithic contact.
Melling soils have a xeric moisture regime that does not border on aridic.
Pernog soils have dominantly stones in the particle-size control section and have mollic epipedons that include the entire argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gabica soils are on hills and mountains. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 8 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,830 to 2,445 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 360 to 460 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Burnborough and
Tristan soils. Burnborough soils are very deep and Tristan soils are deep.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high or very high surface runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Gabica soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, and cheatgrass with minor amounts of rabbitbrush, lupine, buckwheat, Idaho fescue, and yarrow.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 26.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County, Idaho, 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 13 to 38 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 38 cm to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 38 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: User Pedon ID: 1983NV029909.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.