LOCATION GALUCHE COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, micaceous, frigid Lithic Dystrustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Galuche very gravelly sandy loam, on a north facing, convex, 65 percent slope in forest at an elevation of 8,200 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on July 26, 1995 the soil was moist from 0 to 19 inches.
The surface is covered by 15 percent cobbles, 3 percent stones, and 1 percent boulders
Oe--0 to 1 inches; moderately decomposed needles, leaves, and moss.
A--1 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 35 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
E--3 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--9 to 19 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear irregular boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
R--19 inches; hard granite, gneiss and schist.
TYPE LOCATION: Larimer County, Colorado; about 5 miles west southwest of Estes Park in Rocky Mountain National Park; located about 2,300 feet west and 1,000 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 31, T. 5 N., R. 73 W.; Longs Peak USGS quad; lat. 40 degrees 21 minutes 13.5 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees 37 minutes 6.5 seconds W., NAD 1927
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Depths given are measured from the mineral soil surface.)
Soil moisture: Ustic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 41 to 45 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature: 57 to 60 degrees F
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 20 inches to granitic rocks, gneiss, or schist
Depth to albic horizon: 0 to 3 inches
Thickness of the cambic horizon: 6 to 10 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Sand content: 50 to 75 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 55 percent, dominantly gravel and cobbles
Mica content: 40 to 70 percent (by grain count)
A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid
Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent
Base saturation: 30 to 60 percent (estimated)
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are presently no competing series in this family. When reclassified, other series that may be competitors are: the
Cinnadale,
Cypher,
Devilfence,
Deville,
Kounter,
Quaint,
Roegulch,
Shaboom, and Sharrot series.
Cinnadale and Quaint soils have hue of 5YR or redder.
Cypher, Roegulch, Shaboom, and Sharrot soils have low mica content.
Devilfence and Kounter soils have horizons of secondary carbonates.
Deville soils average greater than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium and residuum derived from granitic rocks, gneiss, and schist
Landform: mountain slopes
Slopes: 20 to 90 percent
Elevation: 7,800 to 9,800 feet
Mean annual temperature: 42 to 46 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 16 to 22 inches
Precipitation pattern: Continental
wettest periods: May, June, July, August
driest periods: December and January
Frost-free period: 75 to 95 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cathedral,
Catamount, and
Rofork series.
Catamount soils have a paralithic contact and are on colder aspects of mountain slopes.
Cathedral and Rofork soils have a mollic epipedon and are on mountain slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: somewhat excessively drained, rapid runoff, moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Recreation and wildlife habitat. Native plant community is dominantly ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain Douglas fir, and lodgepole pine with an understory of kinnickinnick, common juniper, cliff jamseii, mountain muhly, sedges, and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral Rocky Mountains, Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 48A; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Larimer County, Colorado, 1999. Rocky Mountain National Park soil survey area. The name was taken from a mountain peak in the area.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 1 to 3 inches. (A horizon)
Albic horizon: The zone from 3 to 9 inches. (E horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 3 to 19 inches. (E and Bw horizons)
Particle-size control section: The zone from 11 to 19 inches. (part of the Bw horizon)
Lithic contact: The contact with granite, gneiss, and schist at 19 inches. (R layer)
This series was originally classified as a loamy-skeletal, mixed, shallow Typic Ustochrept. Additional documentation identifies a lithic contact as typical for the area. Data on similar soils suggests paramicaceous mineralogy.
Taxonomic Version: Eighth Edition
ADDITIONAL DATA:
The mineralogy class was changed from paramicaceous to micaceous in 07/2010 by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the responsible MLRA regional office. The change was necessary based on the eleventh edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 2010.