LOCATION GARLET MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Garlet stony loam, woodland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches; partially decomposed and undecomposed forest litter.
E1--2 to 6 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) stony loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to very fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and common coarse roots; 15 percent stones and 25 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
E2--6 to 21 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common very fine pores; 25 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, and 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons is 12 to 24 inches.)
Bw/E--21 to 48 inches; B part (60 percent) light brown (7.5YR 6/4), brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; E part (40 percent) pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2), brown (7.5YR 5/2) moist; extremely cobbly sandy clay loam; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; ped faces are coated with gray (10YR 6/1) very fine sand; 25 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, and 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 35 inches thick)
Bk--48 to 70 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, and 40 percent gravel; continuous distinct lime coats on underside of rock fragments; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1)
TYPE LOCATION: Glacier County, Montana; 2,400 feet east and 600 feet south of the NW corner of sec. 21, T. 32 N., R. 13 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 38 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Depth to Bk horizon - 32 to 60 inches.
E1 horizon - Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, or 3
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent--0 to 30 percent cobbles and stones; 5 to 45 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5
E2 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, 4
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent--10 to 40 percent cobbles and stones; 25 to 60 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 6.5
Bw/E horizon - Hue: B part 10YR or 7.5YR, E part 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: B part 6 or 7, E part 5 or 6 dry; B part 4 or 5, E part 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, sandy loam, or loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 80 percent--15 to 40 percent cobbles and stones; 25 to 60 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.8
Some pedons have E/B horizons.
Bk horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 7.5YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, 4
Texture: loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 5 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 45 to 80 percent--15 to 30 percent cobbles and stones; 30 to 50 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Cuberant (UT) - have lithic bedrock at 20 to 40 inches.
Enentah (CO) - does not have a horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Firada (MT) - developed in a mantle of volcanic ash and have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Gromes (NM) - do not have E horizons or mixed B/E horizons and have less than 60 percent rock fragments in the control section.
Poso (ID) - have carbonates at a depth of 0 to 2 inches.
Storm (CO) - do not have mixed B/E horizons and do not have a horizon of carbonate accumulation above a depth of 60 inches.
Targhee (ID) - are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock.
Telay (AK) - have a subarctic climate.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform- mountains and till plains.
Elevation - 4,200 to 8,000 feet.
Slope - 4 to 70 percent.
Parent material - colluvium from mixed rock sources (sedimentary and igneous). They developed under a boreal conifer forest with shrub and grass understory.
Mean annual precipitation - 18 to 60 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 36 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 50 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Garlet soils are used mainly for forest products and watersheds. Potential native vegetation is mainly Douglas fir, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, and western larch with an understory of ninebark, serviceberry, snowberry, Oregon-grape, kinnikinnick, pinegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Garlet soils are extensive in the Rocky Mountains in Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Granite County (Philipsburg-Drummond area), Montana, 1969.
REMARKS: Soil interpretations records: MT0176, MT0689, MT0806, MT1195, MT1280. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an albic horizon from the mineral soil surface to 21 inches (E1, E2 horizons); a mixed horizon of cambic and albic materials 21 to 48 inches (Bw/E horizon); a horizon of carbonate accumulation from 48 to 70 inches (Bk horizon); a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (E2, Bw/E horizons). Garlet soils have a cryic temperature regime and a udic moisture regime.
The 3/2008 description reflects a change in classification from Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Eutrocryepts to Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts due to revision of the cryepts great groups and subgroups. The competing series section was not updated and should be reviewed after all the cryepts have been re-classified.