LOCATION GYNELLE                 NV

Established Series
Rev. JHD/JBF/WED
05/2016

GYNELLE SERIES

The Gynelle series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Gynelle soils are on inset fans, alluvial flats, fan piedmonts, fan skirts, alluvial fans and alluvial plains. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 100 mm and mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Typic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Gynelle very gravelly sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)

A2--5 to 25 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak, fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many medium and fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

Bk--25 to 56 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; few moderately thick white (10YR 8/1) lime pendants on lower surface of cobbles and gravel; 50 percent gravel; 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

2C--56 to 97 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 66 cm thick)

3C--97 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many medium and fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8)

TYPE LOCATION: Esmeralda County, Nevada. About 0.4 miles northwest of Highway 95 on the east side of the road running north from McClans, about 2,200 feet north and 500 feet east of the southwest corner of the apparent section 1 in an unsurveyed area of T. 2 N., R. 38 E.; USGS Devils Gate 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 3 minutes 20 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 42 minutes 37 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.0555556 latitude, -117.710278 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring months and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms. Dry in the lower moisture control section; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 13 to 15 degrees C.
Depth to Bk horizon: 10 to 36 cm.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through violently effervescent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Other features: Thin horizon (8 cm thick) of gravelly sandy loam or sandy clay loam may be present in some pedons.

Bk and C horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Stratified sand, loamy sand, coarse sand and a subhorizon of sandy loam is present. Averages loamy coarse sand or coarse sand, or loamy sand.
Rock fragments: Average 35 to 60 percent mainly gravel, individual strata may have up to 80 percent rock fragments with 40 percent cobbles and stones.
Salinity: Average 4 to 8 millimhos/cm.
Structure: Massive, single grained or weak subangular blocky.
Consistence: Loose to slightly hard dry, loose or very friable moist or is loose, nonsticky or slightly sticky, nonplastic or slightly plastic.

Other features: Horizons are stratified. Lime occurs as pendants in one or more horizons in most pedons. Lime coated gravel are present in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bluewing, Inmo, Ioka, Itme, Izamatch, Izo, Leo, Nepalto, Wardenot and Willwood series.

Bluewing, Inmo, Itme, Ioka Izo and Willwood soils lack a horizon of sandy loam within the control section. Inmo soils have 50 to 85 percent gravel that are predominantly less than 1.5 cm in diameter. Izamatch soils are moist for 10 to 20 days following summer convection storms. Leo soils lack a 2Bk horizons. Nepalto soils have a hue of 2.5YR. Wardenot soils have Cqk horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gynelle soils are on alluvial fans, fan piedmonts fan skirts, alluvial plains and inset fans. Elevations are 1,091 to 1,820 meters. They formed in mixed alluvium derived from rhyolite, andesite and minor amounts of basalt and granitic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The climate is cool and arid. The mean annual temperature of 11 to 13 degrees C, the mean annual precipitation is 75 to 125 mm, and the average frost-free season is 130 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Oricto and Cirac soils. Oricto soils have a thin argillic horizon and are on stable fan remnants. Cirac soils lack gravel in the particle-size control section and are on low fan skirts and alluvial plains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained, medium runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for livestock grazing. The vegetation is principally shadscale and Cooper wolfberry with less than l0 percent canopy cover.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are of moderate extent. MLRA 27, 29.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County, Nevada, 1984.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - From the surface to 18 cm (A1 and part of the A2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone at 25 to 100 cm (Bk, 2C and 3C horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.