LOCATION HEIZER KSEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Lithic
Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Heizer gravelly loam - in native grass range. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; many fine and medium roots; porous; strong effervescence; mildly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
AC--7 to 10 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) very channery loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine and medium roots; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
C--10 to 14 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very channery loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots; many fragments of limestone from 1 to 6 inches in length; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
R--14 inches; white (10YR 8/2) chalky limestone with a few vertical cracks.
TYPE LOCATION: Ellis County, Kansas; about 10 miles north and 4 miles east of Hays; 900 feet east and 250 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 32, T. 11 S., R. 17 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 7 to 14 inches. Depth to chalky limestone ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 12 inches. The soil contains free carbonates throughout and is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is gravelly loam or loam.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 8 and 4 to 7 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is very channery loam or very gravelly loam. Coarse limestone or chalk fragments 1/2 to 6 inches along the longer axis, range from 35 to 60 percent by volume.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Tortugas series in the same family and the Brownell, Kipson, Nibson, and Sogn series. Tortugas soils are in a drier climate. Brownell soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Kipson and Nibson soils contain less than 35 percent by volume of coarse fragments and, in addition, have a paralithic contact at depths of 10 to 20 inches. Sogn soils contain less than 35 percent by volume of coarse fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Heizer soils are on sloping to steep erosional uplands. The slope gradient ranges from 5 to 30 percent. The soils formed in residuum weathered from chalky limestone. The mean annual temperature ranges from 52 to 57 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 25 inches. Thornthwaite annual P-E index ranges from 34 to 42.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Armo, Brownell, Harney, Mento, and Wakeen soils. All these soils, except Brownell, contain less than 35 percent coarse fragments by volume. In addition, Armo, Harney, and Mento soils lack bedrock within a depth of 40 inches. Armo soils are on side slopes or foot slopes below Heizer soils. Brownell soils occupy less sloping or similar positions as Heizer soils. Harney, Mento, and Wakeen soils are on less sloping upland divides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Surface runoff is medium and rapid. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used exclusively for rangeland. Native vegetation is dominated by little bluestem, sideoats grama, and big bluestem.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Kansas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ellis County, Kansas, 1970.