LOCATION HIAMOVI COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, micaceous Lithic Dystrocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Hiamovi extremely gravelly sandy loam, on a north-facing, convex 24 percent slope in a lodgepole pine forest at an elevation of 9,714 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on August 27, 1996, the soil was dry.
The surface is covered by about 10 percent boulders, 10 percent stones, 3 percent cobbles, and 2 percent gravel.
E--0 to 5 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 13 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; 65 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear irregular boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
R--13 inches; hard granite and gneiss.
TYPE LOCATION: Grand County, Colorado, about 9 miles north of Grand Lake; Fall River Pass USGS quad; 428640 easting, 4473184 northing, Universal Transverse Mercator
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: udic bordering on ustic
Mean annual soil temperature: 36 to 40 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 45 to 48 degrees F.
Surface rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent boulders, 2 to 15 percent stones, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent gravel.
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 20 inches to granite, gneiss, or schist
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Sand content: 45 to 70 percent
Rock fragment content: 60 to 80 percent, dominantly gravel and cobble
Mica content: 40 to 70 percent (by grain count)
E horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid
Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Texture: extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam
Base saturation: 30 to 60 percent
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family. When reclassified the following series may be competitors: the Banker, Cobblank, Crawfish, Hechtman, Luckiamute, Treebutte and Winberry series.
Banker and
Crawfish soils have a xeric moisture regime.
Cobblank soils have a surface mantle of silty material.
Hechtman soils have less than 15 percent mica.
Luckiamute soils have more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Treebutte soils have a xeric moisture regime.
Winberry soils have mean annual soil temperature greater than 40 degrees.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: till, slope alluvium and residuum derived from granite, gneiss, and schist.
Landform: mountain slopes.
Slopes: 5 to 65 percent
Elevation: 9,000 to 12,000 feet
Mean annual air temperature: 36 to 42 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 26 to 40 inches.
Wettest months: March, April, and May.
Driest months: September and October.
Frost-free period: 10 to 50 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Archrock, Fallriver, Mummy, and Trailridge series. Archrock soils are moderately deep and are on shoulders. The Fallriver soils are very deep and are on backslopes. Mummy soils are very deep and are on summits. Trailridge soils have an umbric epipedon and are on shoulders.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, very high runoff, moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The native plant community is primarily Engelmann's spruce, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, and grouse whortleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado. LRR E, MLRA 48A. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grand County, Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park Soil Survey Area, 1999. The name "Hiamovi" comes from a nearby stream.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon and albic horizon: The zone from 0 to 5 inches. (E horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 5 to 13 inches. (Bw horizon)
Particle-size control section: The zone from the surface to 13 inches (the entire pedon).
Lithic Contact: The contact with granite and gneiss at 13 inches. (R layer)
Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Series classified according to Eighth Edition, 1998.
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.