LOCATION HYZEN                   NV

Established Series
Rev. WM-RLB-JBF
12/2022

HYZEN SERIES

The Hyzen series consists of shallow and very shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone and dolomite. The Hyzen soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Hyzen extremely stony loam--forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 45 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 20 percent stones.

A--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine vesicular and interstitial pores; common faint calcium carbonate pendants on bottoms of rock fragments; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 15 percent stones; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

ABk--5 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely stony loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many fine through coarse roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; common faint calcium carbonate pendants on bottom of rock fragments; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 20 percent stones; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

R--30 cm; gray (10YR 6/1) fractured limestone; fractures partly filled with secondary calcium carbonate; few coarse roots in fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; about 2,480 feet west and 2,800 feet south of the projected northeast corner of section 8 T. 16 N., R. 63 E.; USGS Ruth 7.5 minute quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 15 minutes 56 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 54 minutes 27 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.2655556 latitude, -114.9075000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist, moist in winter, spring and early summer, dry in late summer and fall; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 15 to 36 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 15 to 36 cm.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 60 percent of the less than 20 mm fraction.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent with more than half cobbles and stones.

A and ABk horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 5 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Buzztail series.

Buzztail soils have a lithic contact between 36 to 50 cm and are moist 10 to 20 days cumulative between mid-July and October.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hyzen soils are on hills and mountains, dominantly summits and backslopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from derived limestone and dolomite. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,770 to 3,230 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cold, moist winters and cool dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 400 mm; mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cavehill, Pookaloo and Zimbob series. Cavehill soils are greater than 50 cm to rock and have calcic horizons. Pookaloo and Zimbob soils lack mollic epipedons and have mesic temperature regimes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium to very high runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly singleleaf pinyon, Utah juniper, and curlleaf mountain mahogany with black sagebrush understory. Where very shallow phases of Hyzen are recognized the present vegetation is mainly littleleaf mountain mahogany and black sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28B and 28A.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Western White Pine County Area, Nevada. 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (A1 and ABk horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 30 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the surface to 30 cm (A1 and ABk horizons).

Classification was updated to 11th edition on 07/2011 changed from Lithic Haploxerolls to Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.