LOCATION KARLO                   NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. JBF/TM
12/2019

KARLO SERIES

The Karlo series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum derived from volcanic rocks. Karlo soils are on plateaus. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, frigid Leptic Haploxererts

TYPICAL PEDON: Karlo cobbly clay--rangeland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A1--0 to 5 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) cobbly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine and fine granular structure; hard, very friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 13 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; continuous colloidal coatings on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

A3--13 to 25 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; continuous pressure cutans; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Bwss--25 to 64 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay dry and moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine and very few medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; continuous pressure cutans and many intersecting slickensides; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 50 cm thick)

Bkss--64 to 100 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong fine and medium blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine tubular pores; common pressure cutans, many slickensides; few medium white carbonate masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 64 cm thick)

R--100 cm; basalt bedrock; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) decomposed rock materials in fractures; thin continuous white carbonate as coats on fractured faces.

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; 1000 feet north and 1000 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 36, T. 35 N., R. 18 E.; USGS Hole In The Ground 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 51 minutes 38 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 54 minutes 55 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.8605556 latitude, -119.9152778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in winter and spring, dry early June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to bedrock: 60 to 100 cm.
Other features: Cracks are open to the surface for about 150 to 180 days. (mid-June to November). Some pedons lack Bk horizons below 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 60 to 70 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR.
Value: 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Reaction: Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
Other features: A surface cover of 20 to 60 percent basalt cobbles is present in most pedons.

Bw horizons (and Bk horizon when present)
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR.
Value: 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Structure: Prismatic, subangular blocky or angular blocky.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Other features: Slickensides are on 20 to 70 percent of ped faces.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Karlo soils are on plateaus at elevations from 1,600 to 2,130 meters. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent and the soils have gilgai microrelief. The soils formed in residuum derived from basalt, andesite, dacite, and tuff. The climate is cool, continental with a mean annual temperature of 6 to 7 degrees C, a mean annual precipitation of 250 to 300 mm, and a frost-free season of 50 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Catnip, Madeline, and Ninemile soils. Catnip soils have fine clay natric horizons. Madeline and Ninemile soils have clay argillic horizons and bedrock within 50 cm.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is principally low gray rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, Sandberg bluegrass, squirreltail, Thurber's needlegrass, gumweed and little sunflower.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 23.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lassen County, California, 1971.

REMARKS: Type location moved from California to Nevada in 1990.

Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A1, A2, and part of the A3 horizons}.
Cambic horizon - The zone from 25 to 64 cm (The Bwss horizon).
Slickensides - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (The Bwss and Bk horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 64 to 100 cm (The Bkss horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 100 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons.)

ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon No. S69Nev16-4; Riverside Lab. No. 69-418 to 426.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.