LOCATION KERSICK UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, carbonatic, mesic Lithic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Kersick cobbly loam - rangeland (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure that separates to weak fine granules; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--4 to 8 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual irregular boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
C1--8 to 17 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; common medium and fine roots; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
R--17 inches; limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Millard County, Utah; 7 1/2 miles north, 3/4 mile east of Cove Fort; 1/4 mile south and 1/8 mile west of the NE corner of sec. 19, T.24 S., R.6 W; lat. 38 degrees 42 minutes 39.29 seconds N. and long. 112 degrees 34 minutes 3.96 W seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 63 to 65 degrees F. The soils are moist in winter and spring and dry for more than 45 days following the summer solstice.
Depth to limestone bedrock is 10 to 20 inches. Rock fragments range from 20 to 35 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, chroma of 2 through 4. It is slightly hard or hard. This horizon is moderately or strongly calcareous. It ranges from 7 to 12 inches thick.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is cobbly loam or cobbly heavy sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kersick soils are on sloping to steep ridges and mountain slopes at elevations of 5,600 to 6,200 feet. Slopes range from 5 to 30 percent. The soils formed in a mantle of soil material 10 to 20 inches thick formed in place over limestone and calcareous sandstone bedrock. The climate is dry subhumid. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. Mean summer temperature is 64 to 66 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches. March and April are the wettest months and June is the driest. Frost-free period is 100 to 108 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pharo soils. Pharo soils are more than 40 inches deep, are gravelly and very gravelly, and have a strong lime horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability to bedrock.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly as range from cattle, sheep, and big game. Present vegetation is juniper, mahogany, cliffrose, big sagebrush, and black sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southwestern Utah. These soils are inextensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Millard County, Utah, 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 8 inches. (The A1 and A2 horizon)
Carbonatic mineralogy - in the particle size control section the fraction less than 20 mm in size averages more than 40 percent carbonates plus gypsum.
Lithic feature - limestone bedrock at 17 inches.
Xeric feature - soil moisture regime is xeric bordering on aridic.
In June of 1994 the classification of this series was changed from a Torriorthent to a Xerorthent in order to provide consistent correlation of range sites and soil moisture regimes in Utah.