LOCATION KZIN                    NV

Established Series
Rev. DWW-RLB-JBF
11/2016

KZIN SERIES

The Kzin series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum derived from calcareous clastic sedimentary and pyroclastic rocks. The Kzin soils are on side slopes and crest of hills, rock pediment remnants, and lower parts of mountains. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic, shallow Xeric Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Kzin very gravelly loam--woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 75 percent gravel and 2 percent with stones.

A--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles, and 2 percent stones; thin carbonate coats on rock fragments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bk--8 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; thin carbonate coats around rock fragments, common thin carbonate pendants on undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent, strongly alkaline (pH 8.5), clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

Cr--20 to 50 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) soft fractured pudding stone with approximately 30 percent gravel of less than 3 cm in diameter in the matrix, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; rock structure; few very fine, fine medium and coarse roots in fractures; thin carbonate coats along fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 8 1/2 miles southeast of Montello, about 1,500 feet south and 2,815 feet west of the northeast corner, sec. 4, T. 38 N., and R. 70 E.; USGS Patterson Pass 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 12 minutes 32 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 3 minutes 6 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.2088889 latitude, -114.0516667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry mid-June through late October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to paralithic contact: 10 to 30 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.
Other features: Eroded phases are recognized.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 15 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

Bk horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Subangular blocky or is massive.
Texture: Very gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy loam.
Consistence: Slightly sticky or nonsticky and nonplastic or slightly plastic wet.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Calpeek, Kaffur and Weepah series.

The Calpeek and Kaffur soils have 5 percent or less calcium carbonate equivalent and lack Bk horizons. Weepah soils have values that reflects lithochromic colors and A horizons that lack segregated carbonates on rock fragments.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kzin soils are on sideslopes and crests of hills, rock pediment remnants, fan piedmont remnants with a rock core, and the lower parts of mountains. These soils formed in residuum derived from calcareous sedimentary and pyroclastic rocks. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,620 to 2,230 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, most winters. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 360 mm; mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C; and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Izar, Hopeka and Nirac soils. Izar and Hopeka are shallow to a lithic contact. Nirac soils have a mollic epipedon.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Utah juniper and pinyon pine with a understory of black sagebrush, Indian ricegrass and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 25, 28A, 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County, Nevada, northeast part, 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and part of the Bk horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 20 cm (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the soil surface to 20 cm (A, Bk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.