LOCATION LADYCOMB                OR

Established Series
Rev. RDK/TDT
07/2011

LADYCOMB SERIES

The Ladycomb series consists of very shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum overlying highly fractured bedrock. Ladycomb soils are on rock pediments and have slopes fo 8 to 25 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 47 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ladycomb cobbly clay loam on a 12 percent slope, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) cobbly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

Bw--2 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many fine irregular and tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear irregular boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

R--8 inches; highly fractured bedrock; common white spots on bedrock are strongly effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Harney County, Oregon; about 5 miles south of Fields and 0.25 mile west of Rabbit Hole Mine in the NE1/4SE1/4 section 11, T. 39 S., R. 34 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are dry for more than three-fourths the time when the soil temperature is greater than 41 degrees F. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 4 to 10 inches. Depth to fractured bedrock ranges from 4 to 10 inches. Rock fragments range from 5 to 25 percent and are mostly in the A horizon. Clay in the particle-size control section ranges from 25 to 35 percent.

The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is 27 to 35 percent clay.

The B horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is clay loam, loam or sandy clay loam with 25 to 35 percent clay.

COMPETING SERIES: There are the Dobson, Soaplake, Stukel and Stuckmond series. Dobson, Soaplake, Stukel and Stuckmond soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to bedrock. Iron Mountain, Kuhl and Yakus soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ladycomb soils are on dissected rock pediments at elevations of 4700 to 5300 feet. Slopes are 8 to 25 percent. The soils formed in alluvium and residuum weathered from igneous rocks. They are underlain by highly fractured andesite and rhyolite. The climate is characterized by cold dry winters and cool dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches and the mean annual temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Carryback and Stampede soils. Carryback soils have an argillic horizon with an abrupt clay increase and are moderately deep. Stampede soils have a fine argillic horizon and are moderately deep over a duripan.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for rangeland. Vegetation commonly is big sagebrush, spiny hopsage, green ephedra, Indian ricegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Oregon. The series is inextensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harney County, Oregon, 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon from 0 to 8 inches

Lithic contact at 8 inches

Aridic soil moisture regime

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

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.