LOCATION LANGER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Xeric Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Langer gravelly sandy loam--on a 37 percent east-facing slope in rangeland at 6,400 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 16, 1986, the soil was moist to 13 inches and dry below that depth.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 25 percent fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--3 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 25 percent fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--9 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 35 percent fine gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
BC--13 to 43 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 45 percent fine gravel; lamellae along cracks at 36 inches; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 35 inches thick)
C1--43 to 54 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common fine and medium irregular pores; 80 percent fine gravel; lamellae along cracks; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
C2--54 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium irregular pores; 90 percent gravel; lamellae along cracks; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; approximately 1/2 mile northeast of Stanley, Idaho; about 1,700 feet north and 500 feet east of the southwest corner of section 3, T. 10 N., R. 13 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 35 to 38 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 44 to 49 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 12 inches.
Base saturation - 55 to 65 percent in the A horizon.
Depth to sand and gravel - 10 to 20 inches.
Control section - Percent clay: 3 to 8.
Coarse fragments (control section average): 40 to 55 percent (fine gravel).
A horizon
Chroma - 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction - slightly acid or moderately acid.
Bw horizon
Valve - 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - GRV-SL, GRV-COSL.
Coarse fragments - 35 to 45 percent.
Reaction - slightly acid or moderately acid.
BC horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Texture - GRV-LCOS, GRV-LS.
Coarse fragments - 35 to 55 percent.
Reaction - slightly acid or moderately acid.
C horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry.
Chroma - 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture - GRX-COS, GRX-LCOS, GRX-LS.
Coarse fragments - 70 to 90 percent.
Reaction - neutral or slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wiggleton soils. Wiggleton soils have secondary carbonate accumulation above 40 inches and have very weak discontinuous cementation below 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Langer soils are on hills and mountains. These soils formed in granitic residuum and colluvium. Slopes are 10 to 40 percent and elevations are 6,300 feet to 7,500 feet. The climate is cold and moist in winter and spring and cool and dry in summer. Average annual precipitation is 13 to 16 inches. Average annual temperature is 34 to 37 degrees F. The frost-free period is 15 to 40 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Busterback, Struggle, and the competing Wiggleton soils. Busterback soils are on stream terraces and outwash fans. They are pachic and have loamy-skeletal particle-size control sections. Struggle soils are on moraines, have ochric epipedons and receive 20 to 25 inches of annual precipitation.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Slow and medium runoff. Moderately rapid permeability in the upper part and very rapid permeability in the lower part of the profile.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. The natural vegetation is mountain big sagebrush and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Idaho. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 9 inches
Some pedons have a Bw thick enough to qualify as a cambic horizon.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw and part of the BC horizons).