LOCATION LEROMAN CA
Established Series
Rev. EWB-JVC-JBF
03/2017
LEROMAN SERIES
The Leroman series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite. Leroman soils are on mountains. Slopes are 8 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 510 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Leroman very gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 30 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones.
A--0 to 13 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)
Bt1--13 to 41 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine through medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)
Bt2--41 to 58 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine through medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)
Bt3--58 to 86 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 cm thick)
Cr--86 to 109 cm; weathered ash-flow tuff.
R--109 cm; hard, unweathered ash-flow tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Alpine County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 1.5 miles south of the Leviathan Mine; approximately 1,100 feet north and 1,600 feet east of the southwest corner of section 27, T. 10 N., R. 21 E.; USGS Heenan Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 40 minutes 50.1 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 39 minutes 47.9 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.6805833 latitude, -119.6633056 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry from July through early October for 75 to 90 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 76 cm; includes the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered volcanic rocks such as andesitic tuff. 100 to 150 cm to a lithic contact.
Sodium fluoride pH: 8.5 to 9.0.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 27 percent. Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 3 to 5 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt1 and Bt2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly loam, or very gravelly sandy loam.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt3 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly loam, or very gravelly sandy loam.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bullump,
Bullvaro,
Burchflat,
Camelback,
Chrisflat,
Dogbed,
Dooh,
Erig,
Krenka,
Lockgate,
Murain,
Nutval,
Snyderville,
Softback,
Softscrabble,
Staberg,
Vetagrande, and
Vipont series.
Bullump and
Camelback soils have lithic contacts between 100 and 200 cm from the soil surface.
Bullvaro,
Dooh,
Nutval, and
Vetagrande soils have an aridic moisture regime.
Burchflat and
Vipont soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts.
Chrisflat,
Dogbed,
Krenka,
Murain,
Snyderville,
Softback, and
Softscrabble soils are very deep.
Erig soils are deep to lithic contacts.
Lockgate soils are deep to paralithic contacts.
Staberg soils have argillic horizons that are 15 to 30 cm thick, have the upper boundary of the argillic horizon at depths of 36 to 64 cm from the soil surface, and have C horizons overlying the paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Leroman soils are on mountains. They typically occur on footslope and backslope positions. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite. Slopes are 8 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,985 to 2,750 meters. The climate is subhumid-continental with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 410 to 610 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 40 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Chenhigh,
Celeridge, and
Heenlake soils. Chenhigh and Celeridge soils are shallow to lithic contacts. Heenlake soils have mollic epipedons that are less than 50 cm thick.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Leroman soils are used for livestock grazing, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, snowberry, mountain brome, and western needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive. MLRAs 22A and 26.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alpine County (Toiyabe National Forest Area), California, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 58 cm (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 13 to 86 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 86 cm to underlying soft bedrock (Cr layer).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 109 cm (R horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 63 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons and part of the Bt3 horizon).
The revision of October 2003 updated the taxonomic class from Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Pachic Argixerolls. The isotic mineralogy class was based solely on the field determined values for sodium fluoride pH. Laboratory data on 15 bar water to clay ratio does not exist to verify the isotic mineralogy class.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.