LOCATION LIHEN MT+ND SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Entic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Lihen sandy loam, 2 percent slopes, in grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A1--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; 2 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
A2--4 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; common fine pores and few medium pores; 10 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
A3--9 to 24 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few pores; 10 percent pebbles; few calcium carbonate cutans on lower surfaces of pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 20 to 40 inches thick)
Bk--24 to 32 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; 10 percent pebbles; common calcium carbonate cutans on lower surfaces of pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 44 inches thick)
C--32 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Roosevelt County, Montana; 2,680 feet south and 2,600 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 14, T. 29 N., R. 53 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 12 and 35 inches.
Depth of mollic colors - 20 to more than 30 inches.
Depth to carbonates - more than 10 inches
Substratum phases have textures of fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam below a depth of 40 inches.
A horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3, 4, or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, or sand (Textures of fine sandy loam or sandy loam do not extend below a depth of 9 inches.)
Clay content: 0 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 8.4
An AB horizon is allowed.
Bk, BCk horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 3, 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand, or sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 15 percent
Effervescence: strongly or violently
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
C horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand, or sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 12 percent
Effervescence: none to strongly
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Sandark - have horizons with lamellae between 16 and 60 inches.
Schaller - have a loamy coarse sand particle-size control section.
Telfer - have depth of mollic colors of less than 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - stream terraces, dunes, sedimentary plains, and till plains.
Elevation - 1,600 to 4,500 feet.
Slope- 0 to 45 percent.
Parent material - sandy alluvium, glaciofluvial and eolian deposits that are in places over till or sedimentary bedrock.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 10 to 18 inches, most of which falls as rain in spring and in the early part of summer.
Mean annual air temperature - 34 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 105 to 135 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively or well drained; rapid permeability; runoff is negligible or low.
USE AND VEGETATION: Lihen soils are used mainly as rangeland. Few areas are used for nonirrigated crops. The potential native vegetation is mainly needleandthread, prairie sandreed, Indian ricegrass, and little bluestem.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern and northern Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Lihen soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Central Montana Reconnaissance Survey, 1946.
REMARKS: Soil interpretations record: MT0012. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 24 inches (A1, A2 and A3 horizons); accumulation of secondary carbonates from 24 to 32 inches (Bk horizon); a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (A3, Bk and C horizons). Lihen soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL S86MT-015-540.