LOCATION LITAG MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid Vitrandic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Litag gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, in forest (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed needles, twigs and leaves.
A--1 to 3 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mucky loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
E1--3 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots, common medium roots and few coarse roots; many medium tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary.
E2--9 to 20 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots, common medium roots and few coarse roots; many medium tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 25 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of E horizons is 6 to 18 inches.)
Bw--20 to 35 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots, common medium roots and few coarse roots; many medium tubular pores; 10 percent cobbles and 30 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3) gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
BC--35 to 54 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots, few medium and coarse roots; common medium tubular pores; 10 percent cobbles and 35 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual irregular boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
C--54 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) very cobbly ashy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots, few medium and coarse roots; common medium tubular pores; 20 percent cobbles and 30 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0)
TYPE LOCATION: Deer Lodge County, Montana; 1450 feet west and 2500 feet north of the SE corner of sec. 35, T. 4 N., R. 11 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 38 to 42 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Volcanic glass - 30 to 50 percent in the coarse silt and sand fraction.
Acid oxalate Al + 1/2 Fe - .12 to .20 percent.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: mucky loam, ashy sandy loam or ashy sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent--0 to 5 percent cobbles and stones, 5 to 20 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
E horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: ashy sandy clay loam or ashy sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 45 percent--5 to 15 percent cobbles and stones, 10 to 30 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
Bw horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: ashy loam or ashy sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--5 to 20 percent cobbles and stones, 30 to 40 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
BC horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3
Texture: ashy loam, ashy sandy loam, or ashy sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--10 to 25 percent cobbles and stones; 25 to 35 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
C horizon - Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, 3 or 4
Texture: ashy sandy loam, ashy loam or ashy sandy clay loam
Clay content: 12 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--10 to 40 percent cobbles and stones; 15 to 50 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - alluvial fans; footslopes; hills; mountains.
Elevations - 5,200 to 6,400 feet.
Slopes - 4 to 60 percent.
Parent material - residuum or colluvium from welded tuff bedrock.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 24 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 36 to 40 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 90 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Litag soils are mainly used for woodland, watershed, and as wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain juniper, Oregongrape, common snowberry, russet buffaloberry, bitterbrush, pinegrass, tufted hairgrass, lupine and rose.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Litag soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deer Lodge County, Montana, 1999.
REMARKS: Soil interpretive record: MT1750. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the mineral surface to 20 inches (A and E horizons); a cambic horizon from 20 to 53 inches (Bw and BC horizons); a particle size control section from 10 to 40 inches (E2, Bw and BC horizons). Litag soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.