LOCATION LITTLESAGE WY
Tentative Series
Rev. KLS-DJP-RJS
04/2016
LITTLESAGE SERIES
The Littlesage series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium over residuum derived from calcareous shale bedrock. These soils are on hillslopes. Slopes are 1 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 5.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, frigid, shallow Gypsic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Littlesage silty clay loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 9 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), moist; weak fine granular structure; very friable, soft, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores; finely disseminated carbonate; 5 percent parachanners; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline, (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 cm thick)
Bky--9 to 20 cm; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very parachannery silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2), moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, moderately hard, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots throughout; few fine tubular pores; 10 percent threadlike carbonate masses in matrix; 7 percent irregular gypsum masses in matrix; 50 percent parachanners; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 20 cm thick)
BCky--20 to 40 cm; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) extremely parachannery silty clay loam, very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1), moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few very fine roots throughout; common fine tubular pores; 10 percent threadlike and 2 percent irregular carbonate masses in matrix; 12 percent irregular gypsum masses in matrix; 80 percent parachanners; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)
Cr--40 cm; shale bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Carbon County, Wyoming; USGS Middlewood Hill, Wyoming topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 29 minutes 38.64 seconds north latitude and 107 degrees 12 minutes 2.92 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 4.9 to 7.1 degrees C.
Ochric epipedon thickness - 2 to 10 cm
Depth to gypsic horizon - 2 to 10 cm
Depth to secondary carbonates - 2 to 10 cm
Depth to paralithic contact - 25 to 50 cm
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam, clay loam
Clay content: 28 to 37 percent
Parafragments: 0 to 15 percent --0 to 10 percent paragravel, 0 to 15 percent parachanners
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 8.0 to 8.6
Bky horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2; dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam, clay loam, silty clay, clay
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Parafragments: 35 to 60 percent parachanners
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Gypsum content: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 8.0 to 8.6
BCky horizon
Hue: 10YR to 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1 through 2; dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam, clay loam, silty clay, clay
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Parafragments: 60 to 90 percent parachanners
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Gypsum content: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.2
COMPETING SERIES:
There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform -hillslopes
Elevation - 2,000 to 2,460 meters
Slope - 1 to 15 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium over residuum derived from calcareous shale bedrock
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, cool summers
Mean annual precipitation - 225 to 300 mm with peak periods of precipitation occurring during the spring
Mean annual air temperature - 3.9 to 6.1 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 50 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: none listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, Ksat 1.5 to 5.0 um/sec.
USE AND VEGETATION: Littlesage soils are primarily used for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is Gardner's saltbush, shadscale saltbush, birdfoot sagebrush, shrubby buckwheat, Indian ricegrass, stemless mock goldenweed and spiny phlox.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Littlesage soils are of small extent in southwestern Wyoming. MLRA 34A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Carbon County, Wyoming, 2015. The series name is derived from a local landmark.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 9 cm (A horizon)
Gypsic horizon - 9 to 40 cm (Bky, BCky horizons)
Secondary carbonates - 9 to 40 cm (Bky, BCky horizons)
Paralithic contact - 40 cm (Cr horizon)
Particle-size control section - 0 to 40 cm (A, Bky, BCky horizons)
Littlesage soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic.
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.