LOCATION LOSTLEADER NV

Established Series
REV: MRS/LJL/DJM/ET
09/2015

LOSTLEADER SERIES

The Lostleader series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and/or colluvium derived from quartzite. The Lostleader soils are on backslopes of mountains. Slopes range from 30 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 275 millimeters (11 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 10 degrees C. (50 degrees F.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Lostleader very gravelly sandy loam - forestland and wildlife habitat. Lostleader is on a northwest facing (312 degree), 35 percent slope at an elevation of 2,067 meters (6,781 feet). When described on 11/17/2010 the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. The soil surface is covered by 5 percent fine gravel, 75 percent medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 3 percent stones.

A--0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 10 percent fine gravel, 45 percent medium and coarse gravel, 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 centimeters thick)

Bt1--8 to 33 centimeters (3 to 13 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; 7 percent faint, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), dry, clay films bridging sand grains and 8 percent faint, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), dry, clay films on all faces of peds; 5 percent fine gravel, 50 percent medium and coarse gravel, 3 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--33 to 79 centimeters (13 to 31 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; 7 percent faint, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), dry, clay films bridging sand grains and 8 percent faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), dry, clay films on all faces of peds; 65 percent medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 28 to 71 centimeters thick)

Bk--79 to 130 centimeters (31 to 51 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky and moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 50 percent prominent white (10YR 8/1), dry, calcium carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 55 percent medium and coarse gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); slightly effervescent; abrupt smooth boundary. (45 to 100 centimeters thick)

R--130 centimeters (51 inches); indurated quartzite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; approximately 24 kilometers (15 miles) east and 8 kilometers (5 miles) north of Corn Creek Station, Nevada; located in the Las Vegas Range; about 140 meters (460 feet) south and 200 meters (660 feet) west of the northeast corner of sec. 36, T. 16 S., R. 61 E.; USGS Hayford Peak SE, Nevada 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees, 30 minutes, 16.8 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 5 minutes, 13.8 seconds west longitude; UTM 11S 671303e, 4041627n; (DATUM: NAD 83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: Usually dry, moist in late winter and early spring and intermittently moist in the upper part following summer convection storms. The soils have an ustic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 11 to 13 degrees C. (52 to 56 degrees F.)

Depth to argillic horizon: 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches).
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 30 to 80 centimeters (12 to 32 inches).
Depth to top of secondary carbonates: 30 to 85 centimeters (12 to 34 inches).
Depth to lithic contact: 125 to 150 centimeters (49 to 59 inches).

Control section:
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent mainly gravel, with 3 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 3 percent stones.

A horizon:
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bt horizons:
Value: 4 to 6, dry.
Consistence: nonsticky or slightly sticky.
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bk horizon:
Value: 4 to 5, moist.
Chroma: 3 to 4 dry, 3 to 4 moist.
Texture: sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Structure: subangular blocky or massive.
Consistence: nonsticky or slightly sticky, nonplastic or slightly plastic.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent.
Effervescence: slightly or strongly.
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth: 1 to 10 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Elements (AZ), Romberg (CO), Saemo (AZ), Sed (NV), and Tacan (UT) series. Elements and Saemo soils are very deep and have no visible secondary carbonates. In addition, Elements soils are 15 to 30 centimeters deep to the top of the argillic. Romberg soils are very deep and consist of alluvium derived from sandstone and shale. Sed soils are 50 to 100 centimeters deep to bedrock and the lower part of the argillic horizon is dominated by stones. Tacan soils have hues of 2.5YR and 5YR in the argillic horizon, are calcareous below 100 centimeters, and consist of residuum and/or colluvium derived from sandstone, siltstone, shale, and conglomerate.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Lostleader soils are on backslopes of mountains. Slopes range from 30 to 75 percent. These soils formed in residuum and/or colluvium derived from quartzite. Elevations are 1950 to 2175 meters (6400 to 7140 feet). The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, intermittently moist summers. Precipitation is greatest in the winter with lesser secondary peak in the summer, typical of the Mojave Desert transitional to Great Basin. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 305 millimeters (10 to 12 inches); mean annual air temperature is 9 to 11 degrees C. (48 to 52 degrees F.), and the frost-free season is 100 to 135 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Boxspring and Cruzspring soils. Boxspring soils occur on mountain sideslopes and are shallow to a lithic contact of limestone bedrock. Cruzspring soils occur on hills and mountains and are shallow to a lithic contact of quartzite and siltstone.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: well drained; high runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity above the bedrock.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forestland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly singleleaf pinyon, Utah juniper, mountain big sagebrush, mormon tea, buckwheat, phlox, squirreltail, and muttongrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. These soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Desert National Wildlife Refuge Area, Nevada, South Part, Clark County, Nevada, 2011. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:

Ochric epipedon - 0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches) (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - 8 to 79 centimeters (3 to 31 inches) (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - 130 centimeters (51 inches) (R layer).
Particle-size control section - 8 to 58 centimeters (3 to 23 inches) (Bt1 and part of Bt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: The USER PEDON ID is 10NV757213MS and was described on 11/17/2010.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 9/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2011. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.