LOCATION MAJUBA                  NV

Established Series
Rev. DLJ/TEB/RLB/JBF
05/2016

MAJUBA SERIES

The Majuba series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from phyllite, slate and schist. The Majuba soils are on mountain side slopes. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Calciargidic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Majuba very channery loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 40 percent channers and 15 percent flagstones and stones.

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very channery loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; 40 percent channers and 1 percent flagstones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 15 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent channers and 2 percent flagstones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (O to 15 cm thick)

Bt--15 to 28 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) channery clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of ped and lining pores; 20 percent channers and 1 percent flagstones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Btk1--28 to 46 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) very channery loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of ped; thin strongly effervescent carbonate coats on undersides of rock fragments; 50 percent channers and 2 percent flagstones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

Btk2--46 to 58 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) very channery loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of ped; thin strongly effervescent carbonate coats on undersides of rock fragments; 50 percent channers; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

Bk--58 to 89 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely channery loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few fine and medium strongly effervescent of masses of carbonate and thin carbonate coats on rock fragments; 60 percent channers and 5 percent flagstones; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)

R--89 cm; hard, fractured phyllite with thin carbonate coatings on fracture surfaces.

TYPE LOCATION: Pershing County, Nevada; approximately 15 miles north of Lovelock in the Trinity Range, about 1600 feet east and 1400 feet north of the southwest corner of section 7, T. 29 N., R. 31 E.; USGS Natchez Spring, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 23 minutes 23 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 32 minutes 41 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.3898333 latitude, -118.544722 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring, dry from early July through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm, typically includes the upper part of the argillic horizon.
Depth to bedrock: 64 to 100 cm.
Other features: The rock fragments are comprised mainly of channers of and flagstones.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 20 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 40 to 55 percent; mainly channers but ranges from 20 to 60 percent in any one subhorizon.

A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bt and Btk horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Channery clay loam, very channery loam or very channery clay loam.
Structure: Subangular blocky or granular.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry, friable or firm moist; slightly sticky or sticky wet.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: The matrix is typically non-effervescent in the upper part and non-effervescent or slightly effervescent in the lower subhorizons.
Secondary carbonates: Typically present in the lower part as thin carbonate coatings on rock fragments, with or without a few fine filaments or soft masses.

Bk horizons (when present)
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Very channery loam or extremely channery loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, mainly channers.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dacont and Derapter series.

Dacont, Derapter, Grube and Satt soils are very deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Majuba soils are on mountain sideslopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from phyllite, slate and schist. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,465 to 2,380 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Boomstick, Phliss and Sojur series. Boomstick, Phliss and Sojur soils have ochric epipedons and are shallow to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, rabbitbrush, lupine, bluegrass, Thurber needlegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 27.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County, Nevada, West Part, 1988.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 28 cm (A1, A2 and Bt horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 58 cm (Bt, Btk1 and Btk2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 89 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 15 to 58 cm (Bt, Btk1 and Btk2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.