LOCATION MAURICE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Maurice stony loam, meadow hayland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist coatings; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; 5 percent gravel, 0.05 percent stones on surface; neutral (pH 7.2); clear boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
A2--3 to 13 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; black (10YR 2/1) coatings, moist; weak medium prisms parting to moderate medium and fine blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bw1--13 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; 10 percent cobbles, 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual boundary. (11 to 19 inches thick)
Bw2--24 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 10 percent cobbles, 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8)
TYPE LOCATION: Carbon County, Montana; 1,800 feet west and 1,250 feet north of the SE corner of sec. 20, T. 5 S., R. 21 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 35 to 46 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 8 and 24 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 16 inches.
Control section - 5 to 15 percent clay.
Rock fragment surface cover: 0 to 3 percent stones or boulders.
Some pedons have BC and/or C horizons.
A horizons - Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent--0 to 15 percent cobbles, 5 to 20 percent gravel or channers
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
Bw horizons - Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3, 4, or 6
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent--10 to 20 percent cobbles, 25 to 55 percent gravel and channers
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Antrobus (CO) - calcareous above a depth of 40 inches.
Grafen (CO) - bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Greyback (WY) - horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Handran (CO) - do not have cambic horizons.
McCort (WY) has thinner cambic horizon.
Midelight (WY) - do not have cambic horizons; have bedrock at 40 to 60 inches.
Parachute (CO) - bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Sebud (MT) - more than 15 percent clay in the particle-size control section and more than 35 percent fine and coarser sand.
Supervisor (NM) - bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Surdal (MT) - bedrock at depts of 20 to 40 inches.
Teemat (WY) - less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Thornburgh (CO) - less than 35 percent sand coarser than very fine sandy; moderately rapid permeability.
Tiban (MT) - horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Tineman (WY) - sandy-skeletal C horizons at moderate depths.
Vanwirt (CO) - has Bt horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - dissected alluvial fans, outwash plains, moraines and stream terraces.
Elevation - 4,000 to 7,100 feet.
Slope - 0 to 65 percent.
Parent material - alluvium or till derived from granite, quartzite, sandstone, and argillite.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; short summers.
Precipitation - 14 to 24 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 34 to 44 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 30 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bearmouth and Thiel soils. Bearmouth soils are sandy-skeletal. Thiel soils have an argillic horizon. These soils are on similar landforms.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Maurice soils are used mainly for meadow hayland and rangeland. Potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, needleandthread, Idaho fescue, forbs, and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Maurice soils are of limited extent in the mountains of south central and western Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Carbon County (Bridger Area), Montana, 1971.
REMARKS: Soil interpretations records: MT0344, MT0769, and MT0830. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the soil surface to 13 inches (A1 and A2 horizons); a cambic horizon from 13 to 60 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons); a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (part of A2, Bw1, and part of Bw2 horizons). Maurice soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.