LOCATION MEDVED                  NV

Established Series
SES/TM
01/2020

MEDVED SERIES

The Medved series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum derived from metasedimentary rocks. Medved soils are on rock pediments. Slopes are 4 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8.9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Lithic Xeric Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Medved gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partly covered by approximately 20 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent metasedimentary gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.

A2--5 to 13 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 30 percent 2 to 25 millimeter metasedimentary gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 5 to 20 cm)

C--13 to 23 cm; gravel; rock structure; many very fine, common fine roots in fractures; 90 percent 15 to 50 millimeter, angular metasedimentary gravel; cracks contain pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) fine sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; few 0.5 to 1 millimeter carbonate and silica coats in fractures; neutral (pH 7.0) in fine earth; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

R--23 cm; hard, fractured metasedimentary rock; vertical fractures are 10 to 25 cm apart; few fine through coarse roots in fractures; few 0.5 to 1 millimeter carbonate and silica coats in fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; about 2,300 feet south and 2,300 feet west of the northeast corner section 13, T. 35 N., R. 19 E.; Rye Patch Canyon 7.5 minute quadrangle; 40 degrees, 54 minutes, 44.9 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees, 47 minutes, 55.5 seconds west longitude; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.9124722 latitude, -119.7987500 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist in winter and early spring, dry from late spring through fall; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 8.3 to 11.1 degrees C.
Depth to bedrock - 13 to 25 cm.
Epipedon - ochric epipedon.

Control section - Clay content: 8 to 15 percent in the upper part.
Rock fragments: Average 45 to 60 percent with 15 to 30 percent in the upper part, 90 to 99 percent in the lower part. Lithology of fragments is metasedimentary.
Profile reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Other features: Loamy part of the control section is thicker than the fragmental lower part.

A horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

C horizon
Rock fragments: 90 to 99 percent metasedimentary gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Jobpeak, Lequieu, Mizel, Skeddle, Tejabe and Wahguyhe series. These soils all lack a horizon with more than 90 percent rock fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Medved soils are on rock pediments. They typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in residuum derived from 1,590 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 7.8 to 10.0 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bombadil, Old Camp, and Saraph soils. Bombadil soils have argillic horizons and have 18 to 27 percent clay in their control sections. Old Camp soils are loamy-skeletal and have argillic horizons. Saraph soils have argillic horizons and have glassy mineralogy.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Medved soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly squawapple, rabbitbrush, horsebrush, and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Washoe County, Nevada, Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area; MLRA 23. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area, California and Nevada, 2000.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A1, A2 and part of the C horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 23 cm to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A1, A2 and C horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.