LOCATION MURAIN CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Murain extremely stony coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 25 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, and 5 percent boulders.
A1--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely stony coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 30 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A2--2 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 18 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay bridges between sand grains; 25 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, 20 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Btq1--18 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely stony sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent of peds are brittle due to silica accumulation; common faint clay bridges between sand grains and few distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 30 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Btq2--26 to 41 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely stony sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent of peds are brittle due to silica accumulation; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 30 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (11 to 20 inches thick)
BCt--41 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay coats on sand grains; 25 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 0.75 miles west of the USMC Mountain Warfare School; approximately 200 feet north and 2,150 feet west of the southeast corner of section 14, T. 6 N., R. 22 E.; USGS Pickel Meadow 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 21 minutes 37.3 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 31 minutes 36.9 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry from July through early October for 75 to 90 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 30 inches, includes the Bt and Btq1 horizons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 40 to more than 60 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 25 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 80 percent, mainly stones and cobbles. Lithology of fragments are mixed igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granodiorite, andesite, schist, or gneiss.
A1 and A2 horizons - Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 3 to 5 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely stony coarse sandy loam, extremely stony sandy clay loam, or extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Btq1 horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely stony sandy clay loam, extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 20 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Secondary silica: 20 to 50 percent of peds have a brittle manner of failure due to silica accumulation.
Btq2 horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely stony sandy clay loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam, or extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Secondary silica: 20 to 50 percent of peds have a brittle manner of failure due to silica accumulation.
BCt horizon - Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely stony coarse sandy loam or extremely cobbly sandy loam, or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bullump, Bullvaro, Burchflat, Camelback, Chrisflat, Demner (T), Dogbed, Dooh (T), Erig, Krenka, Leroman, Lockgate, Nutval (T), Snyderville, Softback, Softscrabble, Staberg, Vetagrande, and Vipont series.
Bullump soils have lithic contacts between 40 and 80 inches from the soil surface. Bullvaro, Demner, Dooh, Nutval, and Vetagrande soils have an aridic moisture regime. Burchflat and Vipont soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Camelback soils have lithic contacts between 40 and 80 inches from the soil surface. Chrisflat soils are dominated by gravel and average 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Dogbed soils are dominated by gravel and average 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Erig soils are deep to lithic contacts. Krenka soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the upper part of the argillic horizon. Leroman and Staberg soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Lockgate soils are deep to paralithic contacts. Snyderville soils have depth to base of the argillic horizon of less than 36 inches. Softback soils average 25 to 32 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have mollic epipedons that do not include the upper Bt horizons. Softscrabble soils average 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section and typically have paralithic contacts between 60 and 80 inches from the soil surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Murain soils are on moraines. They formed in till derived from igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granodiorite, andesite, schist, and gneiss. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 6,500 to 8,000 feet. The climate is subhumid-continental with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 18 to 30 inches, mean annual temperature is 39 to 45 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 40 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aspetill and Cloudburst soils. Aspetill soils have a cryic soil temperature regime. Cloudburst soils have umbric epipedons that are less than 20 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low or medium surface runoff; moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Murain soils are used for rangeland, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, and western needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 22A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mono County (Toiyabe National Forest Area), California, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 26 inches (A1, A2, Bt, and Btq1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 7 to 60 inches (Bt1, Btq1, Btq2, and BCt horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 7 to 27 inches (Bt and Btq1 horizons and part of the Btq2 horizon).