LOCATION MUNI NV

Established Series
Rev. CEJ-RLB-JVC-JBF
11/2016

MUNI SERIES

The Muni series consists of shallow to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from volcanic and siliceous sedimentary rocks with a component of loess and volcanic ash. Muni soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Haploxeralfic Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Muni ashy fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered by 30 to 60 percent gravel.

A--0 to 8 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate very thick platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

AB--8 to 20 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and common fine roots; few medium and many very fine and fine vesicular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--20 to 33 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 23 cm thick)

Bt2--33 to 46 cm; yellow (10YR 7/6) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 cm thick)

Bqkm--46 to 71 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/4) cemented material, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, brittle; strongly cemented by silica and secondary carbonates; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 91 cm thick)

Bqk--71 to 81 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 60 cm thick)

B'qkm--81 to 124 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) cemented material, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, brittle; strongly cemented by silica and secondary carbonates; opaline silica caps fragments in upper part of horizon; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 64 cm thick)

2Ck--124 to 150 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loamy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 45 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; about 32 miles east of Austin in Monitor Valley; approximately 500 feet east and 1,100 feet north of the southwest corner of section 29, T. 18 N., R. 47 E.; USGS Potts Well 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 22 minutes 1 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 42 minutes 18 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.3669444 latitude, -116.7050000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in some part from mid-October through June, dry July through early October; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to duripan: 36 to 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Average 0 to 15 percent gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as andesite or siliceous sedimentary rocks such as sandstone.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Volcanic glass content: 15 to 30 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half oxalate iron: 0.1 to 0.4 percent.

AB horizon (when present)
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Volcanic glass content: 15 to 30 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half oxalate iron: 0.1 to 0.4 percent.

Bt horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy clay loam, clay loam, or loam.
Rock fragments: Up to 20 percent gravel in subhorizons of some pedons.
Structure: Subangular blocky or prismatic.
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard, very friable to friable, slightly plastic or moderately plastic.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bqk horizon (when present)
Value: 5 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Consistence: Soft to hard, very friable to friable, nonsticky or slightly sticky, nonplastic or slightly plastic.

Bqkm horizons
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to violently effervescent.
Cementation: Continuous strongly cemented plates alternating with weakly cemented or noncemented layers.
Rock fragments: Up to 30 percent gravel in subhorizons.

2Ck horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel, up to 5 percent cobbles.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Acana, Diawell, Mickey, Minu, and Zadvar series.

Acana soils are intermittently moist in some part for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October and have abrupt horizon boundaries at the base of the argillic horizon and the top of the duripan. Diawell soils have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section, have calcic horizons, and have duripans that are 5 to 13 cm thick. Mickey soils have mean annual soil temperature of 12 to 14 degrees C., are intermittently moist in some part for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October, and have 15 to 35 percent gravel in the particle-size control section. Minu soils average 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and have horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates above the duripan. Zadvar soils have duripans at depths of 25 to 36 cm from the soil surface, have 20 to 35 percent gravel in the particle-size control section, and have mean annual soil temperature of 12 to 15 degrees C.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Muni soils are on fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from volcanic and siliceous sedimentary rocks with a component of loess and volcanic ash. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 1,830 to 2,290 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Glyphs, Punchbowl, and Unius soils. Glyphs soils are fine-loamy, very deep, and have horizons with 30 to 60 percent durinodes. Punchbowl soils are very shallow and shallow to lithic contacts and have a frigid temperature regime. Unius soils do not have argillic horizons above the duripan.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or high surface runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Muni soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail. Scattered Utah juniper has invaded the higher elevations of some areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, Nevada (South Part), 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 20 cm (A and AB horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - The zone from the soil surface to 8 cm (A and AB horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 20 to 46 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Duripan - The zones from 46 to 71 cm (Bqkm horizon) and 81 to 124 cm (B'qkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 20 to 46 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: A pedon of Muni in Monitor Valley has full characterization data by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S83NV-015-012 (pedon # 83P0792).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.