LOCATION NIRE NV

Established Series
Rev. JVC/JBF
04/2017

NIRE SERIES

The Nire series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks with additions of eolian volcanic ash. Nire soils are on plateaus and mountains. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 430 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal over clayey, isotic over smectitic Vitrandic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Nire stony ashy fine sandy loam, 4 to 15 percent slopes. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered by approximately 2 percent stones, 1 percent cobbles, and 15 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel and 20 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A2--5 to 38 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) stony ashy fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel and 20 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (23 to 38 cm thick)

BAt--38 to 69 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly ashy fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; very few faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)

Bt--69 to 99 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony ashy fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; few faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 38 cm thick)

2Bt/E--99 to 152 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) cobbly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 1 to 8 cm diameter pockets with uncoated sand grains, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry (E part); weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots matted on faces of peds; few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; neutral (pH 7.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Mineral County, Nevada; approximately 0.75 miles southwest of Mt. Hicks; about 2,000 feet east and 2,335 feet north of the southwest corner of section 23, T. 5 N., R. 28 E.; USGS Mount Hicks 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 16 minutes 40 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 49 minutes 32 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.2777778 latitude, -118.8255556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer, dry in summer and fall, but intermittently moist in some part during summer due to convection storms. Dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice; xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 13 to 14 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 40 to 100 cm, includes the BAt horizon when present and may include the Bt1 horizon in some pedons.
Depth to lithology discontinuity: 76 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 14 to 20 percent in the upper part, 40 to 50 percent in the strongly contrasting lower part.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent in the upper part, 25 to 35 percent in the strongly contrasting lower part. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt.

A horizons
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: The A1 horizon has subangular blocky structure, or is single grain, the A2 horizon has subangular blocky structure.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Volcanic glass content: 15 to 30 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.

Bt horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: Very gravelly fine sandy loam, very stony fine sandy loam, or very gravelly sandy loam.
Clay content: 14 to 20 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent of which more than 40 percent is cobbles and stones.
Structure: Subangular blocky or angular blocky.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Volcanic glass content: 15 to 30 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.

2Bt/E horizon
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist.
Clay content: 40 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 25 to 35 percent, predominantly cobbles or stones.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nire soils are on plateaus and mountains. These soils formed in eolian material derived from volcanic ash over residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. The probable sources of the volcanic ash are the Mono Craters and Long Valley Caldera in eastern California. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 2,195 to 2,804 meters. The climate is semiarid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 460 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 60 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Borealis and Epvip soils. Borealis soils have an indurated duripan at depths of 50 to 89 cm over bedrock and have a frigid temperature regime. Epvip soils are shallow to paralithic contacts and have a frigid temperature regime.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity in the upper part over moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity in the lower part.

USE AND VEGETATION: Nire soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, basin wildrye, bottlebrush squirreltail, Douglas rabbitbrush, phlox, Thurber's needlegrass, lupine, and snowberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mineral County Area, Nevada, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 99 cm (A1, A2, BAt, and Bt horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade properties - The zone from the soil surface to 76 cm (A1, A2, and BAt horizons and part of the Bt horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 38 to 152 cm (BAt, Bt, and 2Bt/E horizons).
Major lithologic discontinuity - The abrupt change to clayey material at 99 cm (upper boundary of 2Bt/E horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 38 to 100 cm (BAt and Bt horizons and part of 2Bt/E horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: A revision of May 2001 updated the taxonomic class from Loamy-skeletal over clayey, mixed Argic Pachic Cryoborolls. The volcanic glass content of the upper horizons is estimated. Field investigation is needed is confirm that glass contents are not higher than 30 percent.
Previous authors include: CMH-EWB-WED.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.