LOCATION NIVEAN MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nivean very cobbly loam, in non-stocked forest (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 2 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) very cobbly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; 20 percent cobbles and 15 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.
A2--2 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine and fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots and few coarse roots; 10 percent cobbles and 30 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 6 to 10 inches.)
Bw--7 to 13 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots and few medium roots; many medium tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 35 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Cr--13 to 18 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) semi- consolidated welded tuff. (2 to 6 inches thick)
R--18 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) fractured hard welded tuff bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Deer Lodge County, Montana; 1200 feet west and 1500 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 35, T. 4 N., R. 11 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 38 to 45 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
Volcanic glass - 5 to 30 percent in the coarse silt and sand fraction of one or more horizons.
Acid oxalate Fe + 1/2 Al - .05 to .45 percent
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 15 inches.
Depth to Cr horizon - 10 to 18 inches.
Depth to R horizon - 12 to 20 inches.
Surface stones or boulders - 0 to 3 percent
A horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1, 2 or 3
Texture: loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 45 percent--5 to 25 percent cobbles and stones, 10 to 30 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.8
Bw horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4, 5, 6 or 7 dry, 3, 4, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam, sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--5 to 25 percent cobbles and stones, 30 to 35 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES:
Castner (MT) - has less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section; has horizon of carbonate accumulation; does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties.
Catgulch (MT) - does not have vitrandic properties; formed in residuum from granite.
Celeste (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties.
Comodore (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties.
Duffymont (CO) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties.
Firo (NM) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties.
Moonset (UT) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties.
Paunsaugunt (UT) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties; is calcareous throughout.
Reedpoint (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties; has a lithic contact at 4 to 10 inches.
Vershal (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties; has a lithic contact at 5 to 10 inches.
Whitlash (MT) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; does not have vitrandic properties.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - hills, mountains and ridges.
Elevation - 4,400 to 6,400 feet.
Slope- 4 to 60 percent.
Parent material - residuum from welded tuff bedrock.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 24 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 36 to 43 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 95 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nivean soils are mainly used for woodland, rangeland, watershed, and as wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain juniper, Oregongrape, common snowberry, bitterbrush, quaking aspen, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, sandberg bluegrass, tufted hairgrass, lupine and rose.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Nivean soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Montana, 1998; proposed in Deer Lodge County, Montana, 1996.
REMARKS: Soil interpretive record: MT1752, MT3234. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the surface to 13 inches (A1, A2, Bw horizons); a particle size control section from the surface to 13 inches (A and Bw horizons); a layer of decomposing welded tuff from 13 to 18 inches (Cr horizon); welded tuff bedrock at 18 inches (R horizon). Nivean soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.