LOCATION NOSKI NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Lithic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Noski gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with approximately 50 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones. The biological crust cover consists of 2 percent cyanobacteria, 2 percent lichens, and 1 percent moss
A--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and medium and common fine roots; few very fine and medium, and common fine tubular and interstitial pores; 18 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 30 percent gravel; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 cm thick)
ABk--5 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, many fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium tubular and interstitial pores; common distinct (5 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions around rock fragments; 23 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 18 cm thick)
Bk1--18 to 28 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine, and common medium tubular and interstitial pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; common distinct (15 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions around rock fragments and common distinct (10 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments forming 1 mm pendants; 44 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)
Bk2--28 to 38 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; strong thick platy structure; very hard, extremely firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine, and few fine interstitial pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; many prominent (30 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions around rock fragments and common prominent (10 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions on bottom of rock fragments forming 2 mm pendants; 52 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 60 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5). (8 to 20 cm thick)
R--38 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) indurated fanglomerate, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist.
TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; in the Snake Range, BLM Ely District, about 1.5 mile east of Big Spring Wash and 0.3 miles east of a jeep trail, which is now in the Highland Ridge Wilderness Area; USGS Big Spring 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 44 minutes 45 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 13 minutes 34 seconds W; UTM zone 11, 0741073e, 4292233n, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; Xeric soil moisture regime bordering aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 5.5 to 7 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 30 cm.
Depth to lithic contact - 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon - 18 to 30 cm.
Thickness of the calcic horizon - 15 to 32 cm.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 50 to 75 percent mainly gravel. Lithology of the fragments is mainly limestone.
A and ABk horizons - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 3 percent.
Structure: Granular or subangular blocky.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Bk horizons - Value: 5 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry and moist.
Texture: Sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent, mainly as gravel.
Structure: Weak to moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky or platy in the Bk2.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 60 percent, in the fine earth.
Secondary calcium carbonates: Common to many (10 to 40 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions around and on the bottom of rock fragments, increasing with depth.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amene, Lundy, Monarch, and Streuling series.
Amene soils contain 20 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Lundy soils have rock fragments that are mainly limestone flagstones, channers or cobbles.
Monarch soils have a calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 to 15 in the A horizons and the mollic epipedon includes all or part of the Bk horizon.
Streuling soils have 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Noski soils are on fan remnants, generally occurring on south- and west-facing aspects.
These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from fanglomerate, consisting of limestone, dolomite, and minor amounts of quartzite.
Slopes are 4 to 75 percent.
Elevations range from 1,950 to 2,560 meters.
The climate is dry-subhumid, cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers.
The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 500 mm.
The mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C.
The frost-free period is 40 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Bigwash,
Canyonfork, and
Cedarcabin soils.
Bigwash, and Canyonfork soils are very deep.
Cedarcabin soils are moderately deep to indurated fanglomerate.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Noski soils are used for recreation, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly scattered singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper with bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, and black sagebrush. This pedon is correlated to Ecological Site R028AY0102NV, Shallow Calcareous Hill 10-14" P.Z.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 2009. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and ABk horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 18 to 38 cm (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 38 cm to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 38 cm (lower part of the Bk1 horizon and the Bk2 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS user Pedon ID: 06NV778023-CWL