LOCATION NUTVAL NV
Established Series
Rev. JVC-JBF
04/2017
NUTVAL SERIES
The Nutval series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from granitic rock. Nutval soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 380 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nutval very stony coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with about 5 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 30 percent gravel.
A--0 to 18 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 10 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)
Bt1--18 to 36 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay bridges between sand grains; 10 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)
Bt2--36 to 58 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint clay bridges between sand grains; 10 percent stones, 35 percent cobbles, and 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 30 cm thick)
Bt3--58 to 91 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint and distinct clay bridges between sand grains; 10 percent cobbles and 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 46 cm thick)
Bt4--91 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay bridges between sand grains; 10 percent cobbles and 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary.
Cr--152 to 178 cm; weathered and fractured granitic rock; some fine-earth soil material in fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; in the Pine Nut Mountains; about 2,400 feet north and 460 feet east of the southwest corner of section 36, T. 13 N., R. 22 E.; USGS Pine Nut Valley 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 56 minutes 46 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 28 minutes 16 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.9461111 latitude, -119.4711111 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry from July through October; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 76 cm, includes the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: More than 150 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 150 to 200 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered and fractured granitic rock.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Sand content: 40 to 50 percent medium sand through very coarse sand.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is granitic rocks such as granodiorite.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Organic matter content: 2 or 3 percent.
Bt1 and Bt2 horizons
Texture: Very gravelly coarse sandy loam or very gravelly sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Structure: Weak or moderate subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry, very friable or friable moist.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Bt3 and Bt4 horizons
Texture: Very gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Structure: Weak or moderate subangular blocky; the Bt4 horizon may be massive in some pedons.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry, very friable or friable moist.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bullump,
Bullvaro,
Burchflat,
Camelback,
Chrisflat,
Demner,
Dogbed,
Dooh,
Erig,
Krenka,
Leroman,
Lockgate,
Murain,
Snyderville,
Softback,
Softscrabble,
Staberg,
Vetagrande, and
Vipont series.
Bullump,
Camelback,
Chrisflat,
Dogbed,
Krenka,
Murain,
Snyderville,
Softback, and
Softscrabble soils have a xeric moisture regime.
Bullvaro soils have mollic epipedons more than 76 cm thick, are strongly influenced by loess in the upper part of the profile, and have 60 to 75 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the argillic horizon.
Burchflat and
Vipont soils have a xeric moisture regime and are moderately deep to lithic contacts.
Demner soils have depth to base of the argillic horizon of 50 to 76 cm from the soil surface and have C horizons dominated by cobbles.
Dooh soils have 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Erig soils have a xeric moisture regime and are deep to lithic contacts.
Leroman and
Staberg soils have a xeric moisture regime and are moderately deep to paralithic contacts.
Lockgate soils have a xeric moisture regime and are deep to paralithic contacts.
Vetagrande soils have less than 40 percent medium sand through very coarse sand in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nutval soils are on mountains. They typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from granitic rocks. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 1,950 to 2,440 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 400 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 65 to 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Dotsolot and
Erastra soils. Dotsolot soils are shallow to paralithic contacts. Erastra soils are shallow to paralithic contacts and have a mesic temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nutval soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Letterman's needlegrass, snowberry, and currant.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Nevada, 2012. The name is from the Pine Nut Valley.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 58 cm (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 18 to 152 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 152 cm to underlying weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 18 to 68 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons and part of the Bt3 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Previous editors and authors include: EWB-SES-TM.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.