LOCATION OSOTE UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Osote silty clay loam--rangeland (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated).
Al--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist, crushed; moderate thin platy structure that parts to moderate fine granular; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; 10 percent fine pebbles; slightly calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist, crushed; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; strongly calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bw--9 to 20 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist, crushed; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; violently calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bk1--20 to 26 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist, crushed; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine, medium and coarse roots; many fine and very fine pores; violently calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bk2--26 to 33 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) silty clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; few thin clay films in pores; violently calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 25 inches thick)
2Bk--33 to 37 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; 50 percent fine angular pebbles; violently calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
3C--37 to 47 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; stratified with gravelly loam lenses 1 to 3 inches in thickness; violently calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
4C--47 to 60 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) extremely cobbly loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine and coarse interstitial pores; 50 percent cobbles, 30 percent pebbles; violently calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Utah; Davies Hollow; NE 1/4 SE 1/4 sec. 26, T. 36 S., R. 4 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 9 to 16 inches thick. Depth to the calcic horizon ranges from 16 to 27 inches. These soils have a mean annual soil temperature of about 42 to 47 degrees F., and a mean summer soil temperature of 59 to 64 degrees. The organic matter content decreases irregularly with increasing depth or remains higher than 0.5 percent at depths of 50 inches. The control section averages from 25 to 35 percent clay with more than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The Bw and Bk horizons have hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. The 2Bk horizon, where present, is very gravelly or very cobbly loam.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is stratified loam, very gravelly loam, extremely cobbly loam, or very gravelly sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Series in similar families are the
Ahlstrom, Duffy,
Prospect,
Quigley and
Shupert series. Ahlstrom soils lack mollic epipedons and have more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Duffy, Prospect and Quigley soils have a regular decrease in organic matter that reaches levels of less than 0.5 percent within a depth of 50 inches. Shupert soils lack mollic epipedons and cambic horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Osote soils are on gently to strongly sloping alluvial fans, cones and toe slopes at elevations of 7,600 to 8,400 feet. Slope gradients range from 1 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium and colluvium from limestone and sandstone. The average annual precipitation is 14 to 18 inches and the freeze-free period ranges from 70 to 80 days. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. and the average summer temperature is 59 to 64 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Ashlstrom soils, and the Brycan, Kade and Syrett soils. Brycan soils have mollic epipedon less than 16 inches thick. Kade soils lack cambic horizons, have over 35 percent clay in the control section and are mottled. Syrett soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section and have bedrock at depths at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained, medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for rangeland, wildlife, recreation and some timber. Vegetation is black sagebrush, rabbitbrush, bitterbrush, Indian ricegrass, mutton bluegrass and some big sagebrush, juniper and ponderosa pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are in the south-central part of Utah. They are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Paunsaugunt Area, Utah, 1969.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly classified as Brunizems. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to 9 inches (A1, A2 horizons)
Fluventic feature - an irregular decrease in organic matter