LOCATION OUSELFAL MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic Eutric Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Ouselfal very channery sandy loam, forested (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches; forest litter of slightly decomposed needles, twigs and leaves. (1 to 2 inches thick)
E1--2 to 7 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very channery sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and few fine and medium pores; 35 percent channers, 5 percent flagstones; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches inches thick)
E2--7 to 19 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very channery sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; common very fine and few fine and medium pores; 35 percent channers, 10 percent flagstones; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt--19 to 25 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; common very fine and few fine and medium pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 45 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
Cr1--25 to 34 inches; semiconsolidated shale.
Cr2--34 to 40 inches; semiconsolidated fine grained sandstone.
R--40 to 60 inches; hard fine grained sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Gallatin County, Montana; 2200 feet north and 2300 feet west of the southeast corner of section 4, T.7S., R.3E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 34 to 38 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches; usually moist.
Depth to R horizon - 20 to 40 inches.
E1 horizon - Value: 5 to 7 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 12 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--25 to 40 percent channers, 5 to 15 percent flagstones, 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.0
E2 horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry; 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Clay content: 12 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--20 to 40 percent channers, 10 to 25 percent flagstones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.5
Bt horizon - Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay loam or clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 70 percent--25 to 50 percent pebbles or channers, 10 to 25 percent cobbles or flagstones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.5
COMPETING SERIES:
There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountains and hills.
Elevation - 6,200 to 8,800 feet.
Slope - 8 to 60 percent.
Parent material - interbedded sandstone and shale residuum.
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 25 to 30 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 32 to 37 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 30 to 70 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Ouselfal soils are used mainly for woodland and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation may include lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas fir, grouse whortleberry, pinegrass, elk sedge, white spiraea, twinflower, and blue huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ouselfal soils are of small extent in southwest Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gallatin County, Montana, 1997.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT1439. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from 2 to 19 inches (E1 and E2 horizons); an argillic horizon which is the particle-size control section from 19 to 25 inches (Bt horizon); a paralithic contact from 25 to 40 inches (Cr1, Cr2 horizons); a lithic contact at 40 inches (R horizon). Ouselfal soils have a cryic temperature regime and a udic moisture regime.