LOCATION PERN                    NV

Established Series
Rev. CPH/RLB/JBF
11/2016

PERN SERIES

The Pern series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Pern soils are on inset fans, fan skirts, and alluvial flats. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Calcixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Pern silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots in lower part; common very fine vesicular pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); slightly effervescent; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

A2--8 to 36 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine through medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); slightly effervescent; clear smooth boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)

AB--36 to 51 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); slightly effervescent; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

Bk1--51 to 84 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many distinct secondary calcium carbonate threads and masses; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); strongly effervescent; abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 38 cm thick)

Bk2--84 to 152 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very few, very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; common (10 percent) fine and medium (less than 2 to 5 mm) weakly cemented secondary calcium carbonate nodules; many distinct secondary calcium carbonate threads and masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); strongly effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada about 2,600 feet west and 2,225 feet south of the northeast corner of section 29, T. 13 N., R. 64 E.; USGS White Rock Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 57 minutes 39 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 48 minutes 31 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.9608333 latitude, -114.8086111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and early spring, dry late spring, summer and fall; aridic bordering xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to secondary carbonates: 38 to 64 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Granular, platy or subangular blocky structure.

Bk horizon
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Massive or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard dry, very friable to firm moist, slightly sticky or moderately sticky and slightly plastic or moderately plastic.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Carbonates: Few to common, fine to medium soft powdery carbonate masses and filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 percent or more.
Other features: Lenses of coarser and finer textures are below 100 cm in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pern soils are on fan skirts, inset fans, and alluvial flats commonly adjacent to entrenched stream channels. The soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Elevations are 1,710 to 2,140 meters. The climate is cool and semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C, mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Devilsgait and Tulase series. Devilsgait soils have Aquic moisture regimes and Tulase soils lack mollic epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, basin big sagebrush and scattered basin wildrye. Many areas have range seedlings of crested wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East central Nevada. Pern soils are not extensive. MLRA 28B.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, 1981. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 36 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 51 to about 152 cm (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (A2, AB, Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.