LOCATION PIZENE NV

Established Series
Rev. WMA-ELS-JVC-JBF
05/2016

PIZENE SERIES

The Pizene series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Pizene soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Natrargids

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

A--0 to 5 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many fine and very fine vesicular and interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

E--5 to 15 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few fine and many very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

Btn--15 to 36 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common medium, few fine, and many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores and many faint clay films bridging sand grains; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); strongly sodic; clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

Btkn--36 to 53 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds, lining pores, and bridging sand grains; 5 percent gravel; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine masses; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); strongly sodic; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

Bkn--53 to 81 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and common very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; secondary carbonates segregated as common medium masses; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3); strongly sodic; gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 40 cm thick)

C--81 to 152 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Lyon County, Nevada; about 2 miles south of Mason between Mason Valley and the Singatse Range; 300 feet north and 1,050 feet east of the southwest corner of section 4, T. 12 N., R. 25 E.; USGS Yerington 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 55 minutes 34 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 11 minutes 49 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.9261111 latitude, -119.196944 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist for short period in the winter and spring, dry during summer to mid fall; typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 12 degrees C.
Depth to horizons with secondary carbonates: 30 to 46 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as rhyolite, basalt, or tuff.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).

E horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).

Btn and Btkn horizons
Texture: Sandy clay loam or sandy loam.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).
Salinity (EC): 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 70.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as few fine masses or filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.

Bkn horizon
Texture: Sandy loam, fine sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, or gravelly sandy loam; some pedons have coarse sandy loam, gravelly coarse sandy loam, or gravelly loamy coarse sand.
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 15 percent gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).
Salinity (EC): 4 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 70.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as few fine masses or filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.

C horizon
Texture: Sandy loam, fine sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, or gravelly sandy loam; some pedons have coarse sandy loam, gravelly coarse sandy loam, or gravelly loamy coarse sand.
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 15 percent gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Azabache, Fajada, Hadden, Highrock, Homko, Leebench, Leeko, Muff, Recapture, Rusty, Swasey, Terlco, Thermosprings, and Uffens series.

Azabache soils have horizons with more than 35 percent rock fragments between 38 and 100 cm and do not have albic horizons. Fajada, Hadden, and Muff soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Highrock soils do not have albic horizons. Homko soils have calcic horizons, horizons with secondary gypsum below the natric horizon, and do not have albic horizons. Leebench soils have calcic horizons. Leeko soils have calcic horizons and horizons with more than 35 percent rock fragments between 100 and 150 cm. Recapture soils have hue of 2.5YR or 5YR and do not have albic horizons. Rusty soils have C horizons within 100 cm that are stratified lacustrine sand to silt loam. Swasey soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Terlco and Thermosprings soils are intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during summer months and do not have albic horizons. Uffens soils do not have horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pizene soils are on fan remnants. They formed in alluvium derived from volcanic rocks, some of which is redeposited eolian material. Slopes are 0 to 4 percent. Elevations range from 1,340 to 1,524 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm, mean annual temperature is 9 to 11 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 100 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Rednik and Isolde soils. Rednik soils are loamy-skeletal and have sodium-affected argillic horizons which lack prismatic structure. Isolde soils are sandy and occur on dunes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Pizene soils are used mainly for rangeland, although some areas of these soils were previously irrigated and farmed. The vegetation in rangeland is mainly shadscale, bud sagebrush, black greasewood, spiny hopsage, Indian ricegrass, and rabbitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada in the Great Basin section of the Basin and Range Physiographic Province. These soils are not extensive with about 7,200 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept and main acreage occurs in MLRA 27. Other acres of this series are mapped in MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County (South Part), Nevada, 1980.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 15 cm (A and E horizons).
Albic horizon - The zone from 5 to 15 cm (E horizon).
Natric horizon - The zone from 15 to 53 cm (Btn and Btkn horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 36 to 81 cm (Btkn and Bkn horizons).
Particle size control section - The zone from 15 to 53 cm (Btn and Btkn horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: The typical pedon at the series type location was sampled for full characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S77NV-019-011.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.