LOCATION POOSE COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive Typic Dystrocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Poose loam - Open grass park and successional aspen woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--2 to 0 inches; decomposing leaves, twigs, and roots. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 3 percent pebbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A2--3 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky, plastic; 3 percent pebbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--8 to 23 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; 10 percent pebbles; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C1--23 to 41 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; 10 percent pebbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (14 to 24 inches thick)
C2--41 to 60 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; 10 percent pebbles; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Rio Blanco County, Colorado; approximately 1,650 feet east and 1,250 feet south of the northwest corner of Sec. 18, T. 2 N., R. 87 W. U.S.G.S. Dunckley Pass quad.; Lat. 40 degrees, 8 minutes, 44 seconds N.; Long. 107 degrees, 9 minutes, 48 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 36 to 40 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature ranges from 43 to 47 degrees F. These soils are noncalcareous throughout. The solum ranges from 20 to 30 inches thick. Base saturation is less than 60 percent in subhorizons above 30 inches. Coarse fragments range from 0 to 15 percent throughout the particle-size control section with amounts increasing with depth. They consist of small shale chips or sandstone channers. The particle-size control section has 35 to 50 percent clay, 30 to 60 percent silt, and 0 to 30 percent sand. Highly weathered shale material occurs below 60 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is slightly acid or moderately acid in reaction.
The B and C horizons have hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6. They are moderately acid to very strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: Currently there are no known competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Poose soils are on high mountain side slopes. Slopes range from 2 to 35 percent. The soils formed in place from interbedded shale and sandstone. Elevation ranges from 8,600 to 10,200 feet. Mean annual precipitation is 25 to 35 inches and the mean annual temperature is 32 to 38 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Angostura, Emerald, Hapgood, and Scout soils. Angostura soils have argillic horizons and a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section. Emerald soils formed on alluvial fans and valley side slopes and have mollic epipedons. Hapgood soils have deep mollic epipedons and have a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section. Scout soils have a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; runoff is slow or medium; permeability is slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Poose soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Native vegetation includes encroaching quaking aspen, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, and subalpine fir. Grasses and forbs are mainly mountain brome and nodding brome, Colorado blue wildrye, Letterman needlegrass, aspen peavine, elk sedge, horsemint, meadow rue, and other forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Poose soils are in the mountainous areas of western Colorado and are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Flat Tops Soil Survey Area within Rio Blanco County, Colorado, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features include an ochric epipedon from 0 to 8 inches and a cambic horizon from 8 to 23 inches. Base saturation is less than 60 percent in subhorizons above 30 inches. Last updated by the state 5/94. The series name is from a nearby stream.