LOCATION PREUSSRANGE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Preussrange channery silt loam, in rangeland, at 6,600 feet elevation. When described on September 7, 1995, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) channery silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate coarse platy structure parting to moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular and vesicular pores; strongly effervescent, disseminated lime (34 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 25 percent channers; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt wavy boundary.
A2--2 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) channery silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; strongly effervescent, disseminated lime (38 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 20 percent channers; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 3 to 5 inches)
Btk1--4 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) channery silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine irregular pores; very few patchy faint clay films in root channels and pores; violently effervescent, disseminated lime and few fine rounded carbonate concretions throughout (30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 30 percent channers; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary.
Btk2--9 to 13 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) very channery silty clay loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; few patchy faint clay films in root channels and pores; violently effervescent, disseminated lime and few fine rounded carbonate concretions throughout (32 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 45 percent channers; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Btk horizons is 7 to 20 inches.)
Bk--13 to 17 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very channery silty clay loam, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular and tubular pores; violently effervescent, disseminated lime and few lime coatings on undersides of rock fragments (32 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 55 percent channers; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
C--17 to 25 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) extremely channery silty clay loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; violently effervescent, disseminated lime (28 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 70 percent channers; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
Cr--25 inches; highly fractured calcareous siltstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 1 mile northeast of Geneva Summit; about 3,100 feet west and 1,000 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 31, T.12S., R.46W. Latitude - 42 degrees, 20 minutes, 27 seconds north; Longitude - 111 degrees, 7 minutes, 27 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to argillic horizon - 3 to 5 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon - 4 to 25 inches.
Depth to paralithic contact - 20 to 40 inches.
Average annual soil temperature - 42 to 44 degrees F.
Particle-size control section:
Clay content average - 18 to 34 percent (total clay).
Rock fragment content range - 30 to 75 percent, averages more than 35 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent - ranges 15 to 40 percent (less than 2mm plus rock fragments less than 20mm).
Btk horizons:
Hue - 2.5Y or 5Y
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction - slightly or moderately alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue - 2.5Y or 5Y
Value - 7 or 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Reaction - slightly or moderately alkaline
C horizon:
Hue - 2.5Y or 5Y
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Preussrange soils are on mountains at elevations of 6,300 to 7,800 feet. They are generally on south facing slopes. They formed in colluvium over residuum from calcareous siltstone. Slopes are 12 to 70 percent. The average annual precipitation ranges from 16 to 25 inches. The average annual air temperature is 37 to 42 degrees F. The frost free period is 60 to 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hagenbarth and Halfcircle (T) soils. Hagenbarth soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and are very deep. They are on hills adjacent to Preussrange soils. Halfcircle soils are generally on north facing slopes and are 40 to 60 inches deep to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; moderate or moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Preussrange soils are used for rangeland. The potential natural vegetation is Curlleaf Mountain mahogany, Mountain big sagebrush, and Bluebunch Wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. This series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho 2008. The name is taken from the Preuss Range where the series is mapped.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 4 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 4 to 13 inches (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 4 to 17 inches (Btk1, Btk2, and Bk horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone between 4 and 13 inches (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons)
Paralithic contact - highly fractured, calcareous siltstone at 25 inches (Cr horizon)