LOCATION RAGAMUFFIN              NV

Established Series
Rev. GWM/PNL/RLB/JBF
04/2012

RAGAMUFFIN SERIES

The Ragamuffin series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from quartz monzonite. Ragamuffin soils are on mountains. Slopes are 50 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 760 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Typic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Ragamuffin extremely stony sandy loam--woodland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered with 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 20 percent stones.

Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed fir needles. (3 to 5 cm thick)

Oe--3 to 5 cm; intermediately decomposed fir needles. (1.2 to 3 cm thick)

A--5 to 10 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely stony sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)

C1--10 to 41 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium, few coarse roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 65 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6), clear wavy boundary. (5 to 30 cm thick)

C2--41 to 64 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 70 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4), clear wavy boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

C3--64 to 99 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely stony loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium coarse and very coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4), clear wavy boundary. (10 to 40 cm thick)

Cr--99 to 130 cm; highly weathered quartz monzonite.

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada, about 3400 feet northeast of repeater site in the Kern Mountains; approximately 700 feet west and 1325 feet south of the northeast corner of section 7, T. 21 N. and R. 69 E.; latitude 39 degrees 42 minutes 52 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 12 minutes 47 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist, moist late fall through spring, moist intermittently from July to October due to convection storms, dry in all parts at least 45 days (consecutive) following the summer solstice.
Mean annual soil temperature: 4 to 6 degrees C.
Average summer soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to paralithic contact: 50 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 3 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent, including 5 to 15 percent stones, with the less than 8 cm fraction dominated by 2 to 5 mm diameter gravel.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.

C horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Clay content: 3 to 10 percent.
Texture: Loamy coarse sand or loamy sand.
Reaction: Neutral to slightly acid.
Consistence: Soft, very friable or friable.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alflack, Canlodore, Castlepeak, Chena, Cryomont, Dagget, Eklutna, Graylock, Nataga, Nizina, Obscurity, Pergecto, Pirapeak, Sofgram, Stecum and Studebaker series.

Alflack soils have less than 60 percent rock fragments in their control section and are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Canlodore, Castlepeak, Chena, Cryomont, Eklutna, Nataga, Nizina, Obscurity, Pefecto, Pirapeak Sofgram, and Studebaker are all very deep. Dagget soils are deep. Freelpeak and Whittel soils are strongly acid or moderately acid. Graylock soils are 100 to 150 cm to a lithic contact. Stecum soils have a lithic contact at 53 to 100 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ragamuffin soils are on mountains and typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from quartz monzonite. Slopes are 50 to 75 percent. Elevation is 2,445 to 2,950 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 640 to 760 mm mean annual temperature is 3 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 30 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kious and Growset soils. Kious and Growset soils are shallow to a paralithic contact.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland, watershed and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is white fir and Douglas fir.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East central Nevada. MLRA 28A. These soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part. 2004. Name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm. (O, A and part of the C1 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 99 cm (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 25 to 99 cm. (part of the C1, C2 and C3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.