LOCATION RAMPS UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Ramps cobbly fine sandy loam-rangeland. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) cobbly fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky, and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine, medium and coarse tubular pores; 30 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--4 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine, fine and few medium tubular pores; 30 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick.)
Bk--15 to 31 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine, few fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent, carbonates are in veins and filaments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear, smooth boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick
R--31 inches; sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Kane County, Utah; about 1.4 miles south of Cogswell Point, 1,200 feet north and 1,400 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 28, T. 39 S., R. 9 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The soils are usually moist during the period the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. They are moist in some parts of the moisture control section for 35 to 50 days during the summer months and are dry for 60 to 75 days during the 120 days following winter solstice.
The depth to sandstone bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches, the upper 1 to 3 inches is weathered over hard bedrock. The combined thickness of the A and Bw Horizons ranges from 10 to 16 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR and chroma of 2 or 3. Rock fragments range from 15 to 50 percent cobbles and gravel. It is noncalcareous or slightly effervescent and mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. It commonly is cobbly loam, but the range includes cobbly fine sandy loam, and cobbly sandy clay loam. Rock fragments range from 0 to 30 percent cobbles.
The Bk or BC horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 6 or 7 dry. It commonly is fine sandy loam or sandy loam. Rock fragments range from 0 to 20 percent. The BC horizon is strongly or violently effervescent and moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ambrant (MT), Dast (MT), and Lisk (MT) series. Ambrant and Lisk soils are very deep. Dast soils have a paralithic contact of weakly consolidated sedimentary beds from 20 to 40 inches and also have Bk horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ramps soils occur on mountainsides at elevations of 6,000 to 7,700 feet. Slopes ranges from 8 to 25 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum from sandstone. The average annual precipitation ranges from 16 to 22 inches and the mean annual air temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F. The freeze-free period is 80 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Detra, Kunz, and Sheckle soils. All of these soils have a mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is dominantly Gambel oak, juniper, antelope bitterbrush, mountain big sagebrush, manzanita and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Utah. These soils are not extensive. The name is coined.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kane County, Utah, Iron-Washington Soil Survey Area, 1997.
REMARKS: The diagnostic horizons and features that are recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to 4 inches.
Cambic horizon - the zone from 4 to 15 inches (Bw horizon).
Classification is based on the "Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998".