LOCATION RATAKE                  CO

Established Series
Rev. GB/AWS/TWH
05/2012

RATAKE SERIES

The Ratake series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in materials weathered from igneous and metamorphic rocks. Ratake soils are on upland hills and ridges and have slopes of 2 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 45 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, micaceous, frigid, shallow Typic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ratake channery loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm); reddish gray (5YR 5/2) channery loam, very dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular and crumb structure; soft, very friable; 20 percent soft phyllite fragments; very high mica content; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 20 inches (18 to 50 cm) thick)

Bw--10 to 15 inches 25 to 38 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/3) very channery loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine granules; soft, very friable; 60 percent phyllite fragments; very high mica content; neutral; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm) thick)

Cr--15 to 25 inches (38 to 64 cm); weathered phyllite or phyllitic schist. Fragments are well weathered and can be crushed in the hand with some difficulty but without significant contributions to the fine portions of the soil on first and second breakages. Horizon can be penetrated with a spade with difficulty. Very high mica content.

TYPE LOCATION: Larimer County, Colorado; SE corner of Sec. 5, T. 8 N., R. 70 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 7 to 20 inches (18 to 50 cm)
Depth to the paralithic contact: 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm)
Base saturation: 90 to 100 percent

Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent
Mica content: 45 to 70 percent (by grain count)

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 3
Texture: channery loam, gravelly loam, gravelly sandy loam
Structure: granular or crumb structure but has weak subangular blocky structure in some pedons
Consistence: soft or slightly hard
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Bw horizon: (when present)
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: very channery loam, very gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam
Structure: subangular blocky structure but has very weak prismatic structure in some pedons
Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent, mainly small fragments of phyllite ranging from 1/2 to 2 inches in length, and 1/8 to 1/4 inch in thicknessReaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ratake soils are on upland hills and ridges, principally in foothill areas at the margins of the Rocky Mountain system.
Slope: gradients range from 2 to 60 or more percent
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 20 inches (355 to 457 mm))
Precipitation pattern: peak periods during the spring and early summer months The average annual temperature is 45 degrees F., the mean summer temperature is 65 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kittredge and Troutdale soils. Kittredge and Troutdale soils lack a paralithic contact above depth of 20 inches.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used principally as native pastureland. Principal native vegetation is mountainmahogany, fringed sage, sideoats grama, cactus and blue grama.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Foothill areas of northern and central Colorado. LRR E, MLRA 48A. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Larimer County, Colorado, 1975.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 10 inches (0 to 25 cm) (A1 horizon)
Paralithic contact: 15 inches (38 cm) (Cr layer)

The clay content of the series concept is unclear. It appears that clay was meant to range no higher than 27 percent.

The mineralogy class was changed from paramicaceous to micaceous, based on soil taxonomy changes to the mineralogy classes for soils high in mica.

Taxonomic Version: Soil Taxonomy Eleventh Edition, 2010

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.