LOCATION RICERT                  NV

Established Series
Rev. RAF/RLB/JVC/JBF
05/2016

RICERT SERIES

The Ricert series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks, loess, and volcanic ash. Ricert soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 180 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Ricert gravelly silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 13 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to weak very thin platy; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; few very fine tubular and vesicular pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Btn--13 to 23 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

Btnk--23 to 36 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and many faint clay films lining pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

Bqk--36 to 51 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm and brittle; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; weak continuous silica cementation; many fine and medium filaments of secondary calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 33 cm thick)

2Bk--51 to 61 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine vesicular and tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; secondary calcium carbonate segregated in few fine filaments and in many fine and medium coats on rock fragments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 74 cm thick)

2Bky--61 to 152 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; secondary calcium carbonate segregated in many medium and coarse coats on rock fragments; common fine gypsum filaments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; about 12 miles south of Beowawe; 1,850 feet south and 2,375 feet west of the approximate northeast corner of section 5, T. 29 N., R. 49 E.; USGS Tumbleweed Flat, NV 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 25 minutes 2 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 28 minutes 14 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.4172222 latitude, -116.4705556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry mid-May through November; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to base of natric horizon: 36 to 64 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is mixed.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.

Btn and Btnk horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam or clay loam.
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard, slightly sticky or moderately sticky and slightly plastic or moderately plastic.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 45.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.

Bqk horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam, silt loam, or clay loam.
Silica cementation: Some pedons have continuous brittle matrix with firm consistence when moist, discontinuous cemented lenses, or up to 30 percent durinodes.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 45.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent.

2Bqk, 2Bk, and 2Bky horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly loamy sand or extremely gravelly loamy sand; some pedons have subhorizons with coarse sand.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, mainly gravel.
Consistence: Soft to very hard, very friable to firm, nonplastic or slightly plastic.
Silica cementation: Discontinuous brittle matrix, continuous brittle matrix with firm consistence when moist, or up to 30 percent durinodes are present in the 2Bqk horizon.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent.
Gypsum content: Some pedons have 0 to 1 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are Beoska, Beowawe, Genegraf, Jerval, and Nyserva series.

Beoska, Jerval, and Nyserva soils have durinodes and do not have continuous weak silica cementation. Beowawe soils have natric horizons with 18 to 25 percent clay. Genegraf soils average 10 to 25 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ricert soils are on fan remnants. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks, loess, and volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 1,220 to 1,890 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 125 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 8 to 9 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 80 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abgese and Tulase soils. Abgese soils are fine-loamy, have argillic horizons, and do not have horizons with secondary silica. Tulase soils are coarse-silty and do not have natric horizons.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Ricert soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly shadscale, bud sagebrush, cheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, and needleandthread.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western and central Nevada. These soils are extensive with about 122,000 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRAs 24, 27, and 28B.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County, Nevada, 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 13 cm (A horizon).
Natric horizon - The zone from 13 to 36 cm (Btn and Btnk horizons).
Duric feature - The zone from 36 to 51 cm (Bqk horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 36 cm (Btn and Btnk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.