LOCATION RIPPO                   NV

Established Series
Rev. CWL/DHZ/JBF
08/2012

RIPPO SERIES

The Rippo series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium derived from limestone, quartzite and granite. Rippo soils are on drainageways in mountains. Slope ranges from 4 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 450 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid, frigid Mollic Xerofluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Rippo very cobbly loam--forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 5 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones.

Oi--0 to 8 cm; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) slightly decomposed pine needles and twigs, black (10YR 2/1) moist; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary.

Oe--8 to 14 cm; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moderately decomposed pine needles and twigs, black (10YR 2/1) moist; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the O horizons are 8 to 14 cm)

A1--14 to 22 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse tubular and interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; large (5 to 10 cm) 10 percent volume of horizon, masses of fungal hyphae; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 cm thick)

A2--22 to 30 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse tubular and interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; large (10 to 15 cm) 20 percent volume of horizon, masses of fungal hyphae; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 cm thick)

BC--30 to 53 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine, coarse and very coarse, common fine, and many medium roots; common very fine and fine, and many medium interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

C--53 to 152 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely stony sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine, medium, and coarse interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 25 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.1); gradual smooth boundary. (80 to 130 cm thick)

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; in the South Snake Creek Range, 100 yds east of Great Basin National Park, along Mill Creek; USGS Windy Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 2 minutes 24.5 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 15 minutes 3.4 seconds W; UTM zone 11, 0737929e, 4324828n, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; This soil receives additional run-on moisture, both surface and subsurface; Xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 5.5 to 7 degrees C.
Ochric epipedon thickness - 20 to 30 cm. The epipedon is too thin to meet Follistic or mollic epipedon criteria.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent, mainly gravel in the upper and cobbles and stones in the lower part. Lithology of the fragments is mainly limestone and quartzite.

A horizons - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid to slightly alkaline.

BC and C horizons - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam or sandy loam; Texture modifiers are extremely stony or extremely cobbly.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent.
Structure: Weak to moderate, medium or coarse subangular blocky, or single grain.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard, dry.
Reaction: Neutral to slightly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons contain thin subhorizons with less than 60 percent rock fragments but when averaged it is 60 to 80 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rippo soils are on drainageways in mountains. These soils formed in mixed alluvium derived from limestone, quartzite and granite. Slopes are 4 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 2,240 to 2,750 meters. The climate is dry-subhumid with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 500 mm. These soils receive additional run-on moisture making it wetter than the precipitation zone would indicate. Mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C. The frost-free period is 40 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigwash, Brokit, and Lehmandow series.
Bigwash soils contain 5 to 15 percent rock fragments. Brokit soils have a mollic epipedon and a high water table with its upper boundary of 76 to 100 cm during spring months in normal years.
Lehmandow soils have a mollic epipedon, are poorly drained and a high water table with its upper boundary of 15 to 25 cm during spring months in normal years.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low surface runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity. These soils are susceptible to occasional flooding for brief periods between March and September.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rippo soils are used for recreation, livestock grazing, wood cutting and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly an overstory of ponderosa pine. This pedon is correlated to Ecological Site F028AY0128NV, Ponderosa pine, slender wheatgrass, mountain brome, and sedge community.

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

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 2009. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (Oi, Oe, A1 and A2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 39 to 114 cm (BC, and upper part of the C horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS user Pedon ID: 07NV708011-DHZ

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.