LOCATION RISINGWOLF MT
Tentative Series
Rev. PHO-JMS-RJS
05/2017
RISINGWOLF SERIES
The Risingwolf series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in volcanic ash over colluvium, till, outwash or landslide deposits over residuum derived from metasedimentary rock. These soils occur on moraines, outwash terraces, glacial-valley walls, glacial-valley floors, mountain slopes, colluvial aprons, cirque platforms and landslides. Slopes are 4 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1,825 mm, and mean annual temperature is about 2.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic Andic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Risingwolf very gravelly ashy silt loam, in coniferous forest. This pedon was described on a 4 percent slope at 1,469 meters elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 2 cm; slightly decomposed forest litter.
Oe--2 to 5 cm; moderately decomposed forest litter.
E--5 to 16 cm; gray (7.5YR 6/1) very gravelly medial silt loam, dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bw1--16 to 36 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly medial loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 65 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary.
2Bw2--36 to 70 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary.
2C--70 to 152 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Glacier County, Montana; located about 671 meters north and 643 meters east from the southeast corner of sec. 5, T. 36N., R. 16W; Gable Mountain topographic quadrangle; Latitude - 48 degrees, 54 minutes, 21 seconds north; Longitude - 113 degrees, 43 minutes, 39 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature -- 2.0 to 6.5 degrees C.
Thickness of volcanic ash mantle -- 18 to 36 cm
Volcanic ash moist bulk density -- 1.0 g/cm3 or less
Volcanic ash Al plus 1/2 Fe content (by ammonium oxalate) -- 1.0 percent or more
Particle-size control section -- averages 8 to 18 percent clay
Oi, Oe horizons
Thickness (Oi, Oe combined): 4 to 10 cm
E horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction): medial loam or medial silt loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--35 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 5
percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.8 to 6.8
Thickness: 2 to 14 cm
Bw1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction): medial loam or medial silt loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 25 to 65 percent--25 to 65 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.8 to 6.8
Thickness: 15 to 32 cm
2Bw2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction): loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--35 to 70 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 5.8 to 6.8
Thickness: 25 to 50 cm
2C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction): sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 8 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent--35 to 65 percent gravel; 0 to 15 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.8 to 6.8
COMPETING SERIES:
Bearpawmeadow (OR) -- have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the Bw horizon
Bordengulch (OR) -- moderately deep to a lithic contact
Marblepoint (OR) -- have greater than 10 percent stones in the 2Bwb horizon
Monumentrock (OR) -- deep to a lithic contact
Vandamine (OR) -- have 2Btb horizons
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform -- moraines, outwash terraces, glacial-valley walls, glacial-valley floors, mountain slopes, colluvial aprons, cirque platforms and landslides
Elevation -- 1,000 to 2,100 meters
Slope -- 4 to 60 percent
Parent material -- volcanic ash over colluvium, till, outwash or landslide deposits over residuum derived from metasedimentary rock
Climate - long, cold winters, moist springs, cool summers
Mean annual precipitation -- 750 to 2,150 mm
Mean annual temperature -- 1.0 to 6.0 degrees C.
Frost-free period -- 30 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderately rapid permeability (15 to 50 um/sec).
USE AND VEGETATION: Risingwolf soils are used as wildlife habitat and watershed. The dominant vegetation is subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce in the overstory, and dominated by blue huckleberry, Sitka alder, twinflower, broadleaf arnica, western meadow-rue, grouse whortleberry, bunchberry dogwood, threeleaf foamflower and rocky mountain maple in the understory.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Risingwolf soils are of small extent in northwestern Montana. MLRA 43A and 43B.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES PROPOSED: Glacier National Park area in Glacier County, Montana, 2016.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and feature recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 16 cm (Oi, Oe, and E horizons)
Andic subgroup properties -- 5 to 36 cm (E, Bw1 horizons)
Cambic horizon -- 16 to 70 cm (Bw1, 2Bw2 horizons)
Particle-size control section -- 30 to 105 cm (part of Bw1, 2Bw2, part of 2C horizons)
Risingwolf soils have a cryic temperature regime and an udic moisture regime.
Taxonomic version: Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.