LOCATION SCUFFE                  NV

Tentative Series
Rev. JBF-RLB-TM-JVC
11/2016

SCUFFE SERIES

The Scuffe series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic rocks. Scuffe soils are on mountains. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 460 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 4 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Xeric Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Scuffe very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partially covered with 20 percent cobbles and 3 percent stones.

Oi--0 to 5 cm; slightly decomposed plant material composed of curlleaf mountainmahogany duff; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A1--5 to 13 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 3 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--13 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, many fine, and few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A3--23 to 33 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--33 to 46 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots, few medium and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 25 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

Bt2--46 to 61 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 25 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

R--61 cm; hard tuff, the upper 13 cm is weathered and fractured.

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; on the Toiyabe National Forest in the Monitor Range about 1 mile northeast of Dobbin Summit; about 100 feet east and 250 feet south of the northwest corner section 20, T. 13 N., R. 49 E.; USGS Dobbin Summit 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 57 minutes 14.4 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 30 minutes 16 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.9540000 latitude, -116.5044444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section from mid-October through June, dry in summer and early fall; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 4 to 7 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 40 cm.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 50 to 76 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 76 cm weathered volcanic rocks such as tuff. Harder, unweathered bedrock is within 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 45 to 60 percent, dominantly cobbles with 0 to 5 percent stones, 15 to 35 percent cobbles, and 20 to 30 percent gravel. About 40 percent of gravel are fine (2 to 5 mm diameter). Lithology of fragments is volcanic rocks such as tuff and rhyolite.

A1 horizon
Value: 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 3 to 5 percent.

A2 and A3 horizons
Value: 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 14 to 22 percent.
Organic matter content: 2 to 5 percent.

Bt horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Texture: Very cobbly sandy clay loam or very cobbly clay loam.
Consistence: Very friable and friable.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Boneyard, Chamberlain, Cowlow, Crandall, Ezbin, Forsey, Fourme, Itwo, Jackflat, Packer, Stopatoe, Successloop, Tagum, Toquima, Winada, and Zeebar series.

Boneyard, Itwo and Toquima soils have more than 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Chamberlain, Crandall, Ezbin, Forsey, Fourme, Packer, Successloop and Zeebar soils are deeper than 100 cm. Colow soils have a calcic horizon at 28 to 76 cm. Stopatoe soils have less than 15 percent cobbles and less than 5 percent stones in the particle-size control section and they do not have surface Oi horizons. Tagum, and Winada soils have less than 15 percent cobbles in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Scuffe soils are on mountains. They typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 2,505 to 3,360 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 500 mm. The average annual air temperature is 3 to 6 degrees C. The frost-free season is 30 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Foxvire soil and the competing Packer and Stopatoe soils. Foxvire soils are coarse-loamy, very deep, and have thick mollic epipedons.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Scuffe soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly curlleaf mountainmahogany, mountain big sagebrush, snowberry, lanceleaf rabbitbrush, and bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28B.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Nye County (Toiyabe National Forest), Nevada, 1994.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Organic soil material - The zone from the soil surface to 5 cm (Oi horizon).
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 33 cm (Oi, A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 33 to 61 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 61 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 33 to 61 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.