LOCATION SERALIN NV

Established Series
Rev. DJM/TM/ET
12/2015

SERALIN SERIES

The Seralin series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from dolomite and dolomitic limestones rock sources. Seralin soils are on mountain slopes. Slope ranges from 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 330 millimeters (13 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C (48 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Lithic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Seralin extremely gravelly very fine sandy loam, woodland and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 65 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones.

A1--0 to 5 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and thin platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and vesicular pores; 65 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 centimeters thick)

A2--5 to 18 centimeters (2 to 7 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and common fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 centimeters thick)

Bk--18 to 36 centimeters (7 to 14 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and many medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; many distinct lime coats on the undersides of rock fragments; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)

R--36 centimeters 14 inches; dolomitic limestone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Nevada; approximately 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) north of Whitney Ranch in the south end of the Virgin Mountains; about 305 centimeters (1000 feet) south and 460 centimeters (1500 feet) east of the northwest corner of section 15, T.16 S., R.71 E.; 36 degrees, 32 minutes, 47 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees, 3 minutes, 10 seconds west longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in late winter and spring and intermittently moist in the upper part following summer thunderstorms. Aridic bordering on ustic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C (47 to 52 degrees F).

Mollic epipedon: 20 to 36 centimeters (8 to 14 inches).

Depth to bedrock: 20 to 36 centimeters (8 to 14 inches).

Control section - Percent clay: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizons:
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist. Where moist value of 4 occurs, the soil when mixed to 18 centimeters (7 inches) has value of 3.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent; some pedons are slightly effervescent in the upper part due to recharge from dust.

Bk horizon:
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture of the fine earth: Very fine sandy loam or loam.
Consistence: Slightly hard or soft, friable or very friable.
Secondary lime accumulation: Identifiable secondary carbonates as coatings, pendants or soft filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent in the less than 2 millimeter fraction; 20 to 30 percent in the less than 20 millimeter fraction.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arbol (NM), Biduya (T TX), Faraway (AZ), Lostpeak (T TX), Oro Grande (NM), Rotagilla (NM) and Yaquican (AZ) series. Arbol, Oro Grande, Rotagilla and Yaquican soils have more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Biduya, Faraway, Lostpeak soils lack a Bk horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Seralin soils are on mountain slopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from dolomite and dolomitic limestone rock sources. Slope ranges from 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,525 to 2,920 meters (5,000 to 9,580 feet). The climate is sub-humid continental, cool, moist winters and occasional summer thundershowers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 420 millimeters (12 to 17 inches); mean annual air temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C (45 to 49 degrees F), and the frost-free season is 90 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Boxspring soil. Boxspring soils have a carbonatic particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very rapid runoff and moderate permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly singleleaf pinyon pine, Utah juniper, Stansbury cliffrose and muttongrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southern Nevada, U.S.A. MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nye County, Nevada, Southwest Part, 1994. The name is coined.

REMARKS: This series was formerly classified as Lithic Haplustolls, and relcassified according to the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 9th edition in 2005. No other changes to the original series concept were made.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon: 0 to 36 centimeters (0 to 14 inches),(A1, A2 and Bk horizons).
Lithic contact: 36 centimeters (14 inches),(R layer)
Particle-size control section: 0 to 36 centimeters (0 to 14 inches),(A1, A2 and Bk horizons).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2011. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.