LOCATION SHARROTT MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Sharrott gravelly loam, forested (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
0i--0 to 2 inches; undecomposed and slightly decomposed forest litter.
A--2 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine to coarse roots; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 15 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine to coarse roots; 40 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
BC--15 to 17 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and coarse roots; 70 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt irregular boundary.
R--17 inches; fractured argillite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Missoula County, Montana; 1,000 feet south and 150 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 23, T. 14 N., R. 15 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 8 and 24 inches
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches
A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry; 2, 3, or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent--0 to 25 percent angular cobbles and stones; 15 to 25 percent angular gravel Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
Some pedons have a thin E horizon
Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--0 to 10 percent angular cobbles; 35 to 50 percent angular gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
BC horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6, 7 or 8 dry; 4, 5, or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 65 to 80 percent--0 to 10 percent angular cobbles; 55 to 70 percent angular gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Cinnadale (NM) - has hues of 5YR or redder; formed in material derived from sandstone or siltstone.
Cypher (NM) - has mean annual soil temperature of 40 to 44 degrees F.
Devilfence (MT) - has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Deville (MT) - has more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Kounter (MT) - has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Quaint (MT) - has horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation.
Roegulch (MT) - has a paralithic contact over the lithic contact; formed in colluvium or residuum from granite and other coarse grained igneous rocks.
Shaboom (MT) - has more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Valto (CO) - has sandstone rock fragments.
Villareal (CO) - has andesite rock fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform- mountains.
Elevation - 2,500 to 5,600 feet.
Slope - 4 to 85 percent.
Parent material - material derived from argillite or quartzite.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 17 to 25 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sharrott soils are used mainly for timber production, understory grazing, and watershed and as wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir with an understory of bluebunch wheatgrass, pinegrass, Idaho fescue, arrowleaf balsamroot, and common snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sharrott soils are of small extent in western Montana. MLRA 43A, 43B and 46.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mineral County, Montana, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches (Oi, A, Bw horizons);
Cambic horizon - 6 to 15 inches (Bw horizon); and
Particle-size control section - the soil surface to a lithic contact if 14 inches or less or from a depth of 10 inches to the lithic contact.
Sharrott soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil interpretation record MT0403.