LOCATION SHINEBERGER             MT

Established Series
REV.GFB-JJU-RJS
03/2012

SHINEBERGER SERIES

The Shineberger series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium or colluvium over residuum derived from calcareous sedimentary rock. These soils occur on escarpments, hills, mountain slopes and ridges. Slopes are 4 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 400 mm, and the mean annual air temperature is about 3 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, shallow Ustic Calcicryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Shineberger gravelly sandy loam, in rangeland on a 16 percent slope at an elevation of 2250 meters (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A--0 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine and medium irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

BCk--20 to 43; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; common medium irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and 90 percent fine distinct irregular calcium carbonate coats around rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); diffuse wavy boundary.

Cr--43 to 152 cm; calcareous mudstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Beaverhead County, Montana; located about 1,400 feet west and 200 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 21, T. 11S, R. 7W; Vinegar Hill topographic quadrangle; UTM 12T, 0384831e, 4967924n, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 2 to 5 degrees C.
Depth to calcic horizon - 8 to 20 cm
Depth to paralithic contact - 25 to 50 cm

Note: Some pedons may have a Bk and/or C horizon.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent--5 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Para fragments: 0 to 15 percent paragravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4

BCk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock Fragments: 15 to 35 percent--15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Para fragments: 0 to 35 percent paragravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.4

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - escarpments, hills, mountain slopes and ridges
Elevation - 1980 to 2450 meters
Slope - 4 to 70 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium or colluvium over residuum derived from calcareous sedimentary rock
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers
Mean annual precipitation - 380 to 560 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 1 to 4 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 50 to 70 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability over nearly impermeable bedrock.

USE AND VEGETATION: Shineberger soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is dominantly sagebrush, grey horsebrush, rabbitbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, kingspike fescue, needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, prickly pear cactus, and miscellaneous forbs and shrubs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Shineberger soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana. MLRA - 43B.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Horse Prairie-South Valley Area - Part of Beaverhead County, Montana, 2011; proposed in Beaverhead County, Montana, 2009.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 20 cm (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - from 20 to 43 cm (BCk horizon)
Paralithic contact - at 43 cm (Cr horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 25 to 43 cm (part of BCk horizon)

Shineberger soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.