LOCATION SHIRTS IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Shirts coarse sandy loam, forested -- on an east-facing slope of 50 percent at 5,260 feet elevation. When described on August 24, 1994, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed forest litter.
A--1 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
AB--3 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--10 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular, few very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--15 to 25 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular, few very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary. (combined Bw horizon - 10 to 28 inches thick)
C--25 to 29 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
R--29 inches; slightly weathered granodiorite.
TYPE LOCATION: Boise County, Idaho; about 3 miles north and 3 miles west of Banks; 1,800 feet north and 250 feet west of the southeast corner of section 11, T.9 N., R.2 E.; USGS High Valley Quadrangle; Latitude - 44 degrees, 07 minutes, 43 seconds N. and Longitude - 116 degrees, 10 minutes, 37 seconds W.; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 20 inches
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
Base saturation - 50 to 75 percent
Particle-size control section - 4 to 10 percent clay; 5 to 25 percent rock fragments
Moisture control section - dry 45 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 47 degrees F.
A horizon
Value - 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Clay content - 5 to 12 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 20 percent gravel
Bw horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - SL or COSL
Clay content - 5 to 12 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent gravel
C horizon (when present)
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Structure - massive or single grain
Texture - SL, COSL, LCOS or COS
Clay content - 2 to 7 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 35 percent total
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baldmountain, Charters, Roanhide and Shamel series. Baldmountain, Charters and Shamel soils are greater than 40 inches deep to bedrock. Roanhide soils do not have O horizons, have a paralithic contact one to three inches thick over lithic bedrock, and have Bw horizons 5 to 10 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shirts soils are on hill backslopes, mountain slopes and spurs, and canyon walls at elevations of 2,750 to 7,250 feet. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum from granitic rocks. Slopes range from 4 to 90 percent. The average annual precipitation is 20 to 36 inches. The average annual temperature is 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Charters, Kosh, Northfork, Packerjohn and Zimmer soils. Charters, Northfork and Packerjohn soils are very deep and on similar geomorphic positions. Kosh and Zimmer soils are shallow to bedrock and on summits and convex positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Shirts soils are used mainly for timber production, woodland grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir, white spirea, mountain snowberry, mallow ninebark and Geyers (elk) sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Idaho. MLRA 43b. Shirts soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Boise County Area, Idaho, Parts of Ada and Boise Counties, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - zone from the mineral soil surface to 15 inches (A, AB and Bw1 horizons)
Cambic horizon - zone from 15 to 25 inches (Bw2 horizon)
Particle-size control section - zone from 10 to 29 inches
Lithic contact - at 29 inches (R)
Soil moisture regime - xeric
All depths to diagnostic horizons and features within the range of characteristics are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization sample no. - S95ID-015-011 (NSSL Pedon 95P937)