LOCATION SHODDY MT
Established Series
Rev. DES-JJU-RJS
06/2011
SHODDY SERIES
The Shoddy series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in alluvium, slope alluvium, colluvium, slide deposits or residuum derived from sedimentary rock. These soils are on hills, knolls, ridges and landslides. Slopes are 2 to 45 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 42 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Aridic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Shoddy silty clay loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 1 inch; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--1 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bk1--5 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) parachannery silty clay loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and common fine interstitial pores; 25 percent angular shale fragments; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and few fine masses and threads of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
Bk2--10 to 16 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) extremely parachannery silty clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate fine medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots between shale fragments; common very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent angular shale fragments; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and many faint calcium carbonate coatings on undersides of shale fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Cr1--16 to 38 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) semiconsolidated shale that crushes to silty clay loam.
Cr2--38 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) semiconsolidated silty shale that crushes to silt loam.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Montana; 200 feet north and 950 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 5, T. 1N, R. 5W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 42 to 46 degrees F.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - 3 to 7 inches
Depth to paralithic contact - 10 to 20 inches
Note: A thin (1 to 2 cm thick) vesicular surface crust that readily disintegrates to a granular structure is may be present.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel or channers (from mixed rock sources)
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam, silty clay or clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel or channers (from mixed rock sources)
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
Bk1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: silty clay, silty clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent gravel or channers
Para fragments: 0 to 60 percent parachanners (soft angular shale fragments)
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
Bk2 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: silty clay, silty clay loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel or channers
Para fragments: 0 to 60 percent parachanners (soft angular shale fragments)
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - hills, knolls, ridges and landslides
Elevation - 3,800 to 6,400 feet
Slope - 2 to 45 percent
Parent material - alluvium, slope alluvium, colluvium, slide deposits or residuum derived from sedimentary rock
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers
Mean annual precipitation - 10 to 14 inches
Mean annual air temperature - 40 to 44 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 115 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Shoddy soils are primarily used for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is mainly blue grama, bluebunch wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, green needlegrass, fringed sagewort, rubber rabbitbrush, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Shoddy soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana. MLRAs - 43B, 44B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Montana, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 7 inches (mixed) (A1, Bw, Bk1 horizons)
Secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - from 5 to 16 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Paralithic contact - at 16 inches (Cr1 horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 16 inches (Bk2 horizon)
Shoddy soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil interpretation record - MT1581.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.