LOCATION SHULE CO
Established Series
Rev. RHM/KLS
09/2022
SHULE SERIES
The Shule series consists of moderately deep to deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum weathered from rhyolitic tuff, or similar bedrock. These soils are on gently to steeply sloping mountain sides, hills, ridges and mesa tops. Slopes are 2 to 40 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 510 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 1 degree C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Typic Glossocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Shule loam - forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 8 cm; undecomposed organic material consisting mainly of bark, twigs, and needles.
Oe--8 to 11 cm; partially decomposed organic material like that of the horizon above.
E--11 to 31 cm; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) moist; weak medium platy structure that parts to fine granules; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic neutral; gradual irregular boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)
E/B--31 to 51 cm; mixed pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) and reddish brown (5YR 5/3) heavy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) and reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure that parts to fine granules; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; this horizon consists of seams and nodules of clayey material like that of the underlying horizon embedded in a lighter colored matrix like that of the overlying horizon; 10 percent stones; neutral; gradual irregular boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)
Bt--51 to 92 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) stony clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; peds are very hard, firm; thin nearly continuous clay films on peds and in root channels and pores; 15 percent stones; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (20 to 50 cm thick)
R--92 to 158 cm; rhyolite bedrock or rhyolitic tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Gunnison County, Colorado; SE1/4 of Sec. 36, R. 46 N., R. 5 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--8 degrees C
Base saturation--more than 80 percent and ranges from 60 to 100 percent in all subhorizons of the argillic horizon
Depth to lithic contact--50 to 100 cm
Depth to top of argillic horizon--less than 60 cm
Depth to base of argillic horizon--40 to 100 cm
Rock fragment content--0 to 35 percent in a major part of the solum and any C horizon; fragments are mainly 250 to 1000 mm in diameter
Reaction--pH 5.6 to 7.8
Note:
A thin A horizon may occur in some pedons.
The Bt horizon typically extends to bedrock, but thin C horizons occur in some pedons.
These soils typically are noncalcareous throughout, except that very thin and discontinuous calcareous subhorizons may occur just above the bedrock in some pedons.
A horizon
Hue--10YR through 5YR
Value--4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--1 through 3
E horizon
Hue--10YR through 5YR
Value--5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma--1 through 4
Bt horizon
Hue--5YR through 10R
Value--5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma--1 through 6
Texture--loam or clay loam
Clay content--18 to 35 percent
Sand content--20 to 55 percent sand with less than 35 percent being fine or coarser sand
Rock fragment content--0 to 35 percent--15 to 35 percent stones, 0 to 15 percent cobbles
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ansel,
Castelleia,
Edloe,
Grimes,
Grimstone,
Hierro,
Indart, Jacquette,
Lick,
Limber,
Peeler,
Perceton, Poivadera,
Sapphire,
Schofield,
Swapps,
Swifton,
Tahoma,
Tongue River,
Trapper,
Uinta,
Whitefish, and
Woodrock series. Ansel, Castelleia, Hierro, Jacquette, Lick, Peeler, Polvadera, Swifton, Trapper, Uinta, and Whitefish soils lack a lithic contact above depth of 100 cm. Grimstone, Indart, Perceton, and Tongue River soils have a paralithic contact above depth 100 cm. Edloe and Limber soils are calcareous in the lower part of the solum and in the C horizons and have continuous horizons of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation. Grimes soils have hue of 7.5YR or yellower in a major part of the Bt and C horizons, and have coarse fragments that are mainly less than 250 mm in diameter. Sapphire soils have hue of 7.5YR or yellower in a major part of the solum and any C horizon. Schofield soils have hue of 7.5YR or yellower, have argillic horizons with more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand much of which is medium and coarse angular granite sand, and have coarse fragments that are mainly less than 75 mm in diameter. Swapps soils are calcareous in much of the solum, lack E horizons, and lack mixed E/Bt horizons. Tahoma soils lack continuous E horizons, lack mixed E/Bt horizons, and occur in areas having peak periods of precipitation in the fall and winter. Woodrock soils have argillic horizons with more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand, much of which is medium and coarse angular granite sand, and are less than 60 percent base saturated in at least some part of the Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--gently to steeply sloping mountain sides, hills, ridges and mesa tops
Elevation-2900 to 3200 meters
Slope--2 to 40 percent or more
Parent material--slightly acid to neutral parent materials weathered residually from rhyolitic tuff, or similar bedrock
Mean annual precipitation--460 to 510 mm, with peak periods of precipitation occurring during the spring and summer
Mean annual air temperature--1 degree C
Frost free period--40 to 50 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forestry, as native pastureland, and for recreational purposes. Principal native vegetation is mainly Engelmann spruce, alpine fir, aspen, and a relatively good understory of grasses and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Shule soils are moderately extensive in the mountainous areas of central Colorado. MLRA 48A
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gunnison County, Colorado, 1974
REMARKS: Converted to metric, updated formatting, and O horizons were updated to start at zero. Competing series section was not updated. 9/2022
Shule soils have a cryic temperature regime and a udic soil moisture regime with a typic subclass.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.