LOCATION STARFLYER               NV

Established Series
Rev. JWM/TM/JBF
02/2012

STARFLYER SERIES

The Starflyer series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from welded tuff. Starflyer soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid Lithic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Starflyer very cobbly ashy coarse sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with about 20 percent gravel and 45 percent cobbles. Lithology of the fragments is welded tuff.

A--0 to 8 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly ashy coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--8 to 13 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak moderate subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films bridging sand grains; 30 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.1); clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--13 to 25 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles, neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--25 to 46 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly ashy sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons is 25 to 46 cm.)

R--46 cm; welded tuff, slightly weathered in the upper 10 cm.

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; Schell Creek Range; USGS Sidehill Spring 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 24 minutes 27 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 47 minutes 19 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, and intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days cumulative from July to September due to convection storms; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 36 to 50 cm, includes all or part of the argillic horizon.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm.
Thickness of argillic: 25 to 46 cm.
Reaction: Neutral through moderately alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragment content: Averages 35 to 50 percent; mainly cobbles and gravel. Lithology is welded tuff.
Mineralogy: 30 to 45 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction and 0.05 to 0.1 percent AL plus 1/2Fe extracted by ammonium oxalate.

A horizon
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist.
Mineralogy: 15 to 24 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction and 0.05 to 0.09 percent AL plus 1/2Fe extracted by ammonium oxalate.

Bt horizons
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist.
Texture: Ashy sandy clay loam or ashy clay loam with some pedons containing thin sub-horizons of ashy loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent; mainly cobbles and gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Badrock, Domehill, Farepeak, Fingerridge, Hardnut, Hardteph, Mattier, Schoolmarm, Skidbrackle, and Welltomas series.

Badrock, Domehill, Farepeak, Hardnut, Hardteph, Mattier and Schoolmarm soils have aridic soil moisture regimes that border on xeric. Fingerridge and Welltomas soils are 18 to 36 cm to bedrock. Skidbrackle soils have 60 to 80 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Starflyer soils are on hills and mountains. They formed in residuum and colluvium from welded tuff. Slopes range from 4 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,810 to 2,500 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 360 mm. These soils receive additional moisture as runoff or blowing snow from adjacent areas. The mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C. The frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kyler, Nevu, and Ursine soils. Nevu and Ursine soils are on fan remnants and have a duripan. Kyler soils are on mountains and are shallow to limestone bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity class.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation includes bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, muttongrass, and mountain big sagebrush. This pedon is correlated to Ecological Site R028AY064NV, Shallow Loam 10-14 P.Z.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Nevada, North Part, 2006. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 46 cm (A, Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 46 cm (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).
Mineralogy for ashy family - The zone from 8 to 46 cm with 30 to 45 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction and 0.05 to 0.1 percent AL plus 1/2Fe extracted by ammonium oxalate (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 46 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 46 cm (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.