LOCATION STEMPLE MT
Established Series
Rev. JB-JJU-RJS
06/2011
STEMPLE SERIES
The Stemple series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium, colluvium or slide deposits derived from igneous or metamorphic rock, or alpine till. These soils are on mountain slopes, moraines and landslides. Slopes are 8 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 25 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 38 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Palecryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Stemple very channery loam, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches; forest litter of partially decomposed needles, twigs, and roots; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
E1--2 to 12 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very channery loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; moderate very thin platy structure parting to moderate very fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; 40 percent channers; 5 percent flagstones; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick)
E2--12 to 30 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) extremely channery loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 65 percent channers; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick)
E/Bt--30 to 34 inches; E part (80 percent) pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) extremely channery loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist tongues; B part (20 percent) light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; many silt and sand skeletans on faces of peds; 70 percent channers; moderately acid (pH 5.6); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Bt--34 to 70 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) extremely channery clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; many faint silt and sand skeletans on faces of peds in upper 2 inches of horizon; 55 percent angular channers and 10 percent flagstones; moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Lewis and Clark County, Montana; 2,500 feet north and 1,300 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 30, T. 14N, R. 5W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 36 to 42 degrees F.
Depth to argillic horizon - 25 to 50 inches
Note: Some pedons may have an A horizon 1 to 4 inches thick.
A horizon (where present)
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 3 to 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent--15 to 30 percent channers or gravel, 0 to 10 percent flagstones or cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.5
E1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 60 percent--15 to 45 percent channers or gravel, 5 to 25 percent flagstones or cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.5
E2 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent--20 to 60 percent channers or gravel, 0 to 30 percent flagstones or cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.5
E/Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: E part - 6 to 8, Bt part - 5 or 6 dry
E part - 4 to 6, Bt part - 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: E part - 2 to 4, Bt part - 3 to 6; dry or moist
Texture: E part - sandy loam, loam or sandy clay loam
Bt part - loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent--35 to 70 percent channers or gravel, 0 to 40 percent flagstones, cobbles or stones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 7.3
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6; dry or moist
Texture: clay loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent--20 to 60 percent channers or gravel, 0 to 30 percent flagstones or cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Horsethief (CO) - does not have a glossic horizon
Tenrag (MT) - are deep to a lithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountain slopes, moraines and landslides
Elevation - 5,000 to 8,400 feet
Slope - 8 to 70 percent
Parent material - slope alluvium, colluvium or slide deposits derived from igneous or metamorphic rock, or alpine till
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; short summers
Mean annual precipitation - 18 to 32 inches
Mean annual temperature - 35 to 40 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 50 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Stemple soils are used for woodland, watershed, and wildlife. Potential native vegetation is mainly lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, grouse whortleberry, Oregon grape, huckleberry, elk sedge, pinegrass, forbs and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Stemple soils are moderately extensive in central and southwestern Montana. MLRA - 43B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lewis and Clark County Area, Montana, 1991; proposed in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Albic horizon - from 2 to 30 inches (E1, E2 horizons)
Glossic horizon - from 30 to 34 inches (E/Bt horizon)
Argillic horizon - from 34 to 70 inches (Bt horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 34 to 54 inches (part of the Bt horizon)
The Stemple soils have a cryic temperature regime and an udic moisture regime that borders on ustic.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil interpretations record - MT0385.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.