LOCATION TAYLORSPRING MT
Established Series
Rev. EW-KTS-RJS
01/2012
TAYLORSPRING SERIES
The Taylorspring series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in alluvium, slope alluvium or colluvium derived from metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. These soils are on fan remnants, hills and mountain slopes. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 460 mm and mean annual air temperature is about 3 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, superactive Ustic Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Taylorspring gravelly sandy loam, in rangeland, on a 20 percent slope, at an elevation of 2201 meters (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 15 cm; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)
BA--15 to 33 cm; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/3) cobbly sandy loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist, moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)
Bt--33 to 69 cm; red (10R 5/6) extremely cobbly sandy clay, red (10R 4/6) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 70 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 25 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (35 to 52 cm thick)
BCk--69 to 152 cm; light red (10R 6/6) very cobbly sandy clay loam, red (10R 5/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; 15 percent distinct calcium carbonate nodules on bottom of rock fragments; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Beaverhead County, Montana; Ermont topographic quadrangle; UTM 12T, 0343459e, 5016963n, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 4 to 6 degrees C.
Depth to argillic horizon - 10 to 40 cm
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - 45 to 90 cm
Note: Some pedons may have a BC horizon
A horizon
Hue: 5YR or 2.5YR; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 14 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent--10 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
BA horizon
Hue: 5YR or 2.5YR; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent--10 to 30 percent gravel, 5 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 10R; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6; dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay, clay loam or clay
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--20 to 50 percent gravel, 20 to 45 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.6
BCk horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 10R; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8; dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent--20 to 50 percent gravel, 20 to 45 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 7.9
COMPETING SERIES:
Diamante (NM) - do not have secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - fan remnants, hills and mountain slopes
Elevation -1920 to 2440 meters
Slope- 4 to 50 percent
Parent material - alluvium, slope alluvium or colluvium derived from metamorphic and sedimentary rocks
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; short summers
Mean annual precipitation - 380 to 560 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 3 to 5 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 30 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Taylorspring soils are used for native rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, prairie junegrass, lupine, arrowleaf balsamroot, mountain big sagebrush, and other miscellaneous grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Taylorspring soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana. MLRA - 43B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Horse Prairie-South Valley Area - Part of Beaverhead County, Montana, 2011; proposed in Beaverhead County, Montana, 2008.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 33 cm (A, E horizons)
Argillic horizon - 33 to 69 cm (Bt horizon)
Secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - 69 to 152 cm (BCk horizon)
Particle-size control section from 33 to 69 cm (Bt horizon)
Taylorspring soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.