LOCATION TUGGLE             MT
Established Series
Rev: DES-JAL
9/98

TUGGLE SERIES


The Tuggle series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and slope alluvium derived from granite and other coarse grained igneous rocks. These soils are on escarpments, ridges and sideslopes of mountains. Slopes are 2 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 17 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 40 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive Lithic Haplocryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Tuggle gravelly coarse sandy loam, very bouldery, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A--0 to 7 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine and few medium pores; 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)

Bw--7 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and few fine tubular and interstitial pores; 20 percent pebbles; neutral
(pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

BC--11 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; many very fine and few fine tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.3); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)

Cr--15 to 18 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) decomposed granite bedrock (grus) that crushes to very gravelly loamy coarse sand. (2 to 4 inches thick)

R--18 inches; hard granite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Montana; 900 feet east and 500 feet south of the NW corner of section 5, T. 3 N., R. 3 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Mean annual soil temperature - 38 to 42 degrees F.

Mean summer soil temperature - 52 to 58 degrees F.

Moisture control section - between 8 inches and the lithic contact.

Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 10 inches.

Depth to Cr horizon - 10 to 19 inches.

Depth to R horizon - 12 to 20 inches.

Surface stones or boulders - 0 to 3 percent.

A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y

Value: 3, 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist

Chroma: 1, 2 or 3

Texture: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam

Clay content: 10 to 18 percent

Rock fragments: 5 to 60 percent--5 to 35 percent pebbles, 0 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones

Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3

Bw horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y

Value: 4, 5 or 6 dry; 3, 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 2 or 3

Texture: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam

Clay content: 10 to 18 percent

Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent pebbles (mainly less than 7mm in diameter)

Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3

BC horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y

Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 2, 3 or 4

Texture: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam

Clay content: 10 to 18 percent

Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent pebbles (mainly less than 10mm in diameter)

Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3

COMPETING SERIES:

Duncom (WY) - has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation; does not have paralithic contact above the lithic contact; formed in material derived from limestone.

Ganis (WA) - is moderately or strongly acid throughout; does not have paralithic contact above the lithic contact.

Hanagita (AK) - has less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser in the particle-size control section; has mean annual temperature of 23 to 27 degrees F.; does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact.

Hazton (WY) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact.

Heisspitz (CO) - has 18 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section; does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; formed in material derived from limestone and sandstone.

Jenkinson (WY) - has 18 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section; is calcareous and moderately or strongly alkaline throughout; does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact.

Lotex (UT) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; formed in residuum and colluvium from quartzite and sandstone.

Skisams (CO) - has 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section; does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact.

Spliten (ID) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; formed in alluvium and loess over residuum from basalt and rhyolite.

Splitro (WY) - does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; formed in residuum derived from sandstone.

Trump (CO) - has horizon of secondary carbonate accumulation; has 18 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section; does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact.

Udelope (NV) - has a mollic epipedon which extends throughout the profile; does not have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact; formed in residuum and colluvium from andesite and other volcanic rocks.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:

Landform - escarpments, ridges and sideslopes of mountains.

Elevation - 5,500 to 8,000 feet.

Slope- 2 to 60 percent.

Parent material - residuum or slope alluvium derived from granite and other coarse grained igneous rocks.

Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, cool summers.

Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 24 inches.

Mean annual air temperature - 36 to 40 degrees F.

Frost-free period - 50 to 70 days.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately rapid
permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Tuggle soils are primarily used for livestock grazing, watershed and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Western wheatgrass, timber danthonia, rough fescue, Idaho fescue, Western yarrow, lupine, Rocky Mountain juniper, big sagebrush. Some areas have widely scattered Douglas-fir.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Tuggle soils are of small extent in
southwestern Montana.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Montana, 1998.

REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT1667, MT3136. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the surface to 7 inches (A horizon); a particle size control section from 10 to 15 inches (Bw and BC horizons); a layer of decomposed granite (grus) from 15 to 18 inches (Cr horizon); hard granite bedrock at 18 inches (R horizon). Tuggle soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.