LOCATION TULECAN                 NV

Established Series
Rev. JHD/JBF/WED
01/2023

TULECAN SERIES

The Tulecan series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rock. Tulecan soils are on mountain slopes and hills. Slopes are l5 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Aridic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Tulecan very cobbly coarse sandy loam--woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 3 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine tubular ROOTS; many fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A2--3 to 10 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--10 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; few faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Bt2--20 to 38 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium sub angular blocky structure; slightly hard; very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; 20 percent cobbles; few faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (18 to 25 cm thick)

Cr--38 to 50 cm; weathered granitic bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Esmeralda County, Nevada, about l,200 feet west and 900 feet north of the southeast corner of Section ll, T. 6 S., R. 38 E; USGS Sylvania Mountains 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 37 degrees 25 minutes 36.8 seconds N and 117 degrees 43 minutes 26.3 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 37.4270556 latitude, -117.7239722 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring months, dry in summer and fall except for l0 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm, includes upper Bt.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent throughout.
Depth to soft bedrock: 36 to 50 cm.

Particle-size control section - Percent clay: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent, mainly 2 to 5 mm.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Subangular blocky or granular.

Btl horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Averages coarse sandy loam or sandy clay loam.

Bt2 horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Averages coarse sandy loam or sandy clay loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are Acrelane, Erastra, Koontz, Roloc and Ubehebe series.

Acrelane, Erastra, Koontz and Roloc soils are not moist for l0 to 20 days in the summer. Ubehebe soils have loam and or clay loam argillic horizons with dominantly fine sands and finer and the gravel is dominated by 5 mm. to 8 cm size.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tulecan soils are on mountain slopes and hills. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from granitic rocks. Elevations are 1,600 to 2,750 meters. Slopes are l5 to 50 percent. The climate is Mediterranean with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers, exceptfor occasional summer thunder showers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 360 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 11 degrees C, and the frost-free season is l00 to l30 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Armoine, Cucamungo, Logring, Lomoine, and the competing Ubehebe series. The Armoine and Lomoine soils lack mollic colors. The Cucamungo soils are in a frigid temperature regime. Logring soils have l5 to 35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is pinyon pine, Utah juniper, black sagebrush, pine bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, Nevada ephedra and galleta.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 29.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County Area, Nevada, l984.

REMARKS: The name is taken from Tule Canyon.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 20 cm (A, Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 38 cm (Bt horizon).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 38 cm (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 38 cm (Bt horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.