LOCATION TUSEL                   NV+ID

Established Series
Rev. KEJ-PWB-JVC-JBF
05/2016

TUSEL SERIES

The Tusel series consists of deep or very deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from quartzite, chert and shale with surficial deposits of loess and volcanic ash. Tusel soils are on plateaus, hills, and mountains. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 430 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Vitrandic Argicryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Tusel very gravelly ashy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 23 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)

A2--23 to 43 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial, and common fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 38 cm thick)

2Bt1--43 to 69 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine interstitial, and few very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 55 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 cm thick)

2Bt2--69 to 107 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine interstitial, and few very fine and fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 55 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (30 to more than 64 cm thick)

2R--107 cm; quartzite.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; Beaver Creek area in the Tuscarora Mountains; approximately 200 feet west and 100 feet south of the apparent northeast corner of section 15, T. 37 N., R. 51 E.; USGS Beaver Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 6 minutes 14 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 13 minutes 22 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.1038889 latitude, -116.2227778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the late fall through early summer, dry late July through September; xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Average summer soil temperature: 14 to 15 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 41 to 56 cm; includes the upper subdivision of the argillic horizon of some pedons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 90 to over 127 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 100 to more than 200 cm to a lithic contact.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Sand content: 40 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Volcanic glass content: 25 to 35 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half oxalate extractable iron: 0.02 to 0.09 percent.

2Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly or extremely gravelly clay loam.
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 percent gravel and 10 to 25 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones
Volcanic glass content: Averages 0 to 15 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half oxalate extractable iron: Averages 0 to 0.04 percent.
Consistence: Slightly sticky or moderately sticky and slightly plastic or moderately plastic
Structure: Weak to strong subangular blocky or angular blocky. Some pedons have lower subhorizons that are massive.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Edgway, Kiote, Rolldown, Sawfork, and Trespass series.

Edgway soils have a udic moisture regime and mollic epipedons 25 to 36 cm thick. Kiote soils have 18 to 25 percent clay and less than 40 percent sand in the particle-size control section. Rolldown soils have mollic epipedons 25 to 40 cm thick and mean summer soil temperature of 8 to 11 degrees C. Sawfork soils have an ustic moisture regime and are deep to paralithic contacts. Trespass soils are very deep, have 35 to 50 percent rock fragments, and have 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tusel soils are on plateaus, hills, and mountains. They typically occur on north-facing backslope and summit positions. Soil slippage and slumps are common in some areas. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from quartzite, chert, and shale with surficial deposits of loess and volcanic ash. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,650 to 2,960 meters. The climate is dry-subhumid with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 380 to 500 mm, the mean annual temperature is 5 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is less than 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hapgood, Pocker, Primeaux, and Torro soils. Hapgood soils do not have argillic horizons. Pocker soils have mollic epipedons less than 40 cm thick. Primeaux soils have mollic epipedons less than 40 cm thick and are fine-loamy. Torro soils have a frigid soil temperature and mollic epipedons less than 40 cm thick.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained and moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Tusel soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is principally mountain big sagebrush, snowberry, lanceleaf rabbitbrush, slender wheatgrass, oniongrass, lupine, and aster.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada and south-central Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 25, while other acreage occurs in MLRAs 23, 24, and 28B in Nevada and MLRA 10 in Idaho.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County (Tuscarora Mountain Area), Nevada, 1978.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 43 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - The zone from the soil surface to 43 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 43 to 107 cm (2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 107 cm (2R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 43 to 93 cm (2Bt1 horizon and part of the 2Bt2 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: During MLRA updates samples of the A and Bt horizons should be checked for volcanic ash and glass. Soils mapped with the Tusel series with volcanic and conglomerate parent material should be checked for glass in the argillic and probably correlated to another series.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.