LOCATION ULRANT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ulrant loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; 10 percent granite pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
BA--4 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few faint clay skins on faces of peds; 10 percent granite pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 17 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; many distinct clay skins on faces of peds; 30 percent granite pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--17 to 23 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; many distinct clay skins on faces of peds; 30 percent granite pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bk--23 to 54 inches; white (10YR 8/2) gravelly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; violently effervescent, majority of matrix is carbonate; 30 percent granite pebbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6). (15 to 45 inches thick)
R--54 inches; hard granite.
TYPE LOCATION: Natrona County, Wyoming; Banner Mountain Quadrangle; 2,170 feet south and 250 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 28, T. 31 N., R. 87 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 8 to 13 inches thick. Depth to hard granite bedrock ranges from 40 to 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges form 40 to 45 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature ranges from 59 to 62 degrees F. Depth to the base of the argillic horizon and continuous horizons of carbonate accumulation ranges from 16 to 27 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Rock fragments, mainly small granitic pebbles, range from 0 to 15 percent. It commonly is neutral but is slightly acid in some pedons.
The BA or AB horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loam or clay loam with 24 to 35 percent clay and less than 15 percent granitic pebbles. It is neutral or mildly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6. It most commonly is gravelly clay loam and less commonly gravelly loam with 24 to 35 percent clay and 20 to 35 percent granitic pebbles. It is neutral or mildly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 7 or 8 dry, 6 through 8 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. It is gravelly loam with 18 to 27 percent noncarbonate clay and 20 to 35 percent granitic pebbles. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 40 to 60 percent. EC ranges from 0 to 2 mmhos. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bookcliff, Dooley, Empedrado, Fairfield, Farnuf, Felor, Greenway, Hangdo, Lefor, Lininger, Livona, Martinsdale, Moen, Reeder, Trag, Vida, Watrous, Wemple, Williams, and Yegen series. Bookcliff soils have less than 15 percent coarse fragments in the Bt horizon. Dooley soils have less than 15 percent coarse fragments throughout. Empedrado soils have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments. Fairfield soils have a Bt horizon where base is never more than 10 inches deep and have less than 40 percent CaCo3 in the Bk horizon. Farnuf soils are stratified throughout the C horizons and are nongravelly. Felor soils have clayey sediment at 20 to 35 inches that contain 35 to 50 percent clay. Greenway soils have firm consistence at 15 to 25 inches and are nongravelly throughout. Hangdo soils lack free carbonates above 40 inches. Lefor, Lininger, and Reeder soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Livona soils are nongravelly throughout. Martinsdale soils have less than 15 percent coarse fragments in the Bt horizon. Moen and Watrous soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Trag soils lack free carbonates above 40 inches and have less than 15 percent coarse fragments in the Bt horizon. Vida and Williams soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the Bt horizon. Wemple soils have a sandy clay loam or fine sandy loam Bt horizon Yegen soils have a sandy clay loam Bt horizon and less than 40 percent carbonate equivalent in the Bk horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ulrant soils are on rolling mountain footslopes. Slope ranges from 3 to 15 percent. They formed in high energy slopewash alluvium derived dominantly from granite and limestone. Elevation is 6,900 to 7,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 15 to 19 inches, the mean annual temperature is 38 to 40 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cathedral, Kezar, Nunnston, and Starley soils. Cathedral soils are shallow, loamy-skeletal, and do not have an argillic horizon. Kezar soils are moderately deep, do not have a calcic horizon, and have a mean summer soil temperature of less than 59 degrees F. Nunnston soils are fine. Starley soils are shallow, loamy-skeletal, do not have an argillic horizon, and have a mean summer soil temperature of less than 59 degrees F.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, prairie junegrass, and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Wyoming. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Natrona County, Wyoming; 1985.