LOCATION ULRICHER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Ulricher loam, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
0i--0 to 1 inch; undecomposed and partially decomposed needles and twigs.
A1--1 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure that parts to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; scattered small pieces of charcoal from past fires; common mica flakes; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine interstitial pores; about 3 percent gravel; common mica flakes; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
BA--4 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure that parts to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine continuous tubular pores; about 5 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; many mica flakes; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--10 to 18 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine continuous tubular pores; about 8 percent cobbles and 6 percent gravel; common thin clay films in pores; many mica flakes; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
Bw2--18 to 25 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) cobbly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine to coarse roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine continuous tubular pores; about 12 percent cobbles and 6 percent gravel; few thin clay films in pores; many mica flakes; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick)
BC--25 to 32 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) cobbly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine interstitial, few very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent cobbles, 10 percent gravel; few thin clay films on surfaces of peds; many mica flakes; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick)
C--32 to 43 inches; yellow (10YR 7/6) cobbly loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, medium roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent cobbles, 10 percent gravel; many mica flakes; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Cr--43 inches; weathered gneiss.
TYPE LOCATION: Kootenai County, Idaho; 55 feet north of the road, 1 mile northwest of junction with Cougar Gulch road in the NW 1/4 NE1/4 of section 25, T.50N., R.5W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the paralithic contact ranges from 40 to 60 inches. The soil in some part between depths of 8 and 24 inches becomes moist in early November and remains moist until late June or early July. The mean annual soil temperature is about 47 to 50 degrees F. The solum has base saturation of less than 60 percent in all parts between depths of 10 and 30 inches. It contains up to 35 percent rock fragments by volume, but usually has less than 20 percent. The soil is medium or slightly acid.
The A horizon has value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam or silt loam and some pedons are stony. The soil is moderately acid to neutral. Structure is granular, platy or subangular blocky.
The B horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam or sandy loam and is gravelly or cobbly in most pedons. Some pedons are stony.
The C horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist. It is sandy loam or loamy sand and most pedons are gravelly or cobbly. Some pedons are stony.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chaix, Dome, Siskiyou, Sitkum, Steinmetz, Stinger, and Tethrick series. Chaix, Siskiyou, Sitkum, and Stinger soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Dome soils are weathered granitic rock below the paralithic contact. Tethrick soils are quartz diorite or gabbro below the paralithic contact. .
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ulricher soils are on uplands. Slopes are 5 to 65 percent, but are predominantly greater than 20 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from gneiss and other metamorphic rocks mixed with small amounts of loess and volcanic ash in the upper part. Elevations are 2,200 to 4,600 feet. The climate is subhumid with a mean annual precipitation of 25 to 28 inches, most of which occurs in the winter. The mean annual temperature range from about 45 to 47 degrees F. The frost free season is about 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kruss, Lenz, Molly, Moscow, Schumacher, Skalan, Spokane, and Vassar soils. Kruse and Skalan soils have argillic horizons. Lenz, Schumacher and Spokane soils have mollic epipedons. Molly and Vassar soils have contrasting textures in the control section. Moscow soils have a frigid temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for timber production and grazing, but a few areas are used for production of hay and small grains. Overstory vegetation is grand fir, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and western larch. The understory is mountain maple, rose, false solomonseal, piper anemone, brachen fern, redstem ceanothus, oceanspray and ninebark.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in the Mica Peak are in the Kootenai County, Idahjo. The soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kootenai County, Idaho, 1976.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features:
Ochric epipedon- the zone from the soil surface to 10 inches (Oi, A, and BA horizons).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 10 to 32 inches (Bw1, Bw2, and BC horizons).
Paralithic contact- the contact 43 inches (top of Cr horizon).