LOCATION UREAL IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid, shallow Vitritorrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ureal very cobbly sandy loam on a 35 percent west facing slope at an elevation of 5,600 feet on rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on November 7, 1979, the soil was dry throughout.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable. nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 20 percent pebbles and 25 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
A2--7 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 65 percent pebbles and 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.3), clear wavy boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)
Cr--14 to 24 inches; decomposing tuff; few very fine roots to 30 inches.
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 9 miles west of Ellis, Idaho; about 650 feet south and 200 feet west of the northeast corner, sec. 32, T. 16 N., R. 19 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 43 degrees F
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 14 inches
Depth to paralithic contact - 10 to 20 inches
Control section; percent clay - 5 to 15
Coarse fragments - 45 to 90 percent
Reaction of profile - neutral through slightly alkaline
Glass content - 30 to 50 percent
Phosphate retention - 10 to 25 percent
A1 horizon
Coarse fragments - 45 to 60 percent
A2 horizon
Coarse fragments - 60 to 90 percent
Some pedons have a C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ureal soils are on mountains and foothills and have slopes of 20 to 50 percent. Elevations are 5,200 to 7,000 feet. The soils formed in residuum and slope alluvium derived dominantly from tuff. The climate is cold and moist in winter and spring and dry in summer. Average annual precipitation is 11 to 13 inches. Average summer air temperature is 60 to 64 degrees F. Average annual air temperature is 37 to 41 degrees F. Frost-free period is 45 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dacont, Dawtonia, Gaciba, and Zeebar soils on mountains and foothills. The Dacont, Dawtonia, and Zeebar soils are very deep. The Gaciba soils are lithic and have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 14 inches
The particle-size control section is the zone from 0 to 14 inches