LOCATION VENDOME MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Aridic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vendome sandy loam, in grassland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise indicated.)
A--0 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
Bk1--12 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; 20 percent cobbles 5 percent pebbles; thin lime coats on bottoms of pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
2Bk2--18 to 30 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain structure; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 35 percent cobbles, 40 percent pebbles; thin lime coats around pebbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
2Bk3--30 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain structure; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 15 percent cobbles, 60 percent pebbles, thin lime coats around pebbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Montana; 750 feet south and 210 feet west of the NE corner of sec. 15, T. 1 S., R.5 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 12 and 35 inches; dry in some part for six-tenths or more of the cumulative days per year when the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is higher than 41 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 12 inches.
Control section - 0 to 15 percent clay and 35 to 70 percent rock fragments. The control section has more than 50 percent fine and coarser sand.
Depth to Bk horizon - 10 to 18 inches.
Surface stones or boulders - 0 to 3 percent.
A horizon - Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 70 percent--0 to 30 percent cobbles; 0 to 40 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
Bw horizon - Value: 4, 5, or 6, dry; 3 or 4, moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 70 percent--0 to 30 percent cobbles; 0 to 40 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Bk1 horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: sandy loam or loamy sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 75 percent--0 to 35 percent cobbles and stones; 5 to 40 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4
2Bk2 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: loamy sand or loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent--0 to 35 percent cobbles and stones; 30 to 50 percent pebbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
2Bk3 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture, less than 2 mm: loamy sand or loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent--0 to 15 percent cobbles and stones; 35 to 60 percent pebbles.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - alluvial fans, stream terraces, knolls and plains.
Elevation - 4,000 to 5,500 feet.
Slope- 0 to 25 percent.
Parent material - gravelly and cobbly alluvium.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 10 to 14 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 90 to 115 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability through the Bk1 horizon and rapid permeability in the 2Bk2 and 2Bk3 horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly as rangeland. Potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, green needlegrass, needleandthread, and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Vendome is of small extent in the intermountain valleys of southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Montana, 1998.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Records: MT1017 and MT1016. Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this pedon are: a mollic epipedon from the surface to 6 inches (Ap horizon); a cambic horizon from 6 to 12 inches (Bw horizon); horizons of secondary carbonate accumulation from 12 to 60 inches (Bk1, 2Bk2, 2Bk3 horizons); particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (Bw, Bk1, 2Bk2 and 2Bk3 horizons). Vendome soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic.