LOCATION VITALE ID+NV+OR
Established Series
Rev. FRK/ALH/CLM
12/2022
VITALE SERIES
The Vitale series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from quartzitic sandstone, rhyolite, basalt, and welded rhyolitic tuff. Vitale soils are on lava plateaus,foothills and mountains. Slopes are 2 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 41 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vitale very gravelly loam -- on a 55 percent south-facing slope, in rangeland at 5,300 feet elevation. (When described on June 10, 1959 the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 14 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak and moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in some pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--10 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in some pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 15 inches thick)
Bt3--15 to 23 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; common faint clay films on rock fragments; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
R--23 inches; quartzitic sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Blaine County, Idaho; about 3.5 miles east of Bellevue; near the southwest corner of section 28, T.2N., R.19E. Latitude - 43 degrees, 28 minutes, 14 seconds North; Longitude - 114 degrees, 12 minutes, 26 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 7 to 17 inches and may or may not include the upper part of the Bt horizon.
Thickness of solum - 20 to 40 inches
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Mean annual soil temperature - 40 to 47 degrees F.
Reaction - slightly acid to slightly alkaline
A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 to 3 dry or moist
Textures (less than 2 mm) - loam and sandy loam
Rock fragments - 20 to 75 percent, dominantly gravel and cobbles
Structure - weak or moderate; platy, granular, or subangular blocky
Bt horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent
Textures (less than 2 mm) - loam, clay loam and sandy clay loam
Rock fragments, average - 35 to 75 percent dominantly gravel and cobbles
Other features - some pedons have a massive C horizon
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Clanalpine,
Devaul,
Elaero,
Heechee,
Heenlake,
Holmes,
Horrocks,
Hoskin,
Howcan,
Pequop,
Moreypeak,
Suak,
Valmar and
Wambolt series. Clanalpine, Elaero, Heenlake and Moreypeak soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Devaul, Heechee, Holmes, Horrocks, Howcan, Pequop and Wambolt soils are greater than 40 inches to bedrock. Hoskin soils have secondary carbonates in the subsoil. Suak soils have a very stony loam surface. Valmar soils have silt loam textures (less than 2mm) throughout.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vitale soils are on lava plateaus, foothills, and mountains. Slopes are 2 to 75 percent. They formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from quartzitic sandstone, limestone, welded tuff, rhyolite, basalt, and related rocks. Elevations are 4,000 to 8,000 feet. The climate is subhumid. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 20 inches. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 46 degrees F. Frost-free season is 50 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Blackspar,
Drage,
Povey, and
Milligan soils. Drage soils are greater than 60 inches deep and are on fan terraces. Povey soils have a mean summer soil temperature less than 59 degrees F and are on north and east-facing slopes. Milligan soils lack an argillic horizon. Blackspar soils lack a mollic epipedon and are shallow to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Vitale soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Dominant natural vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, basin big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, antelope bitterbrush, low sagebrush, and snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain areas of southern Idaho, southeastern Oregon, and northeastern Nevada. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Blaine County, Idaho, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - surface to approximately 15 inches (A, Bt1, and Bt2)
Argillic horizon and particle-size control section - the zone from 6 to 23 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3)
Lithic contact - the boundary at 23 inches
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.