LOCATION VORSID COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive Lithic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vorsid gravelly sandy loam, on a northwest facing, 3 percent slope in grassland at an elevation of 2637 meters (8650 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Described on April 9, 1991.
A1--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--8 to 20 cm (3 to 8 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizons: 18 to 30 cm)
R--20 to 46 cm (8 to 18 inches); indurated granodiorite.
TYPE LOCATION: Park County, Colorado; about 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Lake George; located about 300 feet north and 1,000 feet west of the southeast corner of Sec. 24, T. 13 S., R. 73 W.; Spinney Mountain USGS quad; lat. 38 degrees 54 minutes 11 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees 30 minutes 12 seconds W., NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry in late spring and early summer, moist in some part in late July and August, and intermittently dry in fall; ustic regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 2.8 to 5.0 degrees C (37 to 41 degrees F.)
Mean summer soil temperature: 10.6 to 14.4 degrees C (51 to 58 degrees F.)
Depth to lithic contact: 18 to 51 cm to granodiorite, gneiss, and/or schist (7 to 20 inches)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 18 to 30 cm (7 to 12 inches)
Lithology of rock fragments: granodiorite, gneiss, schist
Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content: 15 to 18 percent
Rock fragment content: 20 to 30 percent
Mica content: 20 to 45 percent (estimated)
A horizons
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Clay content: 10 to 19 percent
Gravel content: 5 to 35 percent, indurated
Organic matter content: 1.0 to 4.0 percent
Bw horizon, present in some pedons
Hue: 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Texture: gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 19 percent
Gravel content: 5 to 35 percent, indurated
Reaction: neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)
Organic matter content: 0 to .5 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dickle, Hanagita, Hazton, Heisspitz, Jenkinson, Lotex, Paddy, Skisams, Spliten, Splitro, Tuggle, Udelope series. Dickle, Hazton, Lotex, and Tuggle soils have a udic moisture regime. Hanagita, Heisspitz, Jenkinson, Paddy, Skisams, Spliten, Splitro, and Udelope series have rock fragments that are not granodiorite or schist.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium derived from granodiorite, gneiss, and/or schist
Landform: pediments
Slopes: 3 to 20 percent
Elevation: 2621 to 2835 meters (8600 to 9300 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 1.7 to 3.9 degrees C (35 to 39 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 305 to 356 mm (12 to 14 inches)
Precipitation pattern: Monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and greatest in July and August.
Frost-free period: 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Martland series. The Martland soils are moderately deep over schist, gneiss, monzonite, and quartzite.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, moderately rapid permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists mainly of Arizona fescue, Indian ricegrass, blue grama, mountain muhly, needleandthread, western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 48B; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Park County, Colorado; Teller-Park soil survey area, Colorado; 2010. The name is coined.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 20 cm.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 0 to 20 cm. (A1, A2 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 20 cm. (A1, A2 horizons)
Lithic contact: The contact with granodiorite at 20 cm. (R layer)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010.