LOCATION WARNEKE                 MT

Established Series
Rev. LCB-DES-EMM
04/2014

WARNEKE SERIES

The Warneke series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum, slope alluvium or colluvium weathered from limestone. These soils are on hills, escarpments, ridges, mountains, and bedrock-floored plains. Slopes are 0 to 75 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 18 inches and mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Lithic Calciustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Warneke gravelly loam, grassland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; disseminated lime; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Bk--4 to 15 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very channery loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine and very fine pores; 25 percent channers; 15 percent flagstones; disseminated lime; continuous distinct lime casts on underside of fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 18 inches thick)

R--15 inches; limestone, with few fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Blaine County, Montana; about 400 feet south and 2,640 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 20, T. 26 N., R. 24 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil temperature - 38 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches or between 4 inches and the lithic contact if less than 4 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches.
Surface stones or boulders - 0 to 3 percent

A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 80 percent--0 to 25 percent cobbles and stones, 15 to 55 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 8.4

Bk horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4 dry or moist
Texture: loam or silt loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent--0 to 30 percent cobbles and stones, 25 to 65 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 60 percent
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 9.0

COMPETING SERIES:

Pensore (MT) - have an ustic soil moisture regime that borders on aridic

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:

Landform - hills, escarpments, ridges, mountains and bedrock-floored plains.
Elevation - 2,600 to 6,000 feet.
Slope - 0 to 70 percent.
Parent material - residuum, slope alluvium or colluvium weathered from limestone.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 25 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 38 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 105 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Warneke soils are used mainly for range and woodland. Potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, needleandthread, prairie sandreed, western yarrow, Oregon-grape, black sagebrush, and juniper with low density stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and limber pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Warneke soils are of moderate extent mainly in the mountains in central Montana. MLRAs 43B, and 46.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Blaine County, Montana, 1976.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from the soil surface to 7 inches mixed (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - from 4 to 15 inches (Bk horizon)
Lithic contact - at a depth of 15 inches (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 5 to 15 inches (Bk horizon)

Soil interpretations record: MT0278.

Warneke soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.