LOCATION WHITEPINE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, frigid Vitrandic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Whitepine ashy silt loam, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inch; undecomposed and slightly decomposed forest litter. (0 to 2 inches thick)
A--1 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium and common coarse roots; volcanic ash component; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--2 to 9 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) ashy silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium and common coarse roots; volcanic ash component; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
E/Bt--9 to 15 inches; E part (60 percent) is very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist, Bt part (40 percent) is light brown (7.5YR 6/4) silty clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; commom medium and coarse roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 16 inches thick)
Bt/E--15 to 29 inches; Bt part (80 percent) is light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist, E part (20 percent) is very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common medium and coarse roots; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
C--29 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; 1/16 to 1/2 inch thick varves of startified silt loam, silty clay loam, and clay; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few medium and coarse roots; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Sanders County, Montana; 1000 feet west and 1700 feet north of the southeast corner of section 5, T. 22N., R. 30W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
A horizon - Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry, 3, 4, or 5 moist
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent
Bulk density: 1.0 to 1.4 g/cc
Acid oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe: 0.4 to 1.0 percent
Reaction: 5.6 to 7.3
E horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent
Bulk density: 1.0 to 1.4 g/cc
Acid oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe: 0.4 to 1.0 percent
Reaction: 5.6 to 7.3
E/Bt horizon - Value: E part: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist; B part: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Clay content: E is 15 to 25 percent, Bt is 40 to 60 percent
Reaction: 5.6 to 7.3
Bt/E horizon - Hue: B part: 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR; E part: 10YR
Value: B part: 5, 6, or 7 dry, 4, 5, or 6 moist; E part: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Clay content: Bt is 40 to 60 percent, E is 20 to 27 percent
Reaction: 5.6 to 7.3
C horizon - Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry, 4, 5, or 6 moist
Clay content: 18 to 60 percent
Reaction: 5.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - lake plains and terraces.
Elevation - 2300 to 2800 feet.
Slope- 0 to 35 percent.
Parent material - glaciolacustrine deposits.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 24 to 28 inches.
Mean annual temperature - 42 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 90 to 115 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Whitepine soils are used mainly for woodland, understory grazing, cropland, and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is mainly ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, western larch, lodgepole pine, and grand fir. Understory vegetation is mainly common snowberry, oregon grape, ninebark, brackenfern, and other forbs, shrubs, and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Whitepine soils are of small extent in the valleys of northwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanders County, Montana 1997.
REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Record: MT1377. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from 1 to 8 inches mixed (A and E horizons); an albic horizon from 2 to 9 inches (E horizon); an argillic horizon from 15 to 29 inches (Bt/E horizon); a particle size control section from 15 to 29 inches (Bt/E horizon). Whitepine soils have a udic moisture regime and a frigid temperature regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data: S92MT-089-002.