LOCATION WHITORE MT+WY
Established Series
Rev. DES-JJU-RJS
09/2011
WHITORE SERIES
The Whitore series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium, alluvium, or alpine till derived mainly from limestone, calcareous shale, marly shale, or calcareous sandstone and siltstone. These soils are on alluvial fans, till plains, moraines, hills and mountains. Slopes are 2 to 80 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 26 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 38 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic Typic Calcicryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Whitore channery loam, forested (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed forest litter.
A--2 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) channery loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine and medium pores; 25 percent channers; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) channery loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine pores; 25 percent channers; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bk1--14to 25 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots (some forming horizontal root mats on rock fragments); 50 percent channers; common distinct calcium carbonate casts on surface and pendants on undersides of rock fragments, and finely disseminated calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 27 inches thick)
Bk2--25 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) extremely channery loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots (some forming horizontal root mats on rock fragments); 60 percent channers; many distinct calcium carbonate casts on surface and pendants on underside of rock fragments, and finely disseminated calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Madison County, Montana; 100 feet south and 600 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 15, T. 3S, R. 5W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 36 to 42 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon - 5 to 17 inches
Note: Some pedons may have a thin E horizon above the cambic horizon.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam or silt loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 60 percent--5 to 35 percent gravel or channers, 0 to 25 percent cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4
Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: clay loam or loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent--5 to 40 percent gravel or channers, 5 to 25 percent cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 35 to 50 percent
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 9.0
Bk1, Bk2 horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 5 to 8 dry; 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent--25 to 65 percent gravel or channers, 0 to 40 percent cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 50 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES:
Dryadine (MT) - are moderately deep to a lithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - alluvial fans, till plains, moraines, hills and mountains
Elevation - 4,500 to 8,600 feet
Slope - 2 to 80 percent
Parent material - colluvium, alluvium, or alpine till derived mainly from limestone, calcareous shale, marly shale, or calcareous sandstone and siltstone
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 40 inches, much of which falls as snow and as spring rain
Mean annual air temperature - 34 to 40 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 30 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Whitore soils are used for timber production, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, limber pine, and aspen. The understory vegetation is kinnikinnick, pinegrass, aster, mallow ninebark, common snowberry, and blue huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Whitore soils are of large extent on the eastern front of the northern Rocky Mountains and in west-central Montana. MLRAs - 43B, 44B, 46.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Glacier County Area and part of Pondera County, Montana, 1969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 7 inches, mixed (Oi, A, part of Bw horizons)
Cambic horizon - from 5 to 14 inches (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon - from 14 to 60 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 12 to 42 inches (part of Bw, Bk1, part of Bk2 horizons)
Whitore soils have a cryic temperature regime and an udic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil interpretation records - MT0786, MT0134, MT0783, MT0787, MT1194, MT0925.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.