LOCATION WILDGEN MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lamellic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Wildgen gravelly loam, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; undecomposed and slightly decomposed forest litter.
A--1 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
E1--7 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.
E2--18 to 32 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) very gravelly sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; 20 percent cobbles and 35 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons is 11 to 44 inches)
E and Bt--32 to 60 inches; E part (75 percent) is light gray (10YR 7/1) very gravelly sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; B part (25 percent) is yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam lamellae 1/4- to 3/8-inch thick, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Montana; 1,900 feet west and 1,500 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 2, T. 23 N., R. 21 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 40 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches.
The dark-colored surface of this soil does not meet the thickness requirement for a mollic epipedon.
Some pedons have a BC horizon.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5, 6, or 7 dry; 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, 3, or 4
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 50 percent--0 to 15 percent cobbles and stones; 20 to 35 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
E1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 50 percent--0 to 15 percent cobbles and stones; 20 to 35 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
E2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 6, 7, or 8 dry; 4, 5, 6, or 7 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, 3, or 4
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--0 to 20 percent cobbles and stones; 30 to 40 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
E and Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: E part 6, 7, or 8, Bt part 4, 5, 6, or 7 dry; E part 4, 5, 6, or 7, Bt part 3, 4, or 5 moist
Chroma: E part 1, 2, 3, or 4; Bt part 2, 3, 4, or 6
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent, lamellae have less than 3 percent increase in clay
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 percent--0 to 20 percent cobbles and stones; 25 to 40 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Winkler (MT) - has more than 60 percent rock fragments in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform- mountain slopes and moraines in glaciated valleys.
Elevation - 3,000 to 5,200 feet.
Slope - 2 to 60 percent.
Parent material - glacial till and colluvium.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm, dry summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 18 to 24 inches, much of which falls as snow and as spring rain.
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: Wildgen soils are used for timber production, watersheds, and as wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is Douglas fir and ponderosa pine with an understory of common snowberry, mallow ninebark, pinegrass, rough fescue, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Wildgen soils are of small extent in mountains of northwestern Montana. MLRA 43A and 44A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Missoula County, Montana, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 inches (Oi, A horizons);
Albic horizon - 7 to 32 inches (E1, E2 horizons);
Cambic horizon - 32 to 60 inches (E, E and Bt horizon); and a
Particle-size control section - 10 to 40 inches (E1, E2, E and Bt horizons).
Wildgen soils have frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil interpretation record MT0755.