LOCATION ZOESTA                  NV

Established Series
Rev. CEJ/GJS/JBF
05/2016

ZOESTA SERIES

The Zoesta series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in alluvium and colluvium derived from mixed rocks. Zoesta soils are on summits and side slopes of mountain valley fan remnants, partial ballenas and mountain side slopes. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Vertic Paleargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Zoesta cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted) The surface is covered with approximately 20 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly loam dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 15 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--5 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--18 to 30 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly heavy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films coating sand grains; 10 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

Bt2--30 to 46 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 28 cm thick)

Bt3--46 to 58 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine prismatic structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)

Btk--58 to 79 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; strong fine prismatic structure parting to strong fine subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 30 percent gravel; carbonate occurs as common fine soft masses; slightly effervescent matrix; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 53 cm thick)

Bqk--79 to 152 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay loam dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; 40 percent gravel; 15 percent strongly cemented durinodes; carbonate occurs as many large soft masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; about 16 miles north of Austin, approximately 1,900 feet south and 200 feet west of the northeast corner of section 1, T. 22N., R. 44 E.; USGS Hall Creek South 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 48 minutes 20 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 58 minutes 02 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.8052778 latitude, -116.9672222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Combined A and Bt horizon thickness: 75 to 100 cm.
Depth to carbonates: 25 to 50 cm, effervescent increasing with depth; secondary carbonate occurs in the lower portion.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: Less than 15 percent in the upper part; 15 to 35 percent in the lower part mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bt horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6.
Texture: Clay loam or clay.
Structure: Strong fine, medium, or coarse prismatic structure.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bqk horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 6.
Texture: Clay loam or loam with 20 to 35 percent clay.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent mainly gravel.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons lack durinodes.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Goldaho and Toney series.

Goldaho soils have a calcic horizon at 20 to 43 cm. Toney soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 50 to 100 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zoesta soils are on summits and side slopes of mountain valley fan remnants, partial ballenas, fan piedmont remnants and mountain side slopes. These soils formed in colluvium and alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,955 to 2,260 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm; mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Punchbowl, Reluctan, Robson and Softscrabble soils. Punchbowl and Robson soils have lithic contacts within 50 cm. Reluctan and Softscrabble soils have less than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control sections and have mollic epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail and pine bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are of small extent. MLRA 24.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, Nevada, South Part, 1985.

REMARKS: The name is coined.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 18 to 79 cm (Btl, Bt2, Bt3 and Btk horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 18 to 68 cm (Btl, Bt2, Bt3 and part of the Btk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.