LOCATION ZYPLAR                  NV

Established Series
Rev. JR/RLB/WED
04/2015

ZYPLAR SERIES

The Zyplar series consists of shallow and very shallow, well-drained soils that formed in residuum of rhyolitic ash-fall tuff. Zyplar soils are on pediments. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 6 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 56 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Zyplar gravelly sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Typically 40 percent of the soil surface is covered with pebbles, 10 percent with cobbles and 5 percent with stones.

A--0 to 7 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent pebbles and 2 percent stones; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bt--7 to 12 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; common very fine, and medium interstitial and few fine vesicular pores; few faint clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 30 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)

R--12 inches; hard tuffaceous bedrock, weathered in upper part.

TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; about 5 miles east of Beatty, Nevada and 1,000 feet west and 1,500 feet south of the northeast corner of Section 12, T. 12 S., R. 47 E., MDBLM.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually dry, but moist in some part of the control section in January, February and March. Moist in some part for short intermittent periods following summer convection storms.

Soil temperature - 59 to 65 degrees F.

Depth to bedrock - 8 to 14 inches.

Reaction - Mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.


Control section - Clay content: 20 to 30 percent.

Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, mainly pebbles.


A horizon - Value: 4 through 6 dry.

Chroma: 3 or 4.


Bt horizon - Value: 4 through 6 dry.

Chroma: 3 or 4.

Texture of fine earth: Sandy clay loam, loam, or clay loam.

Percent clay: 25 to 35 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are Aftaden(NM) and Sparkhule(CA) series. These soils have hues of 7.5YR or 5YR. In addition Aftaden soils have argillic horizons with less than 18 percent clay. Sparkhule soils are 14 to 20 inches to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zyplar soils are on rock pediments. They formed in shallow residuum of rhyolitic ash-fall tuff and other extrusive igneous rocks. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. Elevation are 3,500 to 4,500 feet. The climate is arid with cool winters and hot summers. The mean annual precipitation is between 5 to 8 inches; mean annual temperature is 57 to 63 degrees F., and the frost-free season is about 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Akela, Shorim and Zalda soils. Akela soils have a loamy-skeletal control section. Shorim soils are moderately deep and have a loamy-skeletal control section. Zalda soils have a duripan over hard bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow runoff; moderate slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation consists mainly of blackbrush with some ephedra, spiny menodora, and wolfberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 30.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES PROPOSED: Nye County, Nevada, Southwest Part, 1985. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:

Argillic horizon - The zone from about 7 to 12 inches (Bt horizon).

Lithic contact - Transition to hard bedrock (R horizon) at about 12 inches.

Particle-size control section - The zone from the surface to about 12 inches (A and Bt horizons).

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.