LOCATION BRIER NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Brier very cobbly loam, forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones.
A--0 to 10 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common fine and medium vesicular and few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)
Bt--10 to 38 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds, and lining pores and on rock fragments; 20 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (20 to 40 cm thick)
R--38 cm; hard fractured welded rhyolitic tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; Grapevine Mountain Range; in an unsurveyed area, approximately 5,000 feet east of the Esmeralda County line and 250 feet north of the East-West boundary of the Death Valley National Monument; Bonnie Clair SW USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; at latitude 37 degrees 1 minutes, 2 seconds north and longitude 117 degrees, 8 minutes, 52 seconds west; UTM 11, 486775e, 4096787n, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Moist in the winter and early spring months, and dry in summer and fall except for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms.
Soil temperature - 9.4 to 11.7 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 38 cm.
Depth to bedrock - 36 to 50 cm.
Reaction - Neutral or mildly alkaline.
Control section - Percent clay: Averages 18 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly cobbles.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist or dry.
Bt horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist or dry.
Texture of fine earth: Averages loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam; some subhorizons have greater than 35 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Argabak (T WA), Bellehelen (NV), Clovercreek (ID), Duco (NV), Gwin (WA), Horseflat (T WA), Orhood (CA), Reywat (ID), Upatad (NV) and Windry (T WA) series. Argabak soils are 13 to 25 cm to a lithic contact. Bellehelen soils are 7 to 14 inch deep to bedrock. Clovercreek, Duco, Gwin, Horseflat, Orhood, Reywat and Upated soils all lack the 10 to 20 days summer precipitation. Windry soils have a Xeric soil moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brier soils are on mountain slopes and hills. They formed in residuum and colluvium from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 1,680 to 2,590 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 254 to 355 cm; the mean annual temperature is 8.3 to 10 degrees C.; and the frost-free season is about 90 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gabbvally, Stewval and Wahguyhe series. Gabbvally and Stewval soils lack a mollic epipedon. Wahguyhe soils lack an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Forestland. The present vegetation is mainly singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper with an understory of Wyoming big sagebrush, ephedra, desert bitterbrush and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 29, 30.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County, Nevada, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 38 cm (A and Bt horizons).
Argillic horizon - 10 to 38 cm (Bt horizon).
Lithic Contact - 38 cm (R horizon).
Particle-size control section - 10 to 38 cm (Bt horizon).