LOCATION DOSIE NV+CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dosie very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with 30 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel.
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A2--3 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bt2--8 to 13 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very cobbly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct pressure faces; 25 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt3--13 to 23 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) very gravelly clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; distinct pressure faces; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
Bt4--23 to 41 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) extremely gravelly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; strong very fine and fine angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; distinct pressure faces; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
R--41 inches; hard basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; about 20 miles northwest of Gerlach in the Buffalo Hills; approximately 1,200 feet south and 2,500 feet west of the northeast corner of section 10, T. 33 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Poodle Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 45 minutes 41 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 42 minutes 54 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter, spring, and late fall, dry in summer, early and mid-fall; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 41 inches; includes the upper subdivisions of the argillic horizon.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 40 to 60 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 40 to 60 inches to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 50 percent;
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as andesite and basalt.
A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt horizons
Hue: 5YR through 10YR.
Value: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture (fine-earth fraction): Clay loam or clay.
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent; the Bt1 horizon typically has less than 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent in any subhorizon.
Structure: Subangular blocky or angular blocky.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Drakce (T), Gurdane, Kishwalk, Mallory, Tablerock, Thiessen, and Zweygardt (T) series.
Drakce soils have a xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic. Gurdane, Kishwalk, Mallory, and Thiessen soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Tablerock and Zweygardt soils are very deep and have a xeric moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dosie soils are on plateaus and mountains. They typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from andesite and basalt. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 4,920 to 7,180 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches, the mean annual temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 65 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Devada, Hart Camp, and Softscrabble soils. Devada soils are shallow to lithic contacts. Hart Camp soils are shallow to paralithic contacts. Softscrabble soils are loamy-skeletal and have a frigid temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; slow permeability (moderately low or moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Dosie soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, currant, bluebunch wheatgrass, basin wildrye, and pine bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 23.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County (Central Part), Nevada, 1990.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 inches (A1, A2, Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 41 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 41 inches to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 25 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and upper Bt4 horizons).