LOCATION EBIC NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Typic Palexerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ebic very stony clay loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 10 percent stones.
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very thin and thin granular structure; soft very friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, 25 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--4 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles, 25 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 14 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; continuous thick pressure faces and thick clay films lining pores; 25 percent cobbles, 40 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--14 to 23 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely cobbly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; many moderately thick pressure faces and moderately thick clay films lining pores; 25 percent cobbles, 45 percent pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
2R--23 inches; fractured andesitic tuff and quartz latite.
TYPE LOCATION: Eureka County, Nevada; the upper end of Mining Prospect Trail approximately 4 miles east and 17 miles south of Crescent Valley; about 1,050 feet north and 260 feet east of the southwest corner of section 31, T. 27 N., R. 49 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist through early summer, dry mid- July through October.
Soil temperature - 43 to 46 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 12 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 30 inches.
Control section - Clay content: Averages 45 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent; 20 to 30 percent cobbles and stones, 25 to 45 percent pebbles.
A horizons - Value 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Bt horizon - Value 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Very cobbly clay or extremely cobbly clay.
Clay content: 50 to 60 percent in the upper part, 40 to 50 percent in the lower part.
Reaction: Neutral or mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amboat, Aninto, Boneyard(T), Durfee, and Ziram series. Amboat soils have a 12 to 20 inch thick mollic epipedon that includes the upper part of the argillic horizon and a depth to bedrock that is 40 to greater than 60 inches. Aninto, Boneyard and Durfee soils depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Ziram soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock and have accumulations of carbonates in the lower part ot the Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ebic soils are on crests, summits and sideslopes of mountains, hills and plateaus. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from andesitic tuff, welded tuff and quartz latite. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations are 5,600 to 8,100 feet. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches; mean annual temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Softscrabble and the competing Ziram soils. Softscrabble soils are greater than 60 inches deep to bedrock and the mollic epipedon is more than 20 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; very slow permeablity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and Nevada bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County Area, Nevada, l983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 9 inches. (The A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 9 to 23 inches. (The Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Abrupt textural change - The boundary at 9 inches.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 9 to 23 inches. (the Bt1 and Bt2 horizon)