LOCATION ELTREE KS+NE SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, mesic Pachic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Eltree silt loam - in a nearly level cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; many fine pores; many clusters of worm casts; slight effervescence; mildly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
A1--10 to 19 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium pores; common clusters of worm casts; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
A2--19 to 26 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium open pores; common clusters of worm casts; several spots and threads of segregated lime; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon ranges from 10 to 30 inches.)
Bk1--26 to 35 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine and large pores; common clusters of worm casts; common soft small lime accumulations and threads of segregated lime; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bk2--35 to 49 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores; many soft lime accumulations and threads of segregated lime, a few small hard concretions; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons range from 15 to 38 inches.)
C--49 to 80 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm; sticky and plastic; common soft lime accumulations and threads, a few small hard lime concretions; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Ellis County, Kansas; about 2 miles east and 3/8 mile south of Schoenchen; 3,800 feet east and 1,700 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 35, T. 15 S., R. 18 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 35 to 60 inches. The soil typically contains free carbonates to the surface, but the range is from depths of 0 to 15 inches. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 40 inches thick. The soil ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline in the upper 15 inches and is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline below 15 inches. It is silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, or silty clay loam. Calcium carbonate equivalent is less than 15 percent throughout the soil.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3.
The Bk horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 7 and 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 6 or 7 and 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blackwood, Duroc, Graceville, Trent, Viborg, and Yankton series. Duroc soils are in a drier climate. Blackwood, Graceville, Trent, and Viborg soils do not have free carbonates above depths of 15 inches. Yankton soils contain more sand within a depth of a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Eltree soils are on gently sloping to sloping uplands with convex to plane surfaces or are on foot slopes. Slope gradients range from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in calcareous silty colluvial-alluvial sediments derived mostly from soils of loessial origin. In some areas, these sediments are modified by recent loess. The mean annual temperature ranges from 52 to 57 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 28 inches. Thornthwaite annual P-E index ranges from 32 to 44.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Armo, Harney, Holdrege, Nibson, Roxbury, and Wakeen soils. All these soils, except Roxbury, have thinner mollic epipedons and are above areas of Eltree soils. Nibson and Wakeen soils are underlain by chalky limestone or shale. Roxbury soils are on low stream terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow on the more level slopes to rapid on the steeper slopes. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: The less sloping areas are mostly cultivated. Winter wheat and grain sorghum are the principal crops. Steeper slopes are mostly used as range. Native vegetation is dominantly tall and mid grasses, big bluestem, little bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, and sideoats grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western and north-central Kansas and north- central Nebraska. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ellis County, Kansas, 8/6/70.
Remarks: Diagnosis horizon and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to 26 inches; cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of about 26 to 49 inches; ustic moisture regime.