LOCATION HARDISTER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Hardister fine sandy loam - range. On a 4 percent smooth slope, east aspect, 5,150 feet elevation. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise stated. This profile was described on November 8, 1979.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard and very friable; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4 with phenol red, pH 6.9 with sodium fluoride); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
A2--4 to 11 inches; grayish brown(10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard and very friable; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4 with phenol red, pH 6.8 with sodium fluoride); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
AC1--11 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard and very friable; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4 with phenol red, pH 6.8 with sodium fluoride); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
AC2--23 to 33 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard and very friable; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6 with phenol red, pH 6.8 with sodium fluoride); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 28 inches thick)
C1--33 to 45 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard and very friable; few very fine and common medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6 with phenol red, pH 6.8 with sodium fluoride); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 19 inches thick)
C2--45 to 65 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard and very friable; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few fine lime filaments; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8 with phenol red).
TYPE LOCATION: Cassia County, Idaho; about 12 miles southwest of Oakley, Idaho, about 1,000 feet east and 2,000 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 10, T. 16S., R. 21E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average Annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon - 10 to 18 inches (dark colored below 18 inches, but organic carbon is too low for mollic)
Reaction - with sodium fluoride - less than 9.5
A horizons
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3
Texture - FSL, VFSL, and L
Bulk density - 1.10 to 1.25 grams per cubic centimeter
Reaction - mildly to moderately alkaline
AC horizons
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3
Texture - FSL, VFSL, and L
Bulk density - 1.15 to 1.20 grams per cubic centimeter
Reaction - mildly to moderately alkaline
C horizons
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3
Texture - FSL, VFSL, and L
Pebble content - 0 to 10 percent
Lime content - 0 to 10 percent
Reaction - mildly to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Hardesty series. These soils have stratifications containing silt loam and very fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand and fine sandy loams, have mottles below 20 inches, and have bulk densities between 0.80 and 0.85.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hardister soils are on valley floors and stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. Elevation ranges from 4,900 to 5,600 feet. The soil formed in alluvium from volcanic ash. The average annual precipitation is about 12 to 16 inches, the average annual air temperature is about 45 to 46 degrees F, and the frost-free season is 95 to 115 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bluehill, Coalbank, Cottonthomas, Stines (T), Tomsherry, and Wilsongulch (T) series. Bluehill soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Coalbank, Cottonthomas and Tomsherry soils are frigid. Stines and Wilsongulch soils are skeletal. Tomsherry soils have a duripan at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Coalbank and Stines soils are on steep northerly slopes, Bluehill and Wilsongulch soils are on steep southerly slopes. Tomsherry soils are on fan terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow runoff. Moderate or moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Hardister soils are used for range. The natural vegetation is basin big sagebrush, Wyoming big sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, Nevada bluegrass, and needleandthread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Hardister soils are found in southern Idaho. They are not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cassia County, Idaho, 1986.
REMARKS: Name is after a stream. A nearby pedon was sampled by the NSSL, NSSL Sample S81 ID-031-001.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the A2 horizon, the AC1 and AC2 horizons, and part of the C1 horizon).
Andic feature - greater than 60 percent vitric material.
Sodium fluoride pH - less than 9.5.