LOCATION LIMBER CO+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Limber loam - forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
01--3 to 1 inches; undecomposed organic matter consisting primarily of bark, needles, twigs, and grasses.
02--1 to 0 inches; partially decomposed organic material like that of the horizon above.
A2--0 to 3 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; weak thin platy structure that parts to moderate fine granules; soft, very friable; 5 percent limestone gravel; slightly acid (pH6.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
B2t--3 to 15 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gravelly light clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable; many thin patchy clay films on horizontal and vertical faces of peds; 20 percent limestone gravel and stones; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (9 to 16 inches thick)
B3--15 to 22 inches; light brown (7.5 6/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; few thin patchy clay films; 30 percent flagstone and gravel of limestone; calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Cca--22 to 32 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; 30 percent flagstone and gravel of limestone; visible secondary calcium carbonate occurring mostly in finely divided forms, and as coatings on the stone fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
R--32 to 40 inches; limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Gunnison County, Colorado; just south of Goldcup Mine in Sec. 30, T. 15 S., R. 81 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 15 to 30 inches, depth to calcareous material ranges from 6 to 20 inches, and depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Content of organic carbon in the surface horizon ranges from .3 to 4 percent and decreases uniformly with depth. The soil is 90 to 100 percent base saturated. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent above the bedrock and are predominantly gravel in the upper horizons but stones in the lower. Bulk calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 10 to 30 percent including gravel fragments. The average annual soil temperature is 38 degrees F., and the average summer soil temperature is 46 degrees F., with an 0 horizon at least 4 inches thick.
The A2 horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Typically the structure is weak subangular blocky. Dry consistence ranges from soft to slightly hard. Reaction ranges from pH 6.5 to pH 7.5.
The A2 horizon is thin and continuous in most pedons and does not tongue into the B2t horizon.
The B2t horizon has hue of 7.5YR through 2.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Typically the horizon has medium to fine subangular blocky structure. Consistence ranges from hard to very hard dry. Texture is typically heavy loam or light clay loam and ranges in clay from 18 to 35 percent, in silt from 25 to 55 percent, and in sand from 15 to 40 percent with more than 15 percent, but less than 35 percent, fine sand or coarser. Reaction ranges from pH 6.5 to pH 7.5.
The Cca horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5R. Reaction ranges form pH 8.0 to pH 8.6. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 5 to 20 percent, but is typically less than 15 percent or the horizon is either too thin or lacks the necessary differentiae to be a calcic horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: Series of the same family that have lithic contacts at depths of less than 40 inches are the Edloe, Sapphire, Schofield, Shule, Swapps and Woodrock series. Sapphire, Schofield, Shule, and Woodrock soils lack Ca horizons. Edloe soils have A&B horizons and more than 35 percent fine or coarser sand in the control section. Swapps soils lack an albic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Limber soils occur on gently to very steeply sloping upland hills, ridges, and mountainsides. Slope gradient ranges from 2 to 60 percent. The soils formed in parent materials weathered residually or very locally transported from limestone bedrock. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 20 inches with peak periods of precipitation during the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Chubbs, Natrop, and Trump series. Chubbs soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section. Natrup soils have a mollic epipedon and more than 35 percent coarse fragments. Trump soils have a lithic contact at depths of 8 to 18 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is medium to rapid, and permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forestry, native pastureland, or recreational purposes. Principal native vegetation includes spruce, fir, aspen, kinnikinnick, vaccinium, peavine, and mountain brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The present known distribution is limited to the mountainous areas of central Colorado. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Piedra Area, Colorado, 1974.
REMARKS: Last updated by the state 5/74.