LOCATION MERLIN OR+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Merlin extremely stony clay loam, rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2) extremely stony clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) dry; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
BAt--4 to 12 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; prominent continuous clay films on surface of peds, faint clay films in pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--12 to 18 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; common very dark grayish brown coatings in interiors of peds and on faces of some peds; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; prominent continuous clay films on surfaces of peds; faint clay films in pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)
R--18 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Klamath County, Oregon; about 3 miles east of the town of Bly; 80 feet west and 1,650 feet north of the southeast corner sec. 31, T. 36 S., R. 15 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. Soils are usually moist but are dry about 60 to 90 days in the 4 month period following the summer solstice. Depth to hard basaltic or tuffaceous bedrock ranges from 10 to 20 inches. Some pedons have a 1 to 4 inch thick paralithic layer above the hard bedrock. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 15 inches thick and has 2 to 4 percent organic matter. The particle-size control section averages over 50 percent clay and may include the BAt transition horizon as part of the control section.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 1 through 3 dry. This horizon is loam or clay loam with 10 to 35 percent stones, 10 to 35 percent cobbles and 10 to 30 percent gravel. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The BAt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry and ranges to 4 at depths of 7 inches or more. It is clay loam with 0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and stones, and a clay content of 30 to 40 percent. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has colors similar to the BAt horizon but moist chroma ranges to 4. It is clay with similar coarse fragment content as the BA but clay content is 50 to 70 percent. It is neutral to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alding, Crocan, Madeline, Millich, and Ninemile series. Crocan, Madeline and Ninemile soils have an aridic soil moisture regime. Millich soils average 35 to 50 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Alding soils have a less than 7 inch thick surface layer that meets Vitrandic subgroup criteria.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Merlin soils are on lava plateaus, hills, calderas and plug domes. Elevations range from 3,900 to 7,000 feet. The soils formed in material weathered from tuff, basalt, and small amounts of ash. The climate is characterized by hot dry summers and cold wet winters. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 24 inches. The mean January temperature is 25 to 27 degrees F; the mean July temperature is 61 to 63 degrees F. and the mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 20 to 85 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Choptie, Klamath, Shanahan, and Tournquist soils. These soils lack argillic horizons. Also, Choptie soils have loam or fine sandy loam B horizons. Klamath soils are very deep and poorly drained. Shanahan soils formed in moderately thick ashy mantles that overlie loamy buried soils. Tournquist soils have friable gravelly clay loam cambic horizons and have soft weathered bedrock at depths of 40 to 60 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for livestock grazing and for wildlife habitat. Vegetation mainly is low sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, buckwheat, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Plateaus in south-central Oregon and southwestern Idaho; MLRA 21 and 10. The soils are extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Klamath County, Oregon, 1944.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 12 inches (A and BAt horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 12 to 18 inches (Bt horizon)
Xeric soil moisture regime.
Lithic Contact: The boundary at 18 inches.