LOCATION NOTSTEW NVTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Lithic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Notstew gravelly ashy sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered with 35 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones.
A1--0 to 1 inch; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy parting to weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A2--1 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 25 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 9 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds, lining pores, and coating rock fragments; 25 percent pebbles and 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt2--9 to 11 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 25 percent pebbles and 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
R--11 inches; hard volcanic rock; fractured in the upper inch.
TYPE LOCATION: Nye County, Nevada; on the Toiyabe National Forest and on Table Mountain in the Monitor Range; about 2,400 feet south and 200 feet east of the northwest corner of section 20, T. 11 N., R. 48 E.; USGS Danville 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 46 minutes 52 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees 36 minutes 26 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry from June through early October for 75 to 90 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 42 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 54 to 59 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 10 inches; does not include the Bt horizons in most pedons.
Depth to bedrock - 8 to 14 inches to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 27 to 35 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly cobbles; 25 to 60 percent of the gravel fraction is fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter). Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as andesite.
Other features - An abrupt horizon boundary is normally present between the A2 and Bt1 horizon accompanied by an abrupt increase in clay content of at least
15 percent.
Reaction - Neutral or slightly alkaline.
A horizons - Value 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 12 to 20 percent.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Volcanic glass content: 25 to 50 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Bt horizons - Value 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very cobbly clay loam or very cobbly clay.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bushpark, Copenhaver, Donkehill (T), Hogmalat, Layview, Maygal (T), Mosroc, Mountpatterson (T), Nielsen, Nieman, and Thiefridge (T) series.
Bushpark soils have a udic moisture regime. Copenhaver and Nieman soils have an ustic moisture regime. Donkehill soils have horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates. Hogmalat soils have mean annual soil temperature of 37 to 40 degrees F. and reaction is strongly acid or moderately acid in the argillic horizon. Layview soils are dominated by pebbles and do not have more than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Maygal soils have lithic contacts that are 14 to 20 inches from the soil surface, are dominated by pebbles, and average 60 to 80 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Mosroc soils have rock fragments that are granitic rocks and are not influenced by volcanic glass. Mountpatterson soils have mean summer soil temperature of 47 to 54 degrees F. Nielsen soils are dominated by channers and have rock fragments that are sandstone or quartzite. Thiefridge soils have Oi horizons, have lithic contacts that are 14 to 20 inches from the soil surface, have 4 to 10 percent organic matter in the A horizons, and have mean summer soil temperature of 50 to 54 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Notstew soils are on mountains. They typically occur on shoulder positions. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks and volcanic ash. Slopes are 8 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 8,000 to 11,500 feet. The climate is subhumid with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches, the mean annual temperature is 38 to 44 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 30 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hackwood, Stopatoe, and Suak soils. These soils are all deeper than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Notstew soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, Sandberg's bluegrass, muttongrass, Letterman's needlegrass, and wild onion.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 29.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES PROPOSED: Nye County (Toiyabe National Forest, Central Part), Nevada, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 7 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 7 to 11 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - The zone from the soil surface to 7 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 11 inches to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the soil surface to 11 inches (A1, A2, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: The volcanic glass content in the surface horizons is estimated based on nearby lab pedons sampled for full characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, such as soil survey sample numbers S78NV-023-004 and S78NV-023-005 (pedons # 78P0562 and 78P0563).