LOCATION NUPART NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid, shallow Torriorthentic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nupart very gravelly loamy sand--forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)
A2--5 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 65 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
Cr--13 cm; highly weathered granite.
TYPE LOCATION: Mineral County, Nevada; in the Wassuk Range south of Powell Creek; approximately 830 feet north and 1,440 feet east of the southwest corner of section 14, T. 7 N., R. 29 E.; USGS Lucky Boy 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 27 minutes 38 seconds north latitude and 118 degrees 43 minutes 04 seconds west longitude, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall except for 10 to 20 days cumulative in some part between July and October due to convection storms; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 25 cm.
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 25 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered granitic rocks such as granite and granodiorite.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly fine (2 to 5 millimeter) gravel. Lithology of fragments are granitic rocks such as granite or granodiorite.
A horizons - Value: 4 to 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly loamy coarse sand, or extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand.
Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent.
Structure: Subangular blocky or is single grain.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nupart soils are on mountains and rock pediments. They typically occur on shoulder and backslope positions. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rocks. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,650 to 2,680 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 360 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lazan and Rockabin soils. Lazan soils have ochric epipedons and a mesic temperature regime. Rockabin soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; low surface runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nupart soils are used for forestland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is a forest canopy of singleleaf pinyon with an understory of mountain big sagebrush, green ephedra, and pine bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 26.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mineral County (Mineral County Area), Nevada, 1985.
REMARKS: The revision of October 2002 updates the taxonomic class, from Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid, shallow Entic Haploxerolls, because of a change in concept for moisture regime.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 13 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Torriorthentic subgroup feature - The soil does not have a cambic horizon.
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 13 cm to underlying weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the soil surface to 13 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).