LOCATION PINEBUTTE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Pinebutte silt loam - on a southwest facing convex slope of 3 percent under sagebrush and grass at 6,195 feet elevation. When described during July 1980, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--4 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--17 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 5 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (11 to 16 inches thick)
2Bk1--29 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) crushed; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; many fine and very fine lime veins and spots; violently effervescent (22 percent calcium carbonate); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
2Bk2--36 to 48 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; 5 percent pebbles; common fine and very fine lime spots; violently effervescent (18 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
3R-48 inches; lime coated vesicular basalt bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Idaho; 1.5 miles west of Butte Crater, 500 feet east, 3,040 feet south of northwest corner sec. 28, T.11N., R.39E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 16 to 26 inches
Percent clay in argillic - 18 to 30 percent
Depth to bedrock - 40 to 60 inches
Depth to lime - 29 to 40 inches
Pebbles - 0 to 10 percent
Average annual soil temperature - 40 to 44 degrees F
Average summer soil temperature - 55 to 59 degrees F
A horizon
value, dry - 3 and 4
chroma - 1 through 3, dry or moist
Bt horizon
Value, dry - 4 through 6
moist - 3 through 5
chroma - 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture - SIL, SICL
Reaction - slightly acid to mildly alkaline
Bk horizon
Hue - 2.5Y and 10YR
Value, dry - 6 through 8
moist - 5 or 6
chroma - 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture - sandy loam 50 to 70 percent sand
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 35 percent
Reaction - moderately to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are Bozeman, Lanark, and Robana. Bozeman series have less than 15 percent lime and also lack sandy textures above 40 inches. Lanark and Robana soils lack calcium carbonate above 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pinebutte soils are on nearly level to rolling basalt plains at elevations of 5,800 feet to 6,400 feet. Slopes are 1 to 12 percent. This soil formed in loess and eolian sand influenced by valley side alluvium. Average annual precipitation is 15 to 20 inches. Most of this precipitation comes in the winter and spring months. Average annual temperature is 38 to 42 degrees F. The frost-free period is 40 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crystalbutte, Katseanes, and Hagenbarth series. Crystalbutte soils lack a calcic horizon. Katseanes soils are shallow to basalt bedrock. Hagenbarth soils lack a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, runoff is medium and permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for range; vegetation is dominantly mountain big sagebrush, Idaho fescue, Columbian needlegrass, and yarrow.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are inextensive in southeastern Idaho.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fremont County, Idaho, 1989.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to about 17 inches (A1, A2, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 8 to 29 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - the zone from about 29 inches to bedrock at 48 inches (2Bk1 and 2Bk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - from 8 to 28 inches (Bt1 and part of Bt2 horizons).