LOCATION TUSEL NV+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Vitrandic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Tusel very gravelly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
A2--9 to 17 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial, and common fine tubular pores; 35 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
2Bt1--17 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine interstitial, and few very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films in pores and on faces of peds; 55 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2Bt2--27 to 42 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few distinct clay films in pores and on faces of peds; 55 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (12 to over 25 inches thick)
2R--42 inches; quartzite.
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; Beaver Creek area in the Tuscarora Mountains; about 200 feet west and 100 feet south of the apparent northeast corner of section 15, T. 37 N., R. 50 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in the late fall through early summer, dry late July through September.
Soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 58 to 59 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock - 40 to over 80 inches.
Depth to base of Bt horizon - 36 to over 50 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 16 to 22 inches, includes the upper argillic horizon of some pedons.
Control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent, mainly pebbles.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Bt horizons - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Very gravelly or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly or extremely gravelly clay loam, with 40 to 60 percent sand.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent, when averaged.
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 percent pebbles and 10 to 25 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones
Consistence: Slightly sticky or sticky and slightly plastic or plastic
Structure: Weak to strong subangular blocky or angular blocky. Some pedons have lower subhorizons that are massive.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Badwater(WY), Bickmore(UT), Bluebell(CA), Booneville(ID), Geemore(T)(ID), Keman(ID), Kiote(NV), Panin(NV), Parkalley(T)(ID), Parkay(UT), Redbird(SD), Rutherford(ID), Woodcock(OR) and Woodhurst(MT) series. Badwater soils has mainly boulder size coarse fragments and contain less than 40 percent sand. Bickmore, Bluebell, Booneville soils have mollic epipedons 20 to 36 inches thick and summer soil temperatures of 46 to 50 degrees F. Geemore soils have annual soil temperatures of 38 to 40 degrees F. and have Bk horizons. Keman soils have mollic epipedons 30 to 50 inches thick and have Bt horizons that contain 18 to 24 percent clay and are strongly or moderately acid. Kiote soils have Bt horizons with 18 to 25 percent clay. Panin, Rutherford and Woodhurst soils have bedrock within a depth of 40 inches. Parkalley soils are 28 to 35 inches to the base of the argillic horizon. Parkay soils have sola less than 35 inches thick and cobbly control section textures. Redbird soils contain lime accumulation and a Bk horizon at 14 to 26 inches, and contain 20 to 25 percent clay in the control section. Woodcock soils have a thin 0 horizon and have Bt horizons in which much of the clay is in nondispersible sand sized aggregates.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Tusel soils are on mostly north slopes and summits of plateaus, hills and mountains. Soil slippage and slumps are common in some areas. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from quartzite, chert, welded tuffs, conglomerate, and shale with a component of loess high in pyroclastic materials. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations are 5,400 to 9,700 feet. The climate is cool, with warm summers and cold winters. The mean annual precipitation is 15 to 20 inches; mean annual temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F., and the frost-free season is less than 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hapgood, Pocker, Primeaux and Torro soils. Hapgood soils do not have argillic horizons. Pocker soils have mollic epipedons less than 16 inches thick. Primeaux soils have mollic epipedons less than 16 inches thick and fine-loamy argillic horizons. Torro soils have frigid soil temperature and mollic epipedons less than 16 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife food and cover. The present vegetation is principally big sagebrush, snowberry, lanceleaf rabbitbrush, slender wheatgrass, oniongrass, lupine and aster.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High elevation areas in northeastern and central Nevada. MLRA 25, 24. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elko County (Tuscarora Mountain Area), Nevada, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon(pachic) - The zone from the soil surface to about 17 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 17 to 42 inches (2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from about 17 to 37 inches (2Bt1 and part of the 2Bt2 horizon).