LOCATION CAGLE NV+CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cagle very stony loam--forest land. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine, and few fine and medium tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 20 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)
A2--3 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; 35 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 cm thick)
Bt1--10 to 30 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 33 cm thick)
Bt2--30 to 61 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)
Bt3--61 to 71 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) gravelly clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)
Crt--71 cm; weathered andesite; clay films line fracture planes.
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; about 9 miles southeast of Gardnerville; approximately 2,000 feet east and 2,000 feet north of the southwest corner of section 4, T. 11 N., R. 21 E.; USGS Carters Station 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 50 minutes 39 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 38 minutes 06 seconds west longitude, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring, dry mid-June through October; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 8 to 12 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 46 cm; includes the Bt1 horizon.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to bedrock - 50 to 100 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered volcanic rock such as andesite.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rock such as andesite.
Reaction - Slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
A horizons - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 through 4 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 or 3 percent.
Bt1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly clay loam, gravelly clay, gravelly silty clay.
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 35 percent, mainly gravel.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Bt2 and Bt3 horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 2 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly clay loam, gravelly clay, gravelly silty clay.
Clay content: 30 to 55 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 35 percent, mainly gravel; in some pedons 20 to 70 percent pebbles, 5 to 20 percent cobbles, and 1 to 10 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brownscombe, Bucklake, Correco, Holmzie, Jasseek (T), Northmore, Perla, Schoer, Sherar, Wicup, and Zymans series.
Brownscombe soils have more than 15 percent coarse sand plus very coarse sand, have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section, and have paralithic materials of weathered diorite in the series control section. Bucklake and Perla soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Correco, Jasseek, Northmore, and Schoer soils are very deep. Holmzie soils are influenced by volcanic ash with vitrandic intergrade properties in the upper 18 cm. Sherar soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the particle-size control section, have a component of loess in the parent material, and have an argillic horizon that has very firm consistence when moist. Wicup soils have identifiable secondary carbonates in the particle-size control section. Zymans are deep and very deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cagle soils are on hills and mountains. They typically occur on south and west-facing footslope and backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived mainly from andesitic rock. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 1,225 to 2,135 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 400 mm, the mean annual temperature is 8 to 10 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Duco and Nosrac soils. Duco soils are loamy-skeletal and shallow to lithic contacts. Nosrac soils are loamy-skeletal and occur on north-facing slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; slow permeability (moderately low or moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Cagle soils are used for forest land and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly a forest canopy of singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper with an understory of Wyoming big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, cheatgrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada and eastern California. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 26.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Carson City Area, Nevada, 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (A1, A2, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 71 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 71 cm to underlying weathered bedrock (Crt layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 60 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).