LOCATION SYLVANIAM NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Typic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sylvaniam gravelly loam, woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) Approximately 40 percent surface pebbles and 5 percent cobbles.
Al--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (l0YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (l0YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium and many very fine roots; common medium and fine pores; l5 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A2--3 to 11 inches; brown (l0YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (l0YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few coarse and many medium and fine and very fine roots; common medium and fine tubular pores; 20 percent pebbles; common thin lime pendants on undersides of rock fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to l0 inches thick)
Bw1--11 to l7 inches; yellowish brown (l0YR 5/4) very gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (l0YR 3/3) moist; strong medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common coarse and many medium and fine roots; few medium and fine tubular pores; 50 percent pebbles; very few moderately thick lime pendants on undersides of rock fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to l0 inches thick)
Bw2--l7 to 26 inches; yellowish brown (l0YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, brown (l0YR 4/3) moist; strong medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common coarse and many medium and fine roots; few medium tubular pores; 45 percent pebbles; few moderately thick lime pendants coating rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to l5 inches thick)
Bk--26 to 32 inches; pale brown (l0YR 6/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (l0YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse and medium and fine roots; few medium and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 45 percent pebbles; common moderately thick lime pendants on undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to l0 inches thick)
R--32 inches; hard limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Esmeralda County, Nevada; about l mile southeast of Lida Summit; approximately 800 feet west and 550 feet south of the northeast corner of section l7, T. 6 S., R. 40 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter, spring and early summer, dry in late summer and fall but moist intermittently due to convection storms. Dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer soltice.
Soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon - l2 to l7 inches thick.
Control section - Depth to bedrock: 20 to 40 inches.
Clay content: l5 to 25 percent.
Texture: Loam or fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 35 to 55 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Carbonates: 40 to 60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Subangular blocky or granular.
Carbonates: Slightly to strongly effervescent.
Bwl horizon - Chroma: 3 or 4 dry.
Structure: Moderate or strong subangular blocky.
Carbonates: Slightly to strongly effervescent.
Bw2 horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure: Moderate or strong subangular blocky.
Carbonates: Slightly to strongly effervescent.
Bk horizon - Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure: Weak subangular blocky or massive.
Carbonates: 50 to 70 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
R horizon - Limestone or dolomite-carbonate equivalent about 40 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cavehill, Granzan, Lizzant and Lonjon series. Cavehill soils have 18 to 27 percent clay in the control section. Granzan and Lizzant soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock. Lonjon soils have a mean annual soil temperature of less than 44 degrees F., and a mollic epipedon 7 to 12 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sylvaniam soils are on mountain sideslopes and ridges. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from dolomite, limestone and other calcareous rocks. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. Elevations are 7,200 to 8,900 feet. The mean annual precipitation is l2 to l6 inches; the mean annual temperature is 43 to 49 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Logring, Ubehebe and Trailamp. Logring soils are shallow to hard bedrock and are mesic. Ubehebe and Trailamp soils have an argillic horizon and are shallow a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation includes pinyon pine, mountain big sagebrush, current, snowberry, curleaf mountainmahogany, Sandberg bluegrass, prairie junegrass, Wyoming big sagebrush and desert bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Esmeralda County, Nevada, l984.
REMARKS:
DIAGNOSTIC HORIZONS AND FEATURES RECOGNIZED IN THIS PEDON ARE:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of l7 inches (Al, A2, Bwl horizons)
Cambic horizon - The zone from 11 to 26 inches. (Bw1, Bw2 horizons)