LOCATION ADELLERN NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Adellern gravelly sandy loam--on the backslope of a mountain sloping 82 percent to the north (352 degrees) at 7,690 feet elevation-mixed coniferous forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was slightly moist from 3 to 34 inches and otherwise dry throughout.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches, slightly decomposed needles and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A--2 to 4 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) gravelly sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and many very fine roots; common very fine irregularly shaped pores; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent channers, and 5 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
BAt--4 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse, few medium, common fine, and common very fine roots; few fine and few very fine tubular pores; common faint clay bridges between sand grains; 10 percent gravel and 5 percent channers; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common coarse, few medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films on rock fragments and common faint clay bridges between sand grains; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent channers, and 5 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Bt2--21 to 39 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few distinct clay films on faces of peds and on rock fragments and common faint clay bridges between sand grains; 50 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 5 percent paragravel, and 5 percent paracobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 18 inches thick)
Bt/BC--39 to 55 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam and brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) and brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few distinct clay films on faces of peds and on rock fragments and common faint clay bridges between sand grains; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 22 inches thick)
BC/Bt--55 to 65 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam and dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) and dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few faint clay bridges between sand grains; 25 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)
2Btb--65 to 73 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and few very fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel and 5 percent paragravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2Bkb1--73 to 86 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 5 percent gravel and 5 percent paragravel; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as many fine irregularly shaped and rounded coats on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
2Bkb2--86 to 101 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 10 percent gravel and 2 percent paragravel; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as many medium irregularly shaped and rounded coats on faces of peds and on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about 4.5 miles west of Santa Fe; 175 feet north and 1,425 feet west of the southeast corner of section 4, T.17N., R.10E.; USGS Santa Fe 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 43 minutes 34 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 52 minutes 49 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Depths given are measured from the mineral soil surface)
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section (SMCS) is moist in all parts from January to May and intermittently moist in some part from June to December. The SMCS is dry in some part less than 60 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. The soil moisture regime is typic ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon - 27 to 49 inches
Depth to calcareous material (as visible secondary calcium carbonate) - 53 to 80 inches
Lithology of rock fragments: granite, gneiss, and schist
Organic matter content - 2 to 4 percent in the mollic epipedon
Salinity, mmhos/cm - 0 to 1 in the surface and subsoil; 0 to 2 in the buried subsoil
Sodicity, SAR - 0 to 1 in the surface and subsoil; 0 to 4 in the buried subsoil
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Silicate clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Sand content: 40 to 60 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 30 to 50 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent
Mica content: 25 to 45 percent (by grain count)
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Clay content: 10 to 16 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 15 to 30 percent
15 to 25 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent channers
0 to 5 percent flagstones
0 to 10 percent cobbles
BA horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 12 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 20 to 35 percent
15 to 25 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent channers
0 to 10 percent cobbles
Bt1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: gravelly sandy clay loam, gravelly clay loam, or very gravelly sandy clay loam
Clay content: 24 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 25 to 40 percent
15 to 25 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent channers
5 to 10 percent cobbles
Bt2 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 45 to 60 percent
40 to 50 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent paragravel
0 to 5 percent paracobbles
Bt/BC horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 40 to 60 percent
35 to 50 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent paragravel
BC/Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: gravelly sandy loam, gravelly coarse sandy loam, or very gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 20 to 40 percent
20 to 30 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent paragravel
2Btb horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, sandy loam, or gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: 16 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 5 to 25 percent
5 to 15 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent paragravel
2Bkb horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, or gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 5 to 25 percent
5 to 15 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent paragravel
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Braziel, Fessler, Mapache, Pastorius, Pastorpeak and Zillion series. Braziel soils are presumed to be dry in the moisture control section during July and August. Fessler soils have rock fragments of argillite and have less mica. Mapache soils have rock fragments of dacite and latite. Pastorious soils have less mica and greater than 10 percent cobbles in the argillic horizon. Pastorpeak soils have carbonate accumulations within 40 inches. Zillion soils have a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Adellern soils are on backslopes of hills and mountains. They formed in Precambrian Age colluvium derived from granite, gneiss, and schist over residuum weathered from schist. Slopes are 50 to 90 percent. Elevation ranges from 7,400 to 9,100 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches with about 40 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 110 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Atalaya, Enmedio, Fiesta, and Morenda soils. Atalaya soils are coarse-loamy over fragmental, do not have mollic epipedons, and occur on beveled summits. Enmedio soils are loamy-skeletal over fragmental and occur on south-facing backslopes of hills. Fiesta soils are fine-loamy and occur on footslopes of valley sides. Morenda soils are coarse-loamy, have water tables within 5 feet, and occur on low stream terraces of valley floors.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Adellern soils are used for timber production, urban development, and recreation. The historic climax vegetation is ponderosa pine, Gambel's oak, mountain muhly, and muttongrass. The ecological site is Pinus ponderosa/Quercus gambleii (F048AY010NM).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Adellern soils are of small extent on the southwestern Sangre de Cristo part of the Southern Rocky Mountains province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 48A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Area Soil Survey Update; 2008. Adellern is a coined name.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 2 to 39 inches. (A, BAt, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 73 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt/BC, BC/Bt, and 2Btb horizons)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 28 inches (Bt1 and part of Bt2 horizon)
Series control section - The zone from 0 to 73 inches.
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Calcium carbonate equivalence was determined using a clacimeter.