LOCATION GARDENCAN AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Gardencan sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
AB--2 to 4 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular and common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on rock fragments and bridging sand grains; noneffervescent; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 2 to 8 inches)
Bt1--4 to 9 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular and common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and in pores; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--9 to 14 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and in pores; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary.
Bt3--14 to 20 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and in pores; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
Bt4--20 to 39 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) gravelly clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/8) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on ped faces, in pores, and on rock fragments; 18 percent gravel; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bt5--39 to 60 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very cobbly sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on ped faces, in pores, on rock fragments, and common iron-manganese stains on ped faces and in pores; 40 percent cobble and 15 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4). (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 35 to 52 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Fort Huachuca, Arizona; located at a latitude of 31 degrees, 32 minutes, 00 seconds North and longitude of 110 degrees, 18 minutes, 50 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - September and December - February. Driest during May and June. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 59 to 64 degrees F.
Rock fragments: less than 35 percent, but can range to 55 percent in any one horizon
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Organic Matter: less than 1 percent
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 3 through 6, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 through 8, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, sandy loam
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ady (TX) and Quillian (AZ) series. Ady soils are on the Ogallala formation of the Southern High Plains-MLRA 77. Quillian soils are moderately deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gardencan soils are on alluvial fans or fan terraces at elevations of 4,600 to 6,200 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 10 percent. These soils formed in fan alluvium from granite and gneiss. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December and January. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F. The frost-free period is 160 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Terrarossa, Pyeatt, Blacktail and Lanque soils. Terrarossa soils have an abrupt textural change. Pyeatt and Lanque soils do not have argillic horizons. Blacktail soils have mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Gardencan soils are used for military training, recreation and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes sideoats grama, blue grama, cane beardgrass, wooly bunchgrass, plains lovegrass, green sprangletop, forbs, shrubby buckwheat, Emory oak and mesquite.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. Gardencan soils are of limited extent. MLRA is 41. Name derived from Garden Canyon on Fort Huachuca.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona; Soil survey of Coronado National Memorial; 1996.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 4 inches (A, AB horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 4 to 60 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5 horizons)
Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999