LOCATION PHILDER NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, thermic, shallow Calcic Petrocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Philder gravelly loam -- rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 2 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine angular blocky and weak very fine granular structure; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine vesicular pores; 17.0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent 30 percent angular limestone gravel; strongly effervescent (HCl, 3 normal); moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary (1 to 5 inches thick).
Bw--2 to 5 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; common fine roots throughout; common very fine vesicular pores; 24.0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 35 percent subangular limestone gravel; strongly effervescent (HCl, 3 normal); moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary (2 to 9 inches thick).
Bk--5 to 16 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine angular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; common fine roots throughout; common very fine vesicular pores; 30.0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; few prominent discontinuous carbonate coats on faces of peds; many fine irregular very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate concretions between peds; 40 percent subrounded limestone gravel, 15 percent subrounded limestone cobbles; strongly effervescent (HCl, 3 normal); moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary (6 to 16 inches thick).
Bkm1--16 to 31 inches; white (10YR 8/1), very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; indurated caliche, many white (10YR 8/1) carbonate concretions; 35 percent subrounded limestone gravel, 25 percent subrounded limestone cobbles; violently effervescent (HCl, 3 normal); clear smooth boundary.
Bkm2--31 to 56 inches; white (10YR 8/1), very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; many white (10YR 8/1) carbonate concretions; 30 percent subrounded limestone gravel, 30 percent subrounded limestone cobbles, and 20 percent subrounded limestone stones; violently effervescent (HCl, 3 normal); abrupt smooth boundary (combined thickness of the Bkm horizons is 25 to 50 inches).
2Bk'2--56 to 80 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; common fine roots throughout; common very fine vesicular pores; 30.0 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; few distinct patchy carbonate coats on faces of peds; common fine irregular very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate concretions between peds; violently effervescent (HCl, 3 normal); moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; approximately 30.4 miles east and 8.1 miles north of Oro Grande; NW 1/4, NE 1/4 section 13, T. 21 S., R. 13 E. UTM zone 13, 446211E, 3594420N, NAD 27.; USGS Sixteen Canyon topographic quadrangle; latitude 32 degrees 28 minutes 58 seconds north and longitude 105 degrees 34 minutes 10 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry in all parts less than three-fourths of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 59 to 62 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 4 to 14 inches
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 14 to 20 inches
Clay content: 18 to 25 in the particle-size control section
Rock fragments: averages more than 35 percent, but individual horizons may have less
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 5, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 20 to 45 percent of pebble size
Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 5, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam, gravelly, very gravelly
Rock fragments: 20 to 50 percent of pebble size and 0 to 10 percent of cobble size
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam or loam, or very gravelly, extremely gravelly, very cobbly, extremely cobbly
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent of pebble size and 10 to 30 percent cobble size fragments
Bkm horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent of pebble size, 10 to 30 percent cobble size, and 0 to 15 percent stone size.
2Bk' horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ferrogold (NV), Infantry (NM), Neso (NM), Orrubo (AZ), Paisano (TX), Sequite (NV), Sutherland (AZ), Tencee (NM), Wechech (NV), and Wodovar (NV) series. Ferrogold and Wodovar soils contain 8 to 18 percent clay in the particle size control section. Orrubo soils have a paralithic contact within 30 inches of the surface. Paisano soils have less than 20 percent clay in the control section. Tencee soils are drier in the moisture control section for longer periods (typic-aridic). Ferrogold, Orrubo, Wechech, and Wodovar soils are moist in the soil moisture control section less than 20 days cumulative between July and September, are in the Typic aridic soil moisture regime, and occur in the Mohave Desert. Neso soils have 10 to 20 percent clay, are moist in the soil moisture control section during May and June, and occur in the Great Plains. Infantry, Sutherland, and Sequite soils are inactive.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Philder soils formed in alluvium influenced by eolian material on nearly level to strongly sloping erosional fan remnants of the fan piedmont. Slopes range from 0 to 10 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 14 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 58 to 61 degrees F. Frost-free days range from 140 to 180 and elevation ranges from 4,700 to 6,000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Altuda, Armesa, Jerag, Reyab, and Salado soils. Altuda soils are shallow to bedrock. Armesa, Reyab, and Salado soils do not have petrocalcic horizons. Jerag soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained. Permeability is moderately slow above the very slowly permeable petrocalcic horizon and moderate below. Runoff is very high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing. Vegetation is mixed prairie consisting of black grama, blue grama, alkali sacaton, creosotebush, mesquite, Mormontea, and scattered threeawn.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico in MLRA 42. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Otero Area, Otero County, New Mexico; 1976.
REMARKS: Type location and classification changed August 1998. The series was previously classified as Ustollic Paleorthids.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: the zone from 10 to 16 inches. (Bk horizon)
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 inches (A and Bw horizons)
Calcic horizon - 5 to 16 inches (Bk horizon)
Petrocalcic horizon - 16 to 56 inches (Bkm horizons)
Updated competing series section 3/18/08, CEM