LOCATION ALADDIN NM

Established Series
Rev. LHG/JBC/RLB
11/2014

ALADDIN SERIES

The Aladdin series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in gravelly alluvium derived mostly from monzonite and granite. Aladdin soils are on mountain fronts, alluvial fans, and fan piedmonts of Holocene age. Slopes range from 1 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 62 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Aladdin gravelly sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; most gravel is less than 1 cm diameter; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--2 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft and slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few fine and very fine roots; most gravel are less than 1 cm diameter; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bt1--5 to 11 inches; dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; very coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few fine and very fine roots; most gravel are less than 1 cm diameter; faint coatings of oriented clay on sand grains; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--11 to 19 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few fine and very fine roots; most gravel are less than 1 cm diameter; faint coatings of oriented clay on sand grains; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--19 to 27 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; most gravel are less than 1 cm diameter; faint coatings of oriented clay on sand grains; krotovina, 5 cm diameter, filled with darker material; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

BC1--27 to 33 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few fine and very fine roots; most gravel are less than 1 cm diameter; krotovina, 5 to 10 cm diameter, filled with darker material; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

BC2--33 to 39 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few fine and very fine roots; most gravel are less than 1 cm diameter; krotovina, 5 to 10 cm diameter, filled with darker material; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

BC3--39 to 44 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard and hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few fine and very fine roots; most gravel are less than 1 cm diameter; krotovina, 5 to 10 cm diameter, filled with darker material; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.

C1--44 to 52 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard and hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few fine and very fine roots; most gravel are less than 1 cm diameter; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

C2--52 to 58 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard and hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; most gravel are less than 1 cm diameter; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, (Desert Soil-Geomorphology Project), New Mexico; north bank of arroyo; in the SW 1/4, SW 1/4 of Section 36, T.21 S., R.4 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during December - April and July - September. Driest during May and June. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: 60 to 68 degrees F.

Calcium carbonate: Noneffervescent to at least 7 inches; commonly noneffervescent to depths of several feet. Any carbonate accumulation is too slight for a calcic horizon

Control Section -

Organic matter: Greater than 1.0 percent to a depth of at least 7 inches and less than 1.0 percent below 20 inches and decreases regularly with depth

Texture: ranges from gravelly sandy loam to gravelly loam

Clay content: less than 18 percent clay

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry or moist

B horizon
Commonly these soils have a slight accumulation of illuvial clay, but too little for an argillic horizon. This horizon is considered to be a cambic horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist

C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Aladdin soils are along the mountain fronts and on alluvial fans and fan piedmonts of Holocene age. Slopes range from about 1 to 30 percent. The soils formed in gravelly sediments derived mostly from monzonite and granite. Mean annual precipitation ranges from about 14 to 18 inches with a marked summer maximum. Mean annual air temperature ranges from about 57 to 66 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 180 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Berino, Bucklebar, Caralampi, Hawkeye, Monza, Onate, Onite, Pinaleno, Santo Tomas, and Summerford soils. Berino, Bucklebar, Caralampi, Onite, Pinaleno and Summerford soils have argillic horizons and do not have mollic epipedons. Also, Berino and Bucklebar soils have fine-loamy control sections. Caralampi, Pinaleno, and Santo Tomas soils are skeletal. Hawkeye soils have sandy control sections. Monza soils are shallow to highly weathered bedrock. Onate soils have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes snakeweed, Yucca elata, cholla, prickly pear, and scattered clumps of fluffgrass and blue grama.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico. Aladdin soils are of small extent. MLRA is 42.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; 1970.

REMARKS:

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 14 inches (A1, A2, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons)

Cambic horizon - The zone from 5 to 27 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)

This series represents an identified soil within the Desert Soil-Geomorphology Project, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The project was a study of soils and geomorphology in an arid and semi-arid environment. The series is extensively referenced in many documents, publications and thesis. Its revision outside the project area is discouraged in order to preserve the historical concept for research.

Recent evidence suggests soils within this precipitation zone and MLRA are moist in some part of the mollic epipedon less than 90 days (cumulative) and therefore do not meet the moisture requirements for a mollic epipedon. Alternative subgroups are Ustic Torriorthents or Ustic Haplocambids.

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

Revised for the correlation of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; October, 2014, NMS

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.