LOCATION AUGUSTINE NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Augustine fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--3 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on pores and as collodial stains; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--16 to 33 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common thin clay films in pores and as collodial stains; 8 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 22 inches thick)
Btk--33 to 37 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate as seams and common medium soft masses; common thin clay films in pores and on coarse fragments; 5 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bk--37 to 60 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) clay loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; violently effervescent with lime disseminated; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Socorro County, New Mexico; about 20 miles west and 18 miles north of Magdalena; 425 feet east and 500 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 21, T. 1 S., R. 8 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture - The soil moisture control section is moist in some part during the 120 days following the winter solstice and is moist in all parts less than 25 percent of the time that the soil temperature at 20 inch depths is above 41 degrees F. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature - 49 to 56 degrees F.
Depth to secondary carbonates - 15 to 40 inches.
Depth to the base of the Bt horizon - 25 to 40 inches.
Rock fragments - 5 to 15 percent.
A horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Reaction: Neutral to slightly alkaline.
Bt and Btk horizons - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: clay loam or loam.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Sand content: 35 to 50 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent
Bk horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: loam or clay loam, with strata of sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 12 percent at depths above 40 inches; ranges to 25 percent at depths below 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arnor (NM), Arwite (WY), Bigbow (KS), Bosonoak (NM), Carri (AZ), Celacy (NM), Celavar (NM), Dalhart (OK), Deekay (WY), Dermala (NM), Elwop (WY), Evpark (NM), Flugle (NM), Fort Collins (CO), Gateson (WY), Goesling (NM), Iwela (NM), Lykorly (AZ), Navajita (NM), Nyjack (NM), Oldwolf (WY), Olnest (CO), Orlie (NM), Parkelei (NM), Pinitos (NM), Rauzi (WY), Ribera (NM), Rockybutte (WY), Stoneham (CO), Toluca (MT), and Wagonhound (WY) series. Arnor and Dermala soils have greater than 15 percent rock fragments. Arwite, Bigbow, Dalhart, Deekay, Elwop, Fort Collins, Gateson, Oldwolf, Olnest, Rauzi, Rockybutte, Stoneham, Toluca, and Wagonhound soils receive most of the annual precipitation in the spring and fall and are in LRR-E or LRR-G. Bosonoak soils are calcareous to the surface. Carri, Celacy, Celavar, Elwop, Evpark, Gateson, Nyjack, and Ribera soils have a lithic or paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inch depths. Goesling soils have calcic horizons within 40 inches and would classify in a Calcidic subgroup. Flugle and Orlie soils do not have a Btk horizon. Iwela soils have a stony lithologic discontinuity. Lykorly soils have less than 35 percent sand in the particle-size control section. Navajita soils have moderate amounts of volcanic glass in the coarse silt plus sand fractions. Parkelei soils are continuously moist, in most years, in some part of the soil moisture control section November through April receiving more effective winter moisture. Pinitos soils are moist in all parts of the soil moisture control section 30 to 40 consecutive days during the 120 days following the winter solstice and are moist in all parts about 35 percent of the time that the soil temperature at 20 inch depths is above 41 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Augustine soils are developed in alluvium derived from rhyolitic tuffs and lavas and are on valley fill and bajadas with slopes of 1 to 6 percent. Elevation is about 6,300 to 7,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is about 12 to 15 inches. The annual temperature is about 47 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 120 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Datil, Loarc, Manzano and Telescope soils. Datil, Loarc and Manzano soils have mollic epipedons. Telescope soils do not have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Augustine soils are used mainly for livestock grazing. Native vegetation is mainly blue grama and sand dropseed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral New Mexico. This series is of small extent. MLRA 38.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Catron County, New Mexico. 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon - The zone from the surface to about 31 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic Horizon - The zone from about 3 to 37 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Btk horizons)
Secondary carbonates in the argillic horizon - The zone from about 33 to 37 inches. (Btk horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.