LOCATION BANKSTON NM, TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, thermic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Bankston extremely channery loam--rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.
A--0 to 3 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely channery loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate very fine granular; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; 15 percent clay; few distinct continuous carbonate coats on rock fragments; common medium rounded carbonate nodules throughout; violently effervescent throughout ( HCL, 1 normal); 55 percent limestone channers and 15 percent angular limestone gravel; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary (0 to 4 inches thick).
Bk1--3 to 14 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) extremely cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; 15 percent clay; many prominent continuous carbonate coats on rock fragments; common medium rounded carbonate nodules throughout; violently effervescent throughout ( HCL, 1 normal); 45 percent angular limestone cobbles and 20 percent angular limestone gravel and 5 percent channers; clear smooth boundary. Violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary (5 to 15 inches thick).
Bk2--14 to 25 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) extremely cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; 15 percent clay; many prominent continuous carbonate coats on rock fragments; common medium rounded carbonate nodules throughout; violently effervescent throughout ( HCL, 1 normal); 50 percent angular limestone cobbles and 20 percent angular limestone gravel; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary (5 to 15 inches thick).
R--25 inches; thickly bedded massive limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Otero County, New Mexico; approximately 11.8 miles south and 3.1 miles east of Oro Grande in an unsectionalized area. USGS Desert NE topographic quadrangle; lat. 32 degrees 12 minutes 14 seconds N. and long. 106 degrees 2 minutes 3.5 seconds W. UTM zone 13, 402351E, 3563303N; NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: the 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 soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: the zone from 61 to 65 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock: the zone from 20 to 40 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: the zone from0 to 4 inches
Calcium carbonate equivalent: the zone from 40 to 60 percent (less than 20-mm fraction)
Rock fragments: 60 to 75 percent in the particle-size control section
Clay content: averages 10 to 18 percent in the particle-size control section
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: extremely gravelly loam or extremely cobbly loam
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bascal (NM), Bascom (NM), Cienega (TX), Crotalus (NM)(T), and Mule (AZ) series. Bascal soils depth to calcic horizon range from 7 to 20 inches and contains 35 to 50 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Bascom soils depth to calcic horizon range from 12 to 20 inches and the particle size control section contains less than 60 percent rock fragments. Cienega Crotalus, and Mule soils are greater than 40 inches to bedrock. Bascal, Cienega, and Crotalus soils have more than 18 percent clay in particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bankston soils formed in residuum and local colluvium from limestone and dolomite on strongly sloping to steep limestone hills. Slopes range from 8 to 35 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 12 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 60 to 64 degrees F. Frost-free days range from 170 to 210 and elevation ranges from 4,200 to 5,300 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Allamore, Bissett, Crossen, Paisano and the competing Cienega soils. The Allamore and Bissett soils are shallow to bedrock. Crossen and Paisano soils are shallow to a petrocalcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland. Vegetation is desert grassland consisting of Warnock grama, sideoats grama, black grama, hairy grama, threeawn, whitethorn acacia, creosotebush, mariola, and ocotillo.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico in MLRA 42. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Otero County, New Mexico; 2001
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: the zone from 10 to 25 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - 3 to 25 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Lithic contact - the contact with hard bedrock at 25 inches
Updated competing series section 3/17/08, CEM