LOCATION BEEWON TXInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Ustic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Beewon gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; weak thin platy structure in the upper 1 inch; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; 20 percent subangular ignimbrite pebbles; 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; nonsaline; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick).
Bt--5 to 12 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; 65 percent subrounded ignimbrite pebbles, and 10 percent subrounded ignimbrite cobbles; common distinct continuous clay films on rock fragments and few prominent discontinuous white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; nonsaline; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick).
Btk--12 to 18 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very gravelly clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; 35 percent subrounded ignimbrite pebbles, and 10 percent subrounded ignimbrite cobbles; common distinct continuous white (10YR 8/1) carbonate coatings on rock fragments; common medium masses and threads of calcium carbonate; 24 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly saline; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick).
Bk1--18 to 32 inches; pink (5YR 7/3) very gravelly silt loam, light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; 40 percent subrounded ignimbrite pebbles, 20 percent subrounded ignimbrite cobbles, and 5 percent subrounded ignimbrite stones; many prominent continuous white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; many medium rounded white (10YR 8/1) masses of calcium carbonate or weathered tuff; 60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; very slightly saline; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--32 to 40 inches; pinkish white (5YR 8/2) extremely gravelly silt loam, pink (5YR 7/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; 75 percent subrounded ignimbrite pebbles, 10 percent subrounded ignimbrite cobbles, and 2 percent subrounded ignimbrite stones; many prominent continuous white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; many medium rounded white (10YR 8/1) masses of calcium carbonate or weathered tuff; 60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; very slightly saline; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bk3--40 to 48 inches; pinkish white (5YR 8/2) extremely cobbly silt loam, light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; 20 percent subrounded ignimbrite pebbles, 60 percent subrounded ignimbrite cobbles, and 5 percent subrounded ignimbrite stones; many prominent continuous calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; many medium rounded white (10YR 8/1) masses of calcium carbonate or weathered tuff; 60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; nonsaline; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bk horizons is 20 to 50 inches).
2Btk1--48 to 69 inches; pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many distinct continuous clay films on rock fragments and many distinct continuous clay films on surfaces of peds; 60 percent subrounded ignimbrite pebbles, and 10 percent subrounded ignimbrite cobbles; common distinct continuous white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; common medium and coarse rounded white (10YR 8/1) masses of calcium carbonate or weathered tuff; 21 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; soil matrix is noneffervescent between masses of calcium carbonate; nonsaline; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick).
2Btk2--69 to 80 inches; pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many distinct continuous clay films on rock fragments and many distinct continuous clay films on surfaces of peds; 40 percent subrounded ignimbrite pebbles, 10 percent subrounded ignimbrite cobbles, and 5 percent subrounded ignimbrite stones; common distinct continuous white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coatings on rock fragments; common medium and coarse rounded white (10YR 8/1) masses of calcium carbonate or weathered tuff;11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; soil matrix is noneffervescent between masses of calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Brewster County, Texas; from the junction of U.S. Highway 90 and Texas Highway 118 in Alpine; 32.3 miles south on Texas Highway 118 to 02 Ranch gate, 8.8 miles southwest on 02 Ranch Headquarters road to landing strip, 2.1 miles south along west edge of landing strip to corals, 0.5 miles east southeast on ranch road, 0.55 miles southeast on ranch road, 50 feet west of road in range. (Latitude: 29 degrees, 50 minutes, 6 seconds North; Longitude: 103 degrees, 40 minutes, 54 seconds West. NAD 1927). Straddlebug Mountain USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture-usually is dry in all parts for less than three-fourths of the time (cumulative) when the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F and have a soil moisture regime that borders on ustic. Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Solum thickness is more than 80 inches.
Clay content of the particle-size control section - ranges from 35 to 50 percent.
Ignimbrite rock fragments range from - 45 to 75 percent by volume in the control section.
Depth to a calcic horizon ranges from - 8 to 20 inches
Depth to a lithologic discontinuity ranges from - 40 to 80 inches.
Rock fragments cover 35 to 85 percent of the soil surface.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 to 4.
Texture: fine earth fraction is loam, or clay loam.
Silicate clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 3 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline.
Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: fine earth fraction is clay loam or clay Silicate clay content: 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 80 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline
Btk horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: fine earth fraction is silty clay loam, clay loam, or clay
Silicate clay content: 30 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Bk horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 6 to 8
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or clay
Silicate clay: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 85 percent by volume.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 30 to 60 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
2Btk horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4.
Texture: sandy loam, loam, or clay loam
Silicate clay: 15 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 35 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Alsco (AZ),
Nolam (NM) and
Throne (AZ) series.
Alsco soils have yellower than 7.5YR and the Btk horizon contain less than 10 percent calcium carbonates equivalent.
Nolam soils average 18 to 35 percent clay in the particle size control section.
Throne soils depth to bedrock range is 23 to 39 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Beewon soils are on broad, mid-Pleistocene pediments. These soils formed in gravelly and cobbly alluvium derived mainly from tuffs of the Duff and Pruett Formations, with some sediments derived from Mitchell Mesa Ignimbrite and the Cottonwood Springs Basalt. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches, with most occurring July through September. Mean annual temperature ranges from 64 to 68 degrees F. Frost free days range from 210 to 260 days, and elevation ranges from 3,500 to 4,500 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Borunda, Chilicotal, Musgrave, Quadria, Rockpens, and Straddlebug soils. Borunda soils are in the fine-loamy family, have a gypsic horizon, and are moderately deep to tuffaceous bedrock. Borunda soils are on adjacent lower erosional hillslopes and pediments. Chilicotal soils are in the loamy-skeletal family, do not have an argillic horizon, and are on higher alluvial fans. Musgrave soils are very shallow or shallow to weathered tuffaceous bedrock, do not have an argillic horizon, and are on adjacent steep scarps and sideslopes of Pleistocene terraces. Quadria soils are on younger, slightly lower mid-Pleistocene pediments. Rockpens soils are in the loamy-skeletal family, do not have an argillic horizon, and are on lower late-Pleistocene stream terraces. Straddlebug soils are in the fine-loamy family, do not have an argillic horizon, and are on lower Holocene-age alluvial flats and floodplains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is slow. Runoff is low on slopes of 0 to 1 percent, and medium on slopes of 1 to 3 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used as rangeland. Woody species include creosotebush, mesquite, range ratany, and fourwing saltbush. Grasses in the understory are black grama, bush muhly, sideoats grama, blue grama, slim tridens, Arizona cottontop, cane bluestem, and plains bristlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Trans-Pecos of Texas in the Southern Desertic Basins, Plains, and Mountains (MLRA 42), Desert Grassland vegetative zone. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brewster County, Texas, 1997. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - 5 to 18 inches. (Bt and Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon - 12 to 69 inches. (Btk, Bk1, Bk2, Bk3, and 2Btk1 horizons)
Superactive cation exchange activity class - CEC to percent clay ratio 0.60 or greater. This is assumed from the abundant zeolitic minerals present in the Duff and Pruett Tuffs, and from laboratory data from similar soils in Presidio County, Texas.
Soil Taxonomy: Ninth Edition 2003