LOCATION BERTO NM
Established Series
Rev. CEM/TLP/LWH
10/2011
BERTO SERIES
The Berto series consists of shallow, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in windblown sediments derived from basalt and sandstone. Berto soils are on basalt-capped mesas. Slopes range from 1 to 12 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 11 inches and mean annual air temperature is about 51 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Berto loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; 2 percent cobbles and 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate is disseminated; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 2 percent cobbles and 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate is disseminated; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--6 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 2 percent cobbles and 2 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate is disseminated; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bk1--11 to 17 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/4) cobbly loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; violently effervescent; calcium carbonate is disseminated and segregated as many coarse irregular soft masses and as coatings on rock fragments moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bk2--17 to 18 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/4) loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent; calcium carbonate is disseminated and segregated as many coarse irregular soft masses and as coatings on rock fragments; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
2R--18 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Valencia County, New Mexico; about 1 mile SW from Sedillo Peak on top of Mesa Lucero; 2,100 feet west and 2,220 feet south of the northeast corner of section 28, T. 7. N., R. 3 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts 50 to 75 percent of the time the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. and is periodically moist in some part from July 1 to October 30. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 51 to 59 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock: 11 to 20 inches
Depth to the base of the Bt horizon: 5 to 16 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: 5 to 14 inches
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent gravel
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: loam, clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent; with 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent gravel
Sand content: Less than 45 percent
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent cobbles and 5 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Chinchin (UT) series. Chinchin soils have an ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Berto soils are on basalt-capped mesas. These soils formed in wind-blown sediments derived from basalt and sandstone. Slopes range from 1 to 12 percent. Elevations range from 4,590 to 7,000 feet. The average annual precipitation is about 6 to 12 inches, and the average annual air temperature is 49 to 57 degrees F. The average frost-free period is 120 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Flaco,
Harvey,
Rana and
Silva soils. The Flaco soil has a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches. Harvey, Rana and Silva soils are greater than 60 inches deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff; moderate and moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Berto soils are used for livestock grazing. Present native vegetation is blue grama, galleta, winterfat, one-seed juniper and cholla cactus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The series is of small extent in west central New Mexico and northern Arizona. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cibola County, New Mexico, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 2 to 11 inches (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 11 to 18 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 18 inches (2R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.
Update and revision for the competing series section 2/26/08 DWD
Update and revisions for the correlation of Little Colorado River Area (AZ707), Sept. 2011, CEM
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.