LOCATION BONESPRING TX

Established Series
ALS
04/2011

BONESPRING SERIES

The Bonespring series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils that formed in loamy residuum and colluvium weathered from Permian sandstone bedrock. Bonespring soils are on hilly to very steep hills, mountains and escarpments. Slopes are 10 to 60 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 16 degrees C (61 degrees F) and mean annual precipitation is about 411 mm (16 in).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Aridic Lithic Ustorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Bonespring very gravelly sandy loam, on a south-facing 31 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 1,711 m (5613 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A1--0 to 9 cm (0 to 4 in); light brown (7.5YR 6/3) very channery sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3), moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; 5 percent very angular strongly cemented 150 to 250 mm sandstone fragments and 50 percent very angular strongly cemented 5 to 150 mm sandstone fragments; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

A2--9 to 28 cm (4 to 11 in); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely channery sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4), moist; weak fine granular structure; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; 5 percent very angular strongly cemented 150 to 250 mm sandstone fragments and 70 percent flat very angular strongly cemented 5 to 150 mm sandstone fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 42 cm [3 to 17 in])

R--28 to 53 cm (11 to 21 in); strongly cemented sandstone bedrock; common very fine and fine roots at top of layer.

TYPE LOCATION: Culberson County, Texas; from the entrance of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park Headquarters on U.S. Highway 62/180, 3.5 miles south on U.S. Highway 62/180 to park access parking area; 0.3 mile north on park access trail to the Salt Basin Overlook trail; 0.55 mile south and west on the trail, and 100 feet north of trail. (Guadalupe Pass TX USGS topographic quadrangle: Latitude: 31 degrees, 52 minutes, 13 seconds N; Longitude: 104 degrees, 50 minutes, 41 seconds W; UTM Easting 514692 m, UTM Northing 3526072 m, UTM Zone 13, NAD83.)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of ochric epipedon: 8 to 47 cm (3 to 18 in)
Depth to sandstone bedrock: 8 to 47 cm (3 to 18 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay Content: 11 to 21 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 75 percent rock fragments total; 30 to 75 percent channers; 15 to 35 percent flagstones

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 1 to 6 moist
Texture of the fine-earth fraction: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam
Clay content: 11 to 21 percent
Coarse fragments: 35 to 75 percent total; 35 to 75 percent channers; 0 to 15 percent flagstones
Effervescence: very slight to violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

B horizon (where present)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry or moist
Texture of the fine-earth fraction: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Clay content: 13 to 21 percent
Coarse fragments: 35 to 75 percent total; 20 to 40 percent channers; 0 to 35 percent flagstones
Effervescence: very slight to violent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

R layer:
Fractures: greater that 10cm (4 in) apart
Bedrock kind: indurated sandstone

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are;
Bloodstone (WY), Bunkin (UT), Colskel (UT), Gompers (UT), Kelmbeck (MT),
Kydesta (AZ), Metuck (AZ), Popcorn (AZ), and Zbart (MT).
Bloodstone, Gompers, Kelmbeck and Zbart soils: have a mean annual soil temperature of 8 degrees C (46 F) or less.
Bunkin, Colskel, Kydestea and Metuck soils: have a mean annual soil temperature of 15 degrees C (59 F) or less.
Popcorn soils: have carbonatic mineralogy.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: colluvium and residuum weathered from Permian age sandstone Landscape: Hills, Mountains and Escarpments
Landform: Hills, Hillslopes, Ridges
Slope: 10 to 60 percent
Soil Moisture: Aridic Ustic moisture regime
Soil Temperature: 15 to 20 degrees C (59 to 68 degrees F)
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 19 degrees C (57 to 66 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 287 to 523 mm (11 to 20 in)
Precipitation pattern: Most precipitation occurs as high intensity rain during afternoon convective thunderstorms from June to September.
Frost-free period: 203 to 255 days
Elevation: 1,346 to 1,717 m (4,416 to 5,633 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Altuda (TX) and the tentative Choza (TX) and Pinery (TX) soils.
Altuda soils: have a calcic and occur over limestone bedrock in similar positions.
Choza soils: have a petrocalcic and occur on alluvial fan remnants.
Pinery soils: have a calcic and occur on alluvial fans remnants.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and recreation. Vegetation is sideoats grama, Warnock's grama, black grama, New Mexico feather grass, mountain mahogany, skeletonleaf goldeneye, yucca, winterfat, mariola, and redberry juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: LRR G; Western Great Plains Range and Irrigated Region; MLRA 70D-Southern Desert Foothills in West Texas. The soil is not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Culberson County, Texas; 2010. The name is from a spring that occurs in the park.

REMARKS:

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 28 cm (0 to 11 in) (A1 and A2 horizons)
Lithic contact: 28 cm (11 in) (contact of A2 and R horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA: None

TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.