LOCATION BOSQUECITO NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Oxyaquic Ustifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Bosquecito very fine sandy loam--on a slightly convex natural levee of a flood plain sloping 1 percent to the northwest at 6,220 feet elevation--riparian woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was dry from the soil surface to 3 inches, slightly moist from 3 to 9 inches, moist from 9 to 22 inches, and wet from 22 to 29 inches with a water table present at 29 inches.)
A--0 to 1 inch; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) dry; weak coarse granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and many very fine roots; few fine and common very fine irregularly shaped pores; strongly effervescent; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
AC1--1 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) loamy very fine sand, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, common fine, and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
AC2--5 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loamy sand, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse, few medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; few very fine irregularly shaped pores; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
C1--10 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) dry; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few coarse, common medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly effervescent; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
C2--16 to 26 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) dry; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common coarse, common medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; one laminae of very fine sandy loam; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Cg1--26 to 33 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few coarse, few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few lenses of loamy sand; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; positive reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Cg2--33 to 42 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) with dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) stratified fine sandy loam to loamy sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) with pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and few very fine roots; few fine and few very fine tubular pores; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 5 to 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; positive reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 17 inches thick)
Cg3--42 to 51 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) stratified very fine sandy loam to loamy sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive and single grain; soft and loose, very friable and loose, slightly sticky and nonsticky, and nonplastic; few fine and few very fine roots; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; positive reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
Cg4--51 to 64 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) stratified gravelly coarse sand to loamy very fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/2) dry; single grain and massive; loose and soft, loose and very friable, nonsticky and slightly sticky, and nonplastic; 5 to 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; positive reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 19 inches thick)
C'--64 to 84 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) stratified gravelly coarse sand and very gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 5/3) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few strata of fine sandy loam; 20 to 40 percent gravel; slightly and strongly effervescent; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; on the Tesuque Indian Reservation about 0.25 mile west-southwest of Camel Rock; 750 feet west and 1,250 feet south of the northeast corner of section 4, T.18N., R.9E.; USGS Tesuque 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 49 minutes 24 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 59 minutes 3 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section is moist in all parts during the 60 days following the winter solstice. The soil moisture regime is ustic bordering on aquic. The Cg horizons are saturated with ground water for six to twelve months in most years. Water within the capillary fringe moistens horizons above the upper boundary of saturation.
Mean annual soil temperature - 52 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to redox concentrations - 3 to 10 inches
Depth to horizons with aquic conditions - 24 to 38 inches
Mica content - 10 to 25 percent in coarse silt to fine sand fractions
Lithology of rock fragments: granite, gneiss, and schist
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Silicate clay content: 6 to 12 percent
Sand content: 45 to 80 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 15 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent
Mica content: 1 to 5 percent (by grain count)
Reaction - slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline in the surface; strongly alkaline in the upper part of the underlying materials; moderately alkaline in the lower part of the underlying materials
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 2 to 5 percent
Sodicity, SAR - 4 to 13 in the surface; 0 to 4 in the underlying materials
A horizon
Value: 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 16 to 40
AC horizons
Value: 4 or 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 2 through 4, moist or dry
Texture: loamy very fine sand, loamy sand, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam; some pedons have lenses or strata of silt loam
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 1 to 4
Redox concentrations: none or few, faint or distinct concentrations of iron as masses
C horizons
Value: 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 through 4, moist or dry
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loamy very fine sand; some pedons have lenses or strata of silt loam
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 0 to 2
Redox concentrations: common or many, distinct or prominent concentrations of iron as masses
Cg1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, moist or dry
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam; few strata of silt loam and coarse sandy loam; few laminae of very fine sandy loam
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 0 to 2
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Redox concentrations: few or common, distinct or prominent concentrations of iron as masses or pore linings
Cg2 and Cg3 horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 through 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry
Texture: stratified loamy sand to very fine sandy loam
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 0 to 2
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent gravel
Redox concentrations: few or common, distinct or prominent concentrations of iron as masses or pore linings.
Cg4 and C' horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3, moist or dry
Texture: stratified very gravelly coarse sand to loamy very fine sand; few strata of sandy loam or fine sandy loam; few laminae of very fine sandy loam
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 0 to 2
Rock fragments: total range is 5 to 40 percent, averaging 15 to 35 percent gravel
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Haigler and Kitcarson series. Both of these soils receive peak periods of precipitation in the spring and early summer months and do not have significant amounts of mica in the silt and sand fractions. In addition, Haigler soils have SAR above 15 within the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bosquecito soils are on natural levees and crevasse splays on flood plains of valley floors with intermittent streams. They formed in alluvium derived from Precambrian granite, gneiss, and schist, and Tertiary micaceous sandstone and siltstone. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevation ranges from 5,500 to 6,600 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches with about 45 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 150 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cuyamungue, Jaralosa, and Mirada soils. Cuyamungue soils are sandy-skeletal, have seasonal high water tables between 5 and 8 feet, and occur on low flood plains below Bosquecito. Jaralosa soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, have seasonal high water tables between 3.5 and 5 feet from the soil surface, and occur on low flood plains. Mirada soils are hydric, have seasonal high water tables near the soil surface, and occur on low flood plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very low surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the loamy horizons and strata and rapid to very rapid permeability in the sandy horizons and strata. These soils are subject to occasional, extremely brief periods of flooding between July and September. Floodwaters have low velocity and are generally less than two feet deep. A seasonal high water table is present between 2.0 and 3.5 feet.
USE AND VEGETATION: Bosquecito soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The historic climax vegetation is cottonwood, western wheatgrass, willow, and bluegrass. The ecological site is Populus fremontii/Salix exugia-Salix/Carex(F036XB137NM).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bosquecito soils are of small extent on the southeastern Espanola Basin part of the Basin and Range province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 36.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Area Soil Survey Update; 2008. Bosquecito is a Spanish word for small woods.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 1 inch. (A horizon)
Fluventic feature - Alluvial stratification and an irregular organic-carbon distribution.
Oxyaquic feature - Aquic conditions (endosaturation and reduction) in all horizons between 26 and 64 inches. Reduced iron ions are indicated by the horizons producing a strong red color after spot application of alpha, alpha-dipyridyl in a neutral, 1-normal ammonium acetate solution. An anaerobic state is inferred by the stale, musty odor of the Cg horizons, which indicates the decomposition of organic matter in the absence of oxygen.
Depleted matrix - The presence of a low chroma matrix which contains reduced iron, but does not change color on exposure to air. (Cg1, Cg2 Cg3, and Cg4 horizons)
Note: This soil does not meet the Criteria for Hydric Soils as defined by the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils (1994).