LOCATION CAJETE NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-pumiceous, glassy, frigid Vitrandic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cajete paragravelly loam, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) paragravelly ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; 20 percent pumice paragravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
A2--7 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) paragravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; 20 percent pumice paragravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--15 to 33 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very paragravelly ashy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; 40 percent pumice paragravel; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 21 inches thick)
E and Bt1--33 to 45 inches; matrix, light gray (10YR 7/2) very paragravelly ashy sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots concentrated near lamella, onehalf inch to 1 inch thick; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely paragravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; 75 percent pumice paragravel; matrix has 50 percent pumice paragravel; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to l5 inches thick)
E'--45 to 49 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very paragravelly ashy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 60 percent pumice paragravel; slightly alkaline abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
E and Bt2'--49 to 60 inches; matrix, light gray (10YR 7/2) very paragravelly ashy sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; lamella one-fourth to one-half inch thick with colors similar to those described in the E and Bt1; 50 percent fine pumice paragravel; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico; about 9 miles northeast of Jemez Springs; Baca Location No. 1; 100 yards south of dirt tank 10 feet north of ridge crest. State Plane Coordinates N. 1,758,500 feet and E. 404,500 feet.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture The soil moisture control section is moist in some part throughout the frost free period. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Average annual soil temperature 43 to 47 degrees F.
Depth to the base of the cambic horizon 20 to 40 inches
Oxalate extractable Al + 1/2Fe: .01 to .10 percent (estimated)
A horizons
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3
Texture: Extremely paragravelly ashy coarse sandy loam or paragravelly ashy loam
Rock fragments: 15 to 80 percent pumice paragravel, by volume
Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent pumice paragravel, by volume
E and Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: Very paragravelly ashy sand or very paragravelly ashy sandy loam
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent pumice paragravel, by volume
Reaction: Neutral to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no competitors. A similar soil in another family is the Totavi series. The Totavi soils have less than 35 percent pumice.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Cajete soils are on ridge crests of low hills, terraces, and in pockets on mountain slopes. They formed in pumice. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevation is 7,000 to 8,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches. The mean annual temperature is about 42 to 45 degrees F., and the frost-free period is about 60 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Totavi soils. Totavi soils have less than 35 percent pumice and are on valley floors and depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Natural vegetation is ponderosa pine, white fir, mountain brome, Arizona fescue, and little bluestem.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral New Mexico. MLRA 48A. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sandoval County, New Mexico, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - from the surface to a depth of 15 inches. (A1, A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - from 15 to 33 inches. (Bw horizon). The total thickness of lamellae below the Bw horizon is presumed to be less than 15 cm and therefore not a cambic horizon.
Vitrandic feature - based on both the content of glass and the content of pumice throughout the upper 30 inches (A1, A2, Bw horizons).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the A2, the Bw, and part of the E and Bt1 horizons).
The 6/2001 revision changes the classification from Ashy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Vitrandic Haplustepts to Ashy-pumiceous, glassy, frigid Vitrandic Haplustolls.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Pedon S80NM-043-002 confirms the classification of the series.