LOCATION CALIZA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, thermic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Caliza very gravelly sandy loam - rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ak1--O to 1 inch; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure; upper 1/8 inch vesicular; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine pores; strongly effervescent; discontinuous calcium carbonate coatings on some gravel; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary (1 to 3 inches thick).
Ak2--1 to 7 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; strongly effervescent; thin calcium carbonate coatings on gravel, mainly on undersides; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary (O to 12 inches thick).
Bk1--7 to 22 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2), pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) very gravelly sandy loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) and brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, friable; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; strongly effervescent; thick calcium carbonate coatings on gravel and sand grains; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary (6 to 20 inches thick).
Bk2--22 to 34 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2), pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) very gravelly loamy sand, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) and brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; strongly effervescent; continuous and discontinuous calcium carbonate coatings on gravel; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary (8 to 18 inches thick).
C--34 to 50 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; with scattered discontinuous lenses, 1 to 2 inches thick of very gravelly loamy sand to sandy loam; massive; soft, very friable; few very fine pores; few calcium carbonate flakes on gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico, northwest bank of arroyo, in the NE 1/4 of sec. 2, T.21S., R.1E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during December through April and for more than 20 days cumulative during July through September. Driest during May and June. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 59 to 68 degrees F.
Texture: stratified extremely gravelly sand to very gravelly sandy loam but averages very gravelly loamy sand or very gravelly coarse sand and contains 35 to 80 percent coarse fragments
Depth to calcic horizon: 1 to 18 inches
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 1OYR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 1OYR
Value: 7 to 9 dry, 5 to 8 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam to very gravelly loamy sand
Cementation: ranges from non-cemented to weak nearly continuously cemented, but does not qualify as a petrocalcic horizon
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Eastland (NV), Niavi (NV), Redo (AZ), Shelley (AZ), and Tonopah (NV) series. Eastland, Niava, Shelley, and Tonopah soils are in the Mohave Desert and are mostly in the soil moisture control section for less than 20 days cumulative between July and September. Redo soils are moist in the soil moisture control section for longer periods due to a higher rainfall component.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Caliza soils formed in gravelly alluvial fan, fan piedmonts or river deposits of Pleistocene age. Commonly, the materials have been strongly dissected, and narrow ridges are prominent. Longitudinal slopes along the ridges range from about 1 to 5 percent; ridge sides slope from about 5 to 40 percent. Elevation ranges from 1700 to 5300 feet. At the type location the climate is arid, continental. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches with a marked summer maximum. The mean annual air temperature is 58 to 65 degrees F. The frost-free period is 170 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arizo, Berino, Canutio, Delnorte, Queencreek, and Stagecoach soils. Queencreek soils do not have diagnostic subsurface horizons. Berino soils are nongravelly and have argillic horizons. Canutio soils do not have diagnostic subsurface horizons and have very gravelly sandy loam textures in the control section. Delnorte soils have petrocalcic horizons. Stagecoach soils are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid or moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is primarily creosotebush, with scattered mesquite, range ratany, and ocotillo.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA is 42.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Valencia County (East Valencia Area), New Mexico; 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and feature recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 7 inches (Ak1, Ak2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 7 to 34 inches (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999
This series represents an identified soil within the Desert Soil-Geomorphology Project, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The project was a study of soils and geomorphology in an arid and semi-arid environment. The series is extensively referenced in many documents, publications and thesis. Revision outside the project area is discouraged in order to preserve the historical concept for research.
Updated competing series section 3/18/08, CEM