LOCATION CHAPARRAL NMInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Ustic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Chaparral gravelly sandy loam--rangeland. Elevation 4020 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) crushed, gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) crushed, moist; 10 percent clay; moderate medium granular structure; nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots; 15 percent subangular 0.1- to 1.0-inch mixed igneous fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) crushed, gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 10 percent clay; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; 15 percent subangular 0.1- to 0.8-inch mixed igneous fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--16 to 25 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) crushed, gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 10 percent clay; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; 20 percent subangular 0.1- to 1.0-inch mixed igneous fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw3--25 to 36 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) crushed, gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 10 percent clay; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; 5 percent subangular 3- to 10-inch mixed igneous fragments and 25 percent subangular 0.1- to 1.0-inch mixed igneous fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (29 to 40 inches combined thickness of the Bw horizon)
C1--36 to 45 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) crushed, gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 5 percent clay; single grain; nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; 25 percent subangular 0.1- to 1.0-inch mixed igneous fragments; slightly effervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
C2--45 to 52 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) crushed, gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 2 percent clay; single grain; nonsticky, nonplastic; 25 percent subangular 0.1- to 1.0-inch mixed igneous fragments; noneffervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
C3--52 to 80 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) crushed, gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) crushed, moist; 10 percent clay; massive; nonsticky, nonplastic; 5 percent subangular 3- to 10-inch mixed igneous fragments and 20 percent subangular 0.1- to 1.0-inch mixed igneous fragments; slightly effervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; approximately 7.5 miles south and 3 miles east of White Sands; 2,400 ft. E. and 900 ft. N. of the southwest corner of sec. 27, T. 23 S., R. 5 E. USGS Davies, NM topographic quadrangle; latitude 32 degrees 16 minutes 24.33 seconds north and longitude 106 degrees 25 minutes 11.84 seconds west. UTM zone 13, 3571440E, 366268N; NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Ustic aridic moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is usually dry in all parts less than three-fourths of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F.
Mean annual soil temperature: 61 to 65 degrees F.
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 5 to 12 percent
Coarse fragment content: 15 to 35 percent
A horizon:
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Coarse fragments: mixed igneous fragments; 15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Coarse fragments: mixed igneous fragments; 15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Texture: sandy loam, loamy sand, or coarse sand
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Ima (NM),
Mallet (AZ), and
Perilla (AZ) series.
Ima soils are typically 5YR and receive greater than 12 inches of precipitation, and contain less than 15 percent rock fragments. Mallet soils receive greater than 13 percent of the total precipitation during the months of January, February, and March. They also include fine sandy loam and loam in the Bw horizon. The Mallet soil also contains 1 to 2 percent organic matter.
Perilla soils receive greater than 13 percent of the total precipitation during the months of January, February, and March. They also include hue of 5YR and have free carbonates within 15 inches of the surface. The Perilla soils also contain carbonates at 20 to 30 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: alluvium
Landform: alluvial fans and erosion remnants on fan piedmonts
Slope: 2 to 5 percent
Mean annual temperature: 60 to 64 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 10 to 12 inches
Precipitation pattern: precipitation falls mostly during the months of July through September. The driest months are March and April. Precipitation during the months of January, February, and March is less than 13 percent of the total.
Frost-free period: 170 to 210 days
Elevation: 3,950 to 4,500 feet
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Condrone,
Missile, and
Reyab soils. Condrone soils have argillic horizons and are on inset fans.
Missile soils have petrocalcic horizons within 20 inches of the surface and are on erosional remnants.
Reyab soils are fine-silty and are on inset fans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately rapid. Runoff is very low.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing. Vegetation is of the desert grassland type consisting of bush muhly, six-week grama, threeawns, mesquite, creosotebush, ephedra spp., four-wing saltbush, and prickly pear.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Trans-Pecos of Texas and southern New Mexico; LRR D, MLRA 42; small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, and C1 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 7 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 7 to 36 inches. (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons)
Ustic feature: The soil has an aridic moisture regime that borders on the ustic regime.
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.