LOCATION COSNINO                 AZ

Established Series
MWB/JMH/DJP
10/2013

COSNINO SERIES

The Cosnino series consists of very shallow to shallow, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in colluvium and or residuum from limestone or sandstone. Cosnino soils are on canyon rims, escarpments and structural benches. Slopes range from 5 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 18 inches (457 millimeters) and the mean annual air temperature is about 44 degrees F. (6.7 degrees C.)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Cosnino channery sandy loam - forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) channery sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3), moist; 16 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; 20 percent channers and 5 percent flagstones; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline, pH 7.6; clear smooth boundary.

Bw--2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) very stony sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3), moist; 12 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many fine and few medium tubular pores; 20 percent channers, 10 percent flagstones and 25 percent stones; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline, pH 7.8; abrupt wavy boundary.

R--8 inches (20 cm); unfractured, unweathered limestone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Walnut Canyon National Monument, Coconino County Arizona; Geographic Coordinate System: 35 10' 8.00'' north, 111 31' 31.10'' west NAD83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - September and December - February. Driest during May and June. Typic ustic soil moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: 44 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit (6.6 to 8.8 degrees Celsius)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent channers, flagstones and stones

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent channers and flagstones
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

Bw horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 4 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent channers, flagstones and stones
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are the Castner (MT), Catgulch (MT), Celeste (CO), Duffymont (CO), Firo (NM), Highpark (CO), Moonset (UT), Nivean (MT), Paunsaugunt (UT), Vershal (MT), Whitlash (MT) and Wuby (UT) soils. Caster and Paunsaugunt soils are calcareous throughout. Celeste, Firo, Moonset, Nivean, Paunsaugunt, Vershal, and Wuby soils have greater than 18 percent clay in the control section. Highpark and Nivean soils are formed in volcanic breccia and have vitrandic soil properties. Catgulch soils are formed in granite and have paralithic bedrock over unweathered bedrock. Duffymont soils have an Aridic Ustic soil moisture regime. Whitlash soils have less than 35 percent sand in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cosnino soils are on canyon rims, escarpments, and structural benches at elevations of 6,000 to 7,500 feet (1,828 to 2,286 meters). Slopes range from 5 to 70 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and or residuum derived from limestone or sandstone. The mean annual precipitation is 18 to 22 inches (457 to 559 millimeters) and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as snow December to February. The mean annual air temperature is 42 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit (5.5 to 7.7 degrees Celsius). The frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chilson (AZ), Kydestea (AZ), and Wilcoxson (NM) soils. Chilson soils are Clayey Lithic Argiustolls. Kydestea soils are Loamy-skeletal Lithic Ustorthents in the Mesic temperature regime. Wilcoxson soils are deep Fine Argiustolls.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very high runoff; moderately rapid to very rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for wildlife habitat, recreation, and timber production. Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine are dominant with blue grama, needle and thread, gambel oak, and pinyon pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona. Cosnino soils are of small extent. This soil is named after a town site near the type location. MLRA 39 Land Resource Unit 39.1 above the Mogollon Rim.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Walnut Canyon National Monument, Coconino County, Arizona; Soil Survey of Oak Creek-San Francisco Peaks Area, AZ, Part of Coconino County; 2013

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 8 inches (0 to 20 cm) (A and Bw horizons)

Particle size control section - the zone from 0 to 8 inches (0 to 20 cm) (A and Bw horizons)

Lithic contact - the boundary at 8 inches (20 cm) (R horizon)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.