LOCATION CREST              NM
Established Series
Rev. AJC/ARA
12/2006

CREST SERIES


The Crest series consists of well drained, light colored, gravelly, fine textured, neutral to slightly alkaline soils developing on steep mountain slopes in stony, moderately fine to fine textured, neutral to slightly alkaline residuum from limestone. At their type location the average annual precipitation is 27 inches, average annual temperature is 40 degrees, and an average summer temperature is 65 degrees.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, active, frigid Typic Haplustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Crest stony silt loam.

0i--0 to 1 inches; decomposed organic material mainly leaves, twigs, bark and needles.

0e--1 to 4 inches; decomposed and partially decomposed organic mat made up of the remnants of needles, twigs and bark. Combined thickness of the Oi and Oe horizon (1 to 4 inches thick)

A--4 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) stony silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine crumb structure; soft, very friable; about 20 percent of this horizon is stone; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt boundary. 0 to 2 inches thick.

E--6 to 10 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stony silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine crumb structure; soft, very friable; about 20 percent of his horizon is stone; neutral (pH 7.2); clear boundary. 4 to 6 inches thick.

B&E--10 to 14 inches; of the material less than 2 mm., about 25 percent is like the E horizon and is the matrix. About 75 percent is Bt material and characterized as follows: brown (7.5YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm. About 25 to 40 percent of the horizon is stone; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual boundary. 4 to 15 inches thick.

Bt--14 to 28 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very stony clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm; about 55 percent of the horizon is stone; there are thin continuous clay films on peds and coating the stone fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear boundary. 12 to 37 inches thick.

R--28 to 30 inches; limestone bedrock weakly fractured with streamers of Bt horizon extending into the rock.

TYPE LOCATION: Torrance County, New Mexico; NE1/4 NE1/4 of Sec. 27, T7N, R5E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Typic ustic moisture regime

A&E horizon
Hue: 10YR to 7.5YR
Chroma: 2 to 3
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 to 5 moist

B/E horizon
Hue: 2.5YR to 5YR
Chroma: 2 to 4
Value: 5 to 6 dry; 4 to 5 moist

Bt horizon
Texture: typically clay
Clay content: 38 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: 30 to 70 percent
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
Depth to bedrock: 20 to 60 inches

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Normal to excessive relief. Moderately sloping to very steep mountain slopes.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pino, Supervisor and Wilcoxson soils.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is medium; slowly permeable.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forestry, rangeland, and recreation. Ponderosa pine, some spruce and fir with an understory of oak brush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Present known distribution limited to the mountainous areas in central New Mexico. MLRA 39.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Torrance County, New Mexico, 1965.

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

Ochric epipedon - The zone from 4 to 6 inches (A horizon)

Albic horizon - The zone from 6 to 10 inches (E horizon)

Argillic horizon - The zone from 14 to 28 inches (Bt horizon)

Lithic contact - at 28 inches (R horizon)

Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006

Name was taken from a well established and marked hiking trail through the Monzano Mountains.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.