LOCATION DAVISHAT NMTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Davishat fine sandy loam, on a structural bench of a plateau, sloping 4 percent to the northwest at 310 degrees, 6,650 feet elevation--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on May 8th, 2003, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to moderate medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--2 to 11 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and few very fine roots; common fine and few very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on ped faces and bridging between pores; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Btk1--11 to 17 inches (28 to 43 cm); red (2.5YR 4/6) fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and few very fine roots; few fine and few very fine tubular and few coarse interstitial pores; few weak clay films on faces of peds; slightly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few fine irregularly shaped filaments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
Btk2--17 to 32 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few coarse and medium roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; few weak clay films on faces of peds; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common coarse irregularly shaped thin coating masses on ped faces; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary.
Btk3--32 to 49 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; 5 percent gravel; common fine and few very fine roots; few very fine, fine, and medium tubular pores; few faint clay films on ped faces; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine irregularly shaped thin coatings on ped faces; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
Btk4--49 to 71 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few distinct and few faint clay films on ped faces; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few fine irregularly shaped thin coatings on ped faces; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear smooth boundary.
Btk5--71 to 87 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, light red (2.5YR 6/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few faint clay films on ped faces; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few fine irregularly shaped thin coatings on ped faces; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6), abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Btk horizons is 60 to 90 inches thick.)
R--87 to 97 inches; very strongly cemented sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico. About 7.0 miles east and 2.7 miles south of Stanley, just northwest of the headquarters for Davis Hat Ranch off Anaya Rd.; USGS El Cuervo Buttes 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 06 minutes 32.65 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 51 minutes 9.34 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Usually dry, typically is dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section from April 15 to July 1. Moist in some part periodically from July 1 through October. Moist intermittently from November to April 15. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on ustic.
Soil Temperature- 52 to 54 degrees F
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 66 to 100 inches
Depth to calcareous material (as visible secondary calcium carbonate) - 10 to 20 inches
Depth to bedrock - greater than 80 inches
Particle-size control section weighted averages - Silicate clay content: 10 to 18 percent; Sand content: 50 to 75 percent; Fine sand or coarser content: more than 50 percent
Reaction - slightly acid to neutral in the surface, slightly to moderately alkaline in the subsurface; strongly alkaline in the substratum.
Salinity, mmhos/cm - 0 to 1
Sodicity, SAR - 0 to 1
A horizon
Texture: fine sandy loam or loamy very fine sand
Hues: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent, mostly gravel
Bt horizon
Hues: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, or loam
Clay Content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 1 to 10 percent, mostly gravel
Btk horizons
Hues: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, or loam
Clay Content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 1 to 10 percent, mostly gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 5 percent
COMPETING SERIES: Current competitors are the Betonnie, Bijou, Gilcrest, Khapo, Neesopah, Terro, Tintero, and Vonalee series. Betonnie and Bijou have no visible carbonates in the control section. Bijou and Khapo have granitic parent materials. Neesopah and Tintero have higher carbonates in the Bk horizons and should be reclassified as Calciargids. Terro soils have lithic or paralithic contacts at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Tintero and Vonalee have yellower hues in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Davishat soils are located on structural benches of undulating plateaus and eolian plains that formed from eolian material and slope alluvium derived from sandstone and limestone. Slopes are 3 to 15 percent. Elevation is 6,200 to 7,100 feet, mean annual temperatures range from 49 to 51 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation typically ranges from 11 to 13 inches with the peak periods occurring from July through October and January through March. The frost-free period is 140 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chupadera, Ranchos, Puertecito, and Villario soils. Chupadera soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Ranchos soils do not have an argillic horizon and occur on toeslopes of plateaus. Puertecito soils are loamy, shallow to a lithic contact, and occur on steep, bouldery escarpments. Villario soils are loamy, shallow to shale, and occur on steep, bouldery escarpments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low to low surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Davishat soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is blue grama, oneseed juniper, narrowleaf yucca, broom snakeweed, walkingstick cholla, whipple cholla, plains prickly pear, sand dropseed, and threeawn.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Davishat soils are of small extent in the northern part of the Estancia Basin in the Mexican Highland section of the Basin and Range physiographic province in north-central New Mexico, MLRA 70C.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES PROPOSED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - 2 to 87 inches (Bt and Btk horizons)
Lithic contact - 87 inches (top of R layer)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.