LOCATION DERMALA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Dermala very gravelly loam-woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine continuous tubular pores; 40 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt--3 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine continuous tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 16 inches thick)
Btk1--12 to 32 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and common medium roots; common fine continuous tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and in pores; strongly effervescent; few fine rounded and irregular calcium carbonate masses; 25 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 22 inches thick)
Btk2--32 to 49 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; few fine continuous tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; slightly effervescent; few fine rounded soft calcium carbonate masses; 5 percent pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)
C--49 to 60 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine continuous tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico; approximately 5 miles north and 2.5 miles east of Chimayo, State Plane Coordinates 1,848,400 north and 603,800 east; 105 degrees, 54 minutes, 00 seconds west longitude; 36 degrees, 04 minutes, 48 seconds north longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture - The soil moisture control section is most in some part during the 120 days following the winter solstice and is moist in all parts less than 25 percent of the time that the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 40 degrees F.
Soil Temperature - 49 to 54 degrees F.
Control Section - Percent clay: 20 to 35 percent
Rock Fragments - 15 to 30 percent on a weighted average, dominantly pebbles with up to 5 percent cobbles.
Calcium Carbonate Equivalent: less than 15 percent
A horizon -
Value: 4 or dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Rock Fragments range from 35 to 45 percent pebbles and 5 to 10 percent cobbles.
Bt horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 through 8
Texture: Sandy clay loam, clay loam , loam or gravelly clay loam Rock Fragments range from 5 to 25 percent pebbles and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
C horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Texture: Gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly sandy loam, loam, clay loam or gravelly clay loam with 5 to 25 percent pebbles and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are Augustine(NM), Celacy(NM), Dalhart(OK), Flugle(NM), Goesling(NM), Maia(NM), Nyjack(NM), Orlie(NM), Pinitas(NM), and Ribera(NM) series. Augustine, Dalhart, Flugle, Goesling, Orlie and Pinitas contain less than 15 percent rock fragments. Celacy, Nyjack and Ribera soils have bedrock between 20 to 40 inches. Maia soils have calcic horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dermala soils are on hills and ridges. Slope ranges from 20 to 50 percent. Elevations are 6,500 to 7,800 feet. The soil formed in alluvial and colluvial sediments derived from mixed igneous and metamorphic rocks. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 14 inches, the mean annual temperature is 46 to 52 degrees F. and the frost-free period is 100 to 115 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Chimayo and Rosced soils. The Chimayo soils are less than 20 inches to a lithic contact. The Rosced soils lack argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Dermala soils are used for woodland, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is pinyon, oneseed juniper and grasses.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, 1989. The series name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 3 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic Horizon - The zone from about 3 to 49 inches. (Bt, Btk Horizons)
Aridic Ustic Feature - Considered dry more than six-tenths of the time in half or more years in some part of the moisture control section when the soil temperature at 20 inches exceeds 5 degrees C.