LOCATION DESARIO NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Desario extremely gravelly loam, extremely stony--on the backslope of a low hill sloping 35 percent to the southwest at 7,272 feet elevation-pinyon-juniper forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 12, 2001, the soil was dry throughout)
A--0 to 1 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine irregularly shaped pores; 55 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bk1--1 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common medium and common fine roots; few fine tubular and irregularly shaped pores; 15 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common coarse irregularly shaped nodules and masses on ped faces and rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 12 inches thick)
Bk2--3 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common coarse, many medium, and few fine roots; few medium and few fine tubular and irregularly shaped pores; 20 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common coarse irregularly shaped nodules and masses on ped faces and rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (2 to 12 inches thick)
R--12 inches; hard limestone bedrock (Madera Formation).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about 2.5 miles south southeast of Golden; USGS San Pedro 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 14 minutes 02.4 seconds North and Longitude 106 degrees 12 minutes 06.8 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section is moist in all parts during the 60 days following the winter solstice. It is moist in some part less than 40 percent and moist in all parts less than 25 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. The soils are driest in May and June. The soil moisture regime is ustic bordering on aridic.
Average annual soil temperature - 51 to 53 degrees F
Depth to base of mollic epipedon - 7 to 15 inches
Depth to the base of the calcic horizon - 8 to 20 inches
Depth to lithic contact - 10 to 20 inches
Organic matter content - 2 to 4 percent in the mollic epipedon
Particle-size control section weighted averages-
Silicate clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Sand content: 40 to 60 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 30 to 50 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent, lithology of fragments is limestone
A horizon
Value- 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma- 2 or 3, dry or moist
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: Total range is 60 to 80 percent
25 to 55 percent gravel
10 to 35 percent cobbles
1 to 5 percent stones
0 to 2 percent boulders
Bk horizons
Hue- 7.5YR or 10YR
Value- 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma- 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: cobbly loam, very cobbly loam, very cobbly sandy loam, very cobbly sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: Total range is 30 to 50 percent
15 to 25 percent gravel
10 to 25 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Rudd and Yumtheska series. Rudd soils formed over basalt and have an ustic aridic soil moisture regime. Yumtheska soils have more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Desario soils are on south-facing backslopes of low hills. They formed in slope alluvium and residuum derived from limestone of the Pennsylvanian age Madera Formation. Slopes are 5 to 45 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,400 to 8,000 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 13 to 15 inches with about 45 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free period is 130 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Espadon soil. Espadon soils are moderately deep and are found on north-facing backslopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate surface runoff; permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Desario soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The historic climax vegetation is blue grama, sideoats grama, two-needle pinyon, and oneseed juniper. The ecological site is Juniperus monosperma-Pinus edulis/Fallugia paradoxa-Chrysothamnus nauseosus/Bouteloua-hirsuita-Bouteloua gracilis(F036XB136NM).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Desario soils are of small extent on the Mexican Highland Section of the Basin and Range province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 36.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Soil Survey Update; 2008. Desario is a Spanish surname.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon- The zone from the soil surface to a depth of 12 inches. (A, Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Calcic horizon- The zone from 3 to 12 inches. (Bk2)
Lithic contact- limestone bedrock at 12 inches. (R layer)
Particle-size control section- The zone from 0 to 12 inches. (A, Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.