LOCATION ESCABOSA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Escabosa loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
B2--6 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Cca--15 to 23 inches; white (10YR 8/2) gravelly loam, white (10YR 8/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 18 inches thick)
R--23 inches; limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Bernalillo County, New Mexico; NW corner section 22, T. 9 N., R. 7 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Depth to the Cca horizon ranges from 15 to 30 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam or clay loam or their cobbly counterparts.
The B horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is loam, clay loam or silty clay loam and averages 20 to 35 percent clay.
The Cca horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 7 through 9 dry, 6 through 9 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It ranges from loam to gravelly and cobbly heavy loam with 0 to 30 percent gravel and about 5 percent cobbles. This horizon ranges from loose to slightly hard. The pebbles and cobbles are coated with calcium carbonate.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aut (t), Dioxice, and Hovenweep series in the same family and the Beek, Conlen, Deama, Dean, Harvey, Mansic, Mansker, and Portales series. Aut soils have a calcic horizon at depths of 6 to 15 inches. Beek soils have a mollic epipedon 20 to 30 inches thick. Conlen soils have sola 60 or more inches thick. Dioxice soils lack bedrock within a depth of 40 inches. Deama soils have bedrock within 20 inches. Dean and Harvey soils lack a mollic epipedon. Hoverweep soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Mansic, Mansker and Portales soils have thermic temperature.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Escabosa soils are on ridge crests and moderately steep side slopes of hills They formed in residuum from limestone and sandstone. Elevations range from 5,000 to 7,500 feet. Slopes are 3 to 25 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 52 degrees to 56 degrees F., and the frost-free period ranges from 140 to 180 days. Mean annual precipitation is about 12 to 16 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bond, Clovis, Laporte, Silver, and Witt soils. All these soils except Laporte lack mollic epipedons. Laporte soils have bedrock at a depth of 10 to 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range wildlife, watershed, and recreation; some pinyon and juniper are cut locally for fuel wood and fence posts. Native vegetation is blue grama, little bluestem, sideoats grama, pinyon, juniper, and some yucca.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Inextensive. Central and northeastern New Mexico.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Union County, New Mexico, 1972.