LOCATION GUSTSPRING NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Gustspring loamy sand -- rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak, fine granular structure; soft very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; 7 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt--2 to 8 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; few thin patchy clay films in pores and on faces of peds; 15 percent gravels, 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Btk--8 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse and common medium, fine and very fine roots; thin clay films in pores and on faces of peds, 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
2Ck1--11 to 16 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and common very fine roots; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 23 inches thick)
2Ck2--16 to 22 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and common fine and very fine roots; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
3Ck3--22 to 35 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and fine, common very fine roots; 45 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
4Ck4--35 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Catron County, New Mexico; about 2 miles north of Red Hill Cinder cone and about 2 miles west of Red Hill lava flow, on south side of gravel road in NW1/4, NE1/4, sec. 8, T. 1 N., R. 20 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Solum thickness: 9 to 20 inches
Depth to calcium carbonate: about 9 inches
Reaction: neutral to strongly alkaline.
Calcic horizon: contains more than 15 percent calcium carbonate
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: less than 35 percent.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR & 5YR
Value: 4 to 5 dry, 3 to 5 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 2 moist
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 20 percent gravel 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
B horizon
Hue: 7.5YR & 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: gravelly sandy clay loam coarse fragments gravel 10 to 20 percent cobbles 5 to 15 percent
Clay: 18 to 35 percent
Sand: 52 percent or more.
C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR & 10YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: stratified loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, coarse sand and gravelly, very gravelly, extremely gravelly, cobbly, very cobbly, and extremely cobbly phases thereof
Rock fragments: gravel 15 to 50 percent cobbles 5 to 60 percent, stones 0 to 5 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Altvan (NE), Atencio (CO), Eckley (CO), Landavaso (NM), Newlin (CO), Redridge (CO), Tuthill (SD), Wheatridge (CO) and Wolfar (WY) series. Altvan soils have less than 52 percent sand. Atencio and Redridge soils have hue of 5YR to 2.5YR or 10R. Eckley, Landavaso, Newlin, Tuthill and Wheatridge soils are free of carbonates above 36 to 60 inches. Wolfvar soils have more than 35 percent clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gustspring soils are on hills and sloping alluvial fans. Slopes range from 1 to 20 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,500 to 7,500 feet. Mean annual temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches and the frost-free season is about 115 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Datil, Diatee, Dioxice, Flugle, Goesling, Guy and Loarc. Datil, Dioxice, Flugle, Goesling and Loarc soils are fine-loamy, Diatee soils lack mollic epipedons, and Guy soils are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The principal use is rangeland, and small areas may be used for fuelwood production. Native vegetation includes pinyon, and juniper, blue grama, threeawn, ring muhly, broom snakeweed, and rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This soil is in west central New Mexico and is not extensive. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Catron County, New Mexico, 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 8 inches (A & Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 2 to 11 inches (Bt & Btk horizons)
Contrasting particle-size control section the boundary at 11 inches (2Ck1 horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006