LOCATION HEISER                  AZ

Established Series
DJP/HAH/JIC/JMH
10/2013

HEISER SERIES

The Heiser series consists of very deep excessively drained soils that formed in dune fields derived from tephra. Heiser soils are on dunes, climbing dunes, and escarpments. Slopes range from 3 to 45 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches (203 millimeter) and the mean annual air temperature is about 55 degrees F. (12.8 degrees C.)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, nonacid, mesic Vitrandic Torripsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Heiser gravelly coarse sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

C1--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) gravelly coarse sand, black (7.5YR 2.5/1), moist; 4 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; common interstitial pores; 20 percent cinders; noneffervescent; neutral, pH 7.2; abrupt smooth boundary.

C2--2 to 60 inches (5 to 152 cm); very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) coarse sand, black (7.5YR 2.5/1), moist; 2 percent clay; massive; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few medium and common very fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline, pH 7.6.

TYPE LOCATION: Wupatki National Monument, Coconino County, Arizona; Geographic Coordinate System: 35 31' 20.9'' north, 111 21' 59.8'' west NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - September. Driest during May and June. Typic Aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: 56 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit (13.3 to 15.0 degrees Celsius)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 1 to 9 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent
Volcanic glass: 30 to 40 percent

C Horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 2.5 to 4 dry, 2.5 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: fine sand, sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, coarse sand
Clay: 1 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

2Akb or 2Bkb Horizons (if present)
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, loamy sand
Clay: 4 to 12 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are the Brantel (CA), Buscones (CA), Deepwell (CA), and Orecart (CA) soils. Buscones soils are moderately deep to rhyolitic tuff. Brantel, Deepwell, and Orecart soils have 10YR and 2.5Y hues. Brantel, Buscones, Deepwell, and Orecart soils are all moist March to mid May.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Heiser soils are on dune fields, climbing dunes, and escarpments at elevations of 4,340 to 5,240 feet (1,323 to 1,597 meters). Slopes range from 3 to 45 percent. These soils formed in tephra from eolian deposits. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches (152 to 254 millimeters) and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains and snowfall during December and January. The mean annual air temperature is 54 to 57 degrees Fahrenheit (12.2 to 13.9 degrees Celsius). The frost-free period is 150 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Miburn (AZ), and Moenkopie (AZ), soils. Miburn soils are derived from eolian deposits that include an abrupt textural change. Moenkopie soils are very shallow and shallow residuum derived from sandstone.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; very low or low runoff; moderately or moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes Torrey's jointfir, buckwheat, apache plume, narrowleaf Yucca, and fourwing saltbush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Arizona. Heiser soils are of limited extent. The soil is named after a geographic location near the type location. MLRA 35 Land Resource Unit 35.2.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wupatki National Monument, Coconino County, Arizona; Soil Survey of Coconino County Area, AZ, Central Part; 2013

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm) (C1 horizons)

Volcanic glass - exceeds 30 percent in mineral class control section

Particle size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (25 to 100 cm) (C2 horizon)

Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory Data NSSL Pedon #S2012AZ005006
________________________________________

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.