LOCATION HUACHUCA AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Huachuca very stony loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 3 inches; slightly decomposed organic litter of oak and grass. (1 to 5 inches thick)
A--3 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobble and 35 percent stones; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches)
2R--8 to 60 inches; limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Fort Huachuca, Arizona; located at a latitude of 31 degrees, 27 minutes, 50 seconds North and longitude of 110 degrees, 21 minutes, 30 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - September and December - February. Driest during May and June. Typic ustic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 47 to 59 degrees F.
Rock fragments: more than 35 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or neutral
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Organic Matter: 1 to 3 percent
Depth to bedrock: 5 to 20 inches
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 5 percent
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam (5 to 18 percent clay)
Effervescence: slight or strong
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baller (CO), Boriana (AZ), Demayo (CO), Docdee (NM), Far (AZ), Faraway (AZ), Huachuca (AZ), Oro Grande (NM), Rotagilla (NM), and Yaquican (AZ) series. Baller soils have rock fragments mainly of stone and cobble size. Boriana soils have a paralithic contact above a lithic contact. Demayo, Docdee, Oro Grande and Yaquican soils average more than 18 percent clay in the control section. Far soils are slightly acid to strongly acid in the control section in addition to forming on granite and gneiss bedrock. Faraway soils have an aridic ustic soil moisture regime. Rotagilla soils formed in parent material from monzonite, have mean annual precipitation of 14 to 16 inches And are in an aridic ustic soil moisture regime and should be reclassified in an Aridic Lithic subgroup.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Huachuca soils are on hills and mountains at elevations of 6,000 to 8,410 feet. Slopes range from 25 to 70 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from limestone and calcareous sandstone. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 26 inches and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December and January. The mean annual air temperature is 45 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free period is 120 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Far, Hogris, Budlamp and Woodcutter soils. Far and Budlamp soils are noneffervescent throughout. Hogris soils are very deep. Woodcutter soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Huachuca soils are used for military training, recreation and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes mountain mahogany, Arizona white oak, Mexican pinyon, alligator juniper, pinyon ricegrass, Huachuca agave and sacahuista.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. Huachuca soils are of moderate extent. MLRA is 41. Name derived from Huachuca Mountains.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona; Soil survey of Cochise County, AZ, Douglas-Tombstone Part; 1996.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 3 to 8 inches (A horizon)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 8 inches (2R horizon)
Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999