LOCATION HUGOTON KS+OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Hugoton loam--on a 0.5 percent convex slope in cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular structure; hard, friable; few very fine roots; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--8 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common fine and very fine roots; few distinct clay films on ped surfaces; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Btk1--14 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; common fine and very fine roots; few faint clay films on ped surfaces; about 3 percent visible calcium carbonate in the form of films and threads; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Btk2--29 to 43 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; few fine and very fine roots; few faint clay films on ped surfaces; about 3 percent visible calcium carbonate in the form of films and threads; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Btk3--43 to 69 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; few faint clay films on ped surfaces; about 4 percent visible calcium carbonate in the form of films and threads; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Btk horizons is 40 to 60 inches.)
2Bk1--69 to 80 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) fine sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; about 5 percent visible calcium carbonate in the form of films, threads, masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Stevens County, Kansas; from the cemetery 0.5 mile east of Moscow, 1.5 miles south on county road, 1.1 miles east on county road, 200 feet south in cropland; 540 feet east and 200 feet south of the northeast corner, section 6, T. 32 south, R. 35 west; Latitude - 37 degrees, 17 minutes, 54 seconds; Longitude - 101 degrees, 10 minutes, 24 seconds W; Moscow, Kansas, USGS quad; NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 180 but less than 205 days, cumulative, in normal years. July through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist from September through November and March through June.
Mean annual soil temperature: 57 to 59 degrees F.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 9 to 18 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 5 to 20 inches
Depth to calcic horizon: deeper than 80 inches.
Solum thickness: more than 80 inches.
Particle-size control section: 20 to 35 percent silicate clay. Note: a clay decrease of more than 20 percent (relative) from the maximum clay content occurs within 60 inches.
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam
Effervescence: none too strong
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 and 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: silty clay loam or clay loam with the sand fraction dominated by very fine sand
Effervescence: none too strong
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Btk horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 and 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 4
Texture: commonly silty clay loam or clay loam but includes loam or sandy clay loam with the sand fraction dominated by very fine sand
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: films, threads, masses, and concretions range from few to common
Calcium carbonate equivalent: ranges from 5 to 12 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline
2Bk horizon (where present):
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or sandy clay loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: films, threads, masses, and concretions range from few to common
Calcium carbonate equivalent: ranges from 5 to 12 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Aliante,
Alliance,
Cale,
Calemore,
Kadoka,
Keith,
Norka,
Thirtynine, and
Vale series. Similar soils also include the
Belfon,
Canina,
Forgan,
Ulysses,
Vorhees, and
Zella series.
Aliante series: formed in alluvium derived from sandstone and shale.
Alliance series: formed in loess over weakly cemented limestone or sandstone.
Belfon and Forgan series: have fine-loamy particle size class.
Cale series: formed in alluvium derived primarily from limestone.
Calemore series: has a calcic horizon.
Kadoka, Thirtnine, and Vale series: have mean annual temperature less tha 51 degrees F.
Canina series: has a calcic horizon and does not have mollic epipedon.
Keith series: have C-horizons in lower part.
Norka series: have a thin argillic horizon and some pedons have a C-horizon.
Ulysses and Vorhees series: do not have an argillic horizon.
Zella series: have a fine particle size class.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy, calcareous, eolian loess deposits of Holocene age.
Landform: nearly level to very gently sloping plains.
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 2,900 to 3,700 feet.
Mean annual air temperature: 55 to 57 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 16 to 21 inches.
Frost-free period: 162 to 203 days
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 25 to 34.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the
Belfon,
Bigbow,
Canina,
Dalhart,
Forgan,
Vorhees, and
Zella soils.
Belfon and Zella soils are on nearly level landscape positions similar to Hugoton soils.
Bigbow, Canina, Forgan, and Hugoton soils are on nearly level to very gently sloping plains, low hills, and ridges. In addition Bigbow is in a fine-loamy family.
Dalhart and Vorhees soils are on very gently sloping to gently sloping plains, hills, and ridges. In addition Dalhart is in a fine-loamy family.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderate permeability. Runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes and low on 1 to 3 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly cultivated to corn, winter wheat, and grain sorghum. A considerable acreage is irrigated. Climax rangeland vegetation is dominantly short grasses with a few midgrasses and includes blue grama and buffalograss, with lesser amounts of vine-mesquite, western wheatgrass, sideoats grama, silver bluestem, wild alfalfa, and prairie clover. This soil has been correlated to the Hardland (R077AY040OK) and Loamy Upland (R077XY015KS) range site in MLRA-77A.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle (MLRA-77A in LRR H). The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: MLRA-77 update of Stevens County, Kansas; 2003.
REMARKS: These soils were previously included in the Ulysses series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 14 inches (Ap and Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon - 8 to 69 inches (Bt and Btk horizons)
Cambic horizon and discontinuity - 69 to 80 inches (2Bk horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS Pedon Number; 077A-P00KS189-004 (Stevens County, Kansas); National Soil Survey Laboratory - S87OK007-005 (Beaver County, Oklahoma), S94KS189-001 (Stevens County, Kansas).
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Ninth Edition, 2003.