LOCATION JALMAR TX+NM

Established Series
Rev. ACT-TCB-RM
08/2016

JALMAR SERIES

The Jalmar series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils. These soils formed in sandy and loamy eolian deposits from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age. Jalmar soils are on nearly level to moderately sloping plains and interdunes. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 406 mm (16 in), and mean annual temperature is 16 degrees C. (61 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, thermic Arenic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Jalmar fine sand - native rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in), brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to single grained; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine and medium roots throughout; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.

A2--10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in), reddish brown (5YR 5/3) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to single grained; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine and medium roots throughout; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 50 to 100 cm [20 to 40 in].)

E1--30 to 56 cm (12 to 22 in), reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine to coarse roots throughout; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

E2--56 to 76 cm (22 to 30 in); reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 5/8) moist; weak fine subangular structure parting to single grain; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common fine to coarse roots throughout; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons is 25 to 50 cm [10 to 20 in].)

Bt1--76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 in); red (2.5YR 4/6) fine sandy loam, red (2.5YR 4/8) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine to coarse roots between peds; common very fine and fine continuous tubular pores; few patchy faint dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common continuous distinct reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) sand and silt coatings on vertical faces of peds; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--91 to 114 cm (36 to 45 in); red (2.5YR 4/8) fine sandy loam; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; extremely hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common fine to coarse roots between peds; common very fine and fine continuous tubular pores; many continuous distinct dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common continuous distinct reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) sand or silt coatings on vertical faces of peds; few worm casts; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt3--114 to 140 cm (45 to 55 in); red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common fine to coarse roots between peds; common very fine and fine continuous tubular pores; many continuous distinct dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common continuous distinct reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) sand or silt coatings on vertical faces of peds; few worm casts; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt4--140 to 170 cm (55 to 67 in); red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common fine and medium roots between peds; common very fine and fine continuous tubular pores; many continuous distinct dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common continuous distinct reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) sand or silt coatings on vertical faces of peds; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 125 to 203 cm [40 to 80 in].)

Bt5--170 to 203 cm (67 to 80 in); yellowish red (5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, friable, sticky, plastic; few very fine and fine roots between peds; common very fine and fine continuous tubular pores; many continuous distinct dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Andrews County, Texas; From the courthouse in Andrews, 10 miles north on U. S. Highway 385 to intersection of Florey Road, 1.8 miles east on Florey Road, 1.5 miles north on oil field road, 75 ft east in rangeland. Latitude: 32 degrees, 28 minutes, 25 seconds N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 34 minutes, 00 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 205 but less than 270 days, cumulative, in normal years. November through April normally is the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in May through October.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C. (59 to 64 degrees F).
Depth to argillic horizon: 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in).
Depth to calcic horizon: 150 to more than 203 cm (60 to 80 in).
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent silicate clay.
Solum thickness is more than 203 cm (80 in).
Weighted average of organic carbon in the upper 41cm (16 in) ranges from 0.15 to 0.60 where the sand to clay ratio is greater than 13.

A horizons:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.

E horizons:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bt horizons:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Effervescence: none or slight
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Btk horizon (where present):
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam
Visible secondary calcium carbonate: 15 to 50 percent by volume in the form of masses, nodules and finely disseminated carbonates
Calcium carbonate by weight: 5 to 40 percent
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family. Similar soils include the Amarose, Delphos, Elida, Faskin, Pyote, Triomas, and Vestwells series.
Amarose, Faskin, Triomas series: have less than 50 cm (20 in) of a sandy particle-size class from the soil surface to the argillic horizon.
Delphos series: have a calcic horizon between 75 and 150 cm (30 and 60 in) and do not have argillic horizons.
Elida series: have less than 18 percent silicate clay in the particle size control section.
Pyote soils: contain more than 90 percent silica minerals in particle size control section.
Vestwells series: have a calcic horizon between 100 and 150 cm (40 and 60 in).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy and loamy eolian sediments in the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: nearly level to moderately sloping plains and interdunes.
Slopes: 0 to 8 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C. (57 to 63 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 356 to 432 mm (14 to 17 in).
Frost-free period: 180 to 220 days.
Elevation: 762 to 1,402 m (2,500 to 4,600 ft).
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 22 to 26.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar Faskin and Triomas series and also the Douro, Penwell and Ratliff series.
Faskin and Triomas soils: are on similar landscape positions.
Douro soils are on slightly lower landscape positions and have a petrocalcic horizon.
Penwell soils are on higher landscape positions and do not have an argillic horizon.
Ratliff soils are on similar landscape positions and have a calcic horizon between 50 and 102 cm (20 and 40 in); in addition these soils do not have argillic horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderate permeability. Runoff is negligible on less than 1 percent slopes, low on 1 to 5 percent slopes, and medium on 5 to 8 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used almost entirely for rangeland. Climax vegetation is tall and mid grasses, with tall grasses tending to dominate. This site is dominated by little and sand bluestem along with taller dropseed species. The remainder is mid and short grasses such as sideoats grama, mesa dropseed, sand dropseed, hooded windmillgrass, sand lovegrass, sand paspalum, fall witchgrass, hairy grama, needle and thread, and perennial threeawn. Sand sage, shinoak, and yucca are also present. This soil has been correlated to the Sandy (R077DY046TX) ecological site in MLRA-77D.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains, Southern Part (MLRA 77D in LRR H) of western Texas and eastern New Mexico. The series is extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Andrews County, Texas; 1970.

REMARKS: The Jalmar series was formerly included in the Brownfield series. Classification change from Arenic Ustollic Haplargids to Arenic Ustic Haplargids made due to changes in Soil Taxonomy. Classification is based on Lincoln Laboratory data (S85TX-003-001) from a site near the type location in Andrews County, Texas.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric (Arenic) epipedon: 0 to 76 cm (0 to 30 in) A and E horizons.
Argillic horizon: 76 to 203 cm (30 to 80 in) Bt horizons.

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.