LOCATION KOPIE AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, mesic Lithic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kopie gravelly sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) gravelly fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, loose, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many interstitial pores; 20 percent pebbles; effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick.)
A2--2 to 6 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick.)
Bt--6 to 14 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 30 percent channers of shale and sandstone; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick.)
2R--14 to 17 inches; fractured calcareous sandstone: common carbonate coatings in joints.
TYPE LOCATION: Coconino County, Arizona; about 1/2 mile north and 1/2 mile east of junction of Highways 64 and 180; 2,500 feet east and 400 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 12, T. 26 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some parts of July, August and September, and December, January and February. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Air temperature: 49 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to bedrock: 10-19 inches
Rock fragments: 5 - 35 percent pebbles, channers
A horizon:
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR or 7.5YRValue: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: gravelly fine sandy loam, loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 8 - 15 percent clay
Reaction: Slightly to moderately alkaline
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: gravelly loam, loam
Clay content: 15 - 25 percent clay
Reaction: Slightly to moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonates content: 15 percent calcium carbonate
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kopie soils are on plateaus and mesas at elevations ranging from 5,400 to 6,000 feet. They formed in alluvium and eolian deposits derived dominantly from sandstone and sandy shale. The climate is semiarid with precipitation of 11 to 14 inches occurring as thunderstorms in July, August and September, and as rain and snow in winter. Mean annual air temperature is 52 degrees F. Frost-free season is 120 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aso, Boysag, Deama, Disterheff, Rune, Toqui, Tusayan, and Winona soils. Aso and Tusayan soils are moderately deep. In addition, Aso soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section and Tusayan soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments. Boysag, Disterheff, and Toqui soils have an argillic horizon. Disterheff and Rune soils are deep. Deama and Rune soils have a mollic epipedon. Deama and Winona soils have a calcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow to medium. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is galleta, black grama, needleandthread and scattered Juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Arizona. MLRA 35 & 39. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coconino County Area, Arizona, Central Part, 1980. The name is coined.
REMARKS: NSSL sample S77 AZ-5-8.
Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 inches ( A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 6 to 14 inches (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact - the zone from 14 to 17 inches (2R horizon)