LOCATION LOZIER TX+NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, thermic Lithic Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Lozier very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular and subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; 35 percent limestone and indurated calcium carbonate fragments as much as 16 inches across, 70 percent of surface covered with similar fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.
Bk--4 to 12 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular and subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; 60 percent limestone and indurated calcium carbonate fragments as much as 18 inches across, most small fragments hard calcium carbonate, larger ones limestone with coating of indurated calcium carbonate 0.25 inch thick, smooth on top, rough on bottom; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; smooth wavy boundary.
Rk--12 to 24 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) fractured indurated limestone bedrock, indurated calcium carbonate seals cracks and coats most surfaces; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
R--24 to 80 inches; fractured indurated limestone bedrock, horizontally bedded.
TYPE LOCATION: Upton County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highways 67 and 385 in McCamey, 2.8 miles east on U.S. Highway 67, 1 mile north and 0.6 mile west on an oil field road, 100 yards west to a steep hillside in rangeland. McCamey North USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle; UTM NAD83 zone coordinates: 768110 E, 3150892 N
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: A moisture control section that, in normal years, is dry in all its parts for less than three-fourths of the cumulative days per year when the soil temperature at a depth of 50 cm from the soil surface is 5 degrees C (41 degrees F) or higher; . Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: Mean annual soil temperature: 17.8 to 21.1 degrees C (64 to 70 degrees F)
Depth to lithic contact: 4 to 20 inches.
Particle size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent; 15 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 0 to 20 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: More than 40 percent of the soil mass less than 20 mm is made up of limestone fragments, concretions, and reprecipitated calcium carbonate.
The A and Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: of 2 to 4.
Fine earth exture: loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam.
Calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments: faint discontinuous films to 3 cm (1 inch) thick pendants.
The Rk/Bk layer
Fracture interval: greater than 10 cm (4 inches)
Cemented calcium carbonate coats on rock fractures and rock fragments: from 1/4 inch to 3 inches thick.
R layer
Indurated to strongly cemented limestone bedrock
Fracture interval: greater than 10 cm (4 inches)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bissett (TX), and
Pagesprings (AZ) series. Similar soils include
Blackgap,
Ector,
Mariscal, and series.
Bissett soils occur at elevations greater than 3500 feet.
Pagesprings soils receive significant winter precipitation in the moisture control section.
Ector soils have a mollic epipedon.
Mariscal soils do not have a calcic horizon, and have rock fragments dominated by channers and flags.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: residuum and colluvium derived from thick-bedded limestone of the Cretaceous Glen Rose, Del Carmen, Telephone Canyon, Santa Elena, Sue Peaks, Fort Lancaster, Fort Terrett, Buda, and Austin formations
Landform: nearly level mesas or divides to very steep hillslopes and mountainsides.
Slope: 0 to 60 percent.
Mean annual precipitation: 355 to 455 mm (14 to 18 inches).
Precipitation pattern: Most precipitation occurs as high intensity rain during afternoon convective thunderstorms from June to September. Precipitation during the months of January, February, and March is less than 13 percent of the annual total.
Mean annual air temperature: 17 to 19 degrees C (63 to 66 degrees F).
Frost-free period: 240 to 280 days
Elevation: 550 to 1070 meters ranging up to 1220 meters (1800 to 3500 feet, ranging up to 4000 feet).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Ector, Sanderson, and Upton series. Ector soils are similar to Lozier soils except Ector soils have a mollic epipedon. Upton soils are shallow to petrocalcic horizons. Sanderson soils are deeper than 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate above a very slowly permeable bedrock. Runoff is low on slopes less than 1 percent, medium on 1 to 3 percent slopes, high on 3 to 5 percent slopes, and very high on slopes greater than 5 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation physiognomy is desert grassland. Major woody plants are creosotebush, lechuguilla, and dalea. Grasses are black grama, red grama, sideoats grama, and tridens.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: LRR I, MLRA's 81A Western Edwards Plateau and 81D Southern Edwards Plateau. Southwest Texas and Southeast New Mexico. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Terrell County, Texas; 1970.
REMARKS: Series concept revised and taxonomic subgroup changed from Lithic Haplocalcids to Lithic Ustic Haplocalcids in 2007, better reflecting the soil climate in the Pecos River area of the Western Edwards Plateau. Typical pedon moved from Terrell County to Upton County to reflect soil climate regime more representative of the revised series concept.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 inches). (A horizon)
Calcic horizon: 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 inches). (Bk layer)
Lithic contact: the upper boundary of limestone bedrock at (30 cm) 12 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory Data are available for one pedon from Val Verde County, Texas, S77TX-465-4, (78P2106-2106).
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006