LOCATION MAES                    NM

Established Series
Rev. JOC/JAW/KLS
07/2022

MAES SERIES

The Maes series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from sandstone and shale. Maes soils are on slopes of mountains and have slopes of about 30 to 80 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 760 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Paleustalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Maes cobbly loam, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 5 cm; forest litter in various stages of decomposition.

A1--5 to 10 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable; many very fine and fine roots; many fine and medium pores; 15 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--10 to 23 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; many medium, few very fine and fine pores; 15 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear irregular boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

A&B--23 to 46 cm; (A2) very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very cobbly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; and (B2t) blocks of yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) cobbly sandy clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, friable; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many fine pores; 25 percent cobbles, 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

B&A--46 to 94 cm; (B2t) yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) very cobbly sandy clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; and (A2) very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very cobbly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine pores; 30 percent cobbles, 20 percent gravel; moderately thick clay films on peds; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (38 to 51 cm thick)

B21t--94 to 150 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) very cobbly sandy clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; thick clay films on peds and patchy clay films on rock fragments; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; 35 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 51 cm thick)

B22t--150 to 175 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) very cobbly sandy clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; thin patchy clay films on peds and rock fragments; few fine roots; 50 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Taos County, New Mexico; SE1/4 SE1/4 section 25, T.7N., R.14E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--4 to 7 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--warmer than 8 degrees C
Solum thickness--100 to 200 cm
Depth to top of argillic horizon--less than 60 cm below the mineral surface
Total rock fragment content--35 to 70 percent, mostly angular gravel and cobbles

A1 horizon
Value--4 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma--1 through 3
Texture--loam or fine sandy loam
Rock fragment content--10 to 15 percent cobbles and 5 to 10 percent gravel

A2 horizon
Hue--10YR or 7.5YR
Value--6 through 8 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma--2 through 4
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Rock fragment content--10 to 15 percent cobbles and 5 to 10 percent gravel

A&B or B&A horizons
Hue--10YR or 7.5YR
Value--4 through 8 dry, 2 through 6 moist
Chroma--2 through 6
Texture--loam, sandy loam, clay, and sandy clay
Rock fragment content--15 to 30 percent cobbles and 10 to 20 percent gravel

B2t horizon
Hue--10YR through 5YR
Value--4 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--3 through 6
Texture--sandy clay, clay, silty clay, or heavy clay loam
Rock fragment content--25 to 60 percent cobbles, 10 to 60 percent gravel and 10 to 15 percent stones

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Diamante, Jaroso, Mascarenas and Trampas series. Diamante and Trampas soil lack mixed A&B and B&A horizons. Jaroso and Mascarenas soils have cryic temperature.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain sideslopes and benches
Elevation--2450 to 3200 meters
Slope--30 to 80 percent
Parent Material--colluvium or residuum weathered from shale and sandstone of the Pennsylvanian Formation
Mean Annual Precipitation--630 to 890 mm with peak periods during winter and late summer
Mean Annual Air Temperature--7 degrees C

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, grazing, wildlife habitat, recreation and watershed. Native vegetation is mainly Douglas fir, white fir, scattered ponderosa pine, aspen, snowberry and various grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Maes series is of moderate extent in the mountainous areas of northern and north central New Mexico. MLRAs 48A and 48B

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Taos Area, New Mexico, 1976

REMARKS: The classification is tentative, pending collection of supporting data.

Converted to metric, updated formatting, and O horizons were updated to start at zero; 7/2022

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.