LOCATION MASONFORT NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Masonfort sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated.)
A-- to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine interstitial and few fine and very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 10 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; common fine interstitial and many fine and very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; strongly calcareous; common fine specks and few medium splotches of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--10 to 18 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium and common very fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly calcareous, disseminated lime and common fine spots of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Cr--18 to 60 inches; fractured andesite; few roots in the upper part, none below 24 inches.
TYPE LOCATION: Dona Ana County, New Mexico; 45 feet south, 150 feet east of east end of metal cattle guard, in road cut north side of road, section 2, T.23S., R.3W., photo 5177.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to a paralithic contact: 13 to 20 inches (10 inches in some pedons)
Gravel content: 0 to 35 percent
Mean annual soil temperature: 59 to 72 degrees F.
Soil moisture: Typic aridic moisture regime
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: sandy loam or loamy sand
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam
Clay content: less than 18 percent clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 35 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Masonfort soils formed in alluvial fans on slopes of 1 to 15 percent. Elevation ranges from 4,000 to 5,000 feet. The alluvial sediments are derived mainly from andesite, but include material from other older volcanic rocks and sandstone. The mean annual temperature ranges from 57 to 65 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 inches. The frost free season is 180 to 220 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nickel, Upton, Berino, Dona Ana, and Mimbres soils. Nickel soils are deep, medium textured, and have argillic horizons. Mimbres soils are deep and moderately fine textured.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for rangeland. Native vegetation is dominantly black grama, bush muhly, creosotebush, and winterfat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern New Mexico where it is of moderate extent. MLRA 42.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dona Ana County, New Mexico, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 3 to 18 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.