LOCATION MASSAI AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic Aridic Ustorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Massai very cobbly sandy loam - wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed manzanita and oak leaf litter.
A--1 to 2 inch; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very cobbly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, 10 percent cobble, 5 percent stone; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
C1--2 to 16 inches; white (10YR 8/1) very gravelly fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobble; noneffervescent; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear irregular boundary.
C2--16 to 48 inches; white (10YR 8/1) very cobbly fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobble, 5 percent stone; noneffervescent; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the C horizons is 35 inches)
2R--48 inches; hard, fractured rhyolitic tuff bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Chiricahua National Monument; located at a latitude of 32 degrees, 1 minute, 25 seconds North and a longitude of 109 degrees, 20 minutes, 18 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - September and December - February. Driest during May and June. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 59 to 64 degrees F.
Rock Fragments: 20 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 25 percent cobble, 0 to 10 percent stones
Depth to bedrock: more than 40 inches
Reaction: slightly acid or moderately acid
Clay content: averages 8 to 18 percent
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Massai soils are on mountain side slopes at elevations of 5400 to 6800 feet. Slopes range from 20 to 75 percent. These soils formed in colluvium from rhyolitic tuff. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 23 inches and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December and January. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F. The frost-free period is 160 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canpicket (AZ) soils. Canpicket soils are shallow to a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; high runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife habitat and recreation. Vegetation includes pinyon pine, alligator juniper, Arizona white oak, silverleaf oak, Toumey oak, manzanita, yucca, agave, sotol, crinkleawn, and bullgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. Massai soils are of limited extent. This soil occurs in LRR-D, MLRA 41. The name is from nearby Massai Point.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona. Soil survey of Chiricahua National Monument; 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 1 inch (A horizon)
Entisol feature - The absence of diagnostic subsurface horizons
Lithic contact - The boundary at 47 inches
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.