LOCATION MONIERCO NM+AZ COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Typic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Monierco fine sandy loam rangeland. (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 5 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; few fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt--5 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; common fine and very fine roots; few fine and medium pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bk--10 to 16 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine continuous pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated calcium carbonate; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
2Cr--16 inches; siltstone and shale.
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, New Mexico; 400 feet east, 160 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 24, T. 27., R. 12 W.; 108 degrees 34 minutes 12 seconds west longitude, 36 degrees 34 minutes 04 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and July through September. The soil is driest during May and June. Typic aridic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 52 to 56 degrees F.
Depth to paralithic contact: 10 to 20 inches.
Reaction: Mildly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Percent clay in the control section: 18 to 35 percent.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR and 5YR and 2.5YR in Arizona.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam
Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR and 5YR and 2.5YR in Arizona.
Value: 5 or 6 day, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam or clay loam
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR and 2.5YR in Arizona.
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam or gravelly loam
Bk horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR and 2.5YR in Arizona.
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, loam or gravelly loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Advokay (NV) series. Advokay soils contain more than 15 percent rock fragments and are effervescent in the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Monierco soils are on plateaus, knolls and ridges. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent, Elevations range from 4800 to 6400 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 55 degrees F. The average frost-free period is 120 to 160 days. In Arizona the temperature is as high as 57 degrees F.; frost free days as long as 180 days; precipitation as much as 12 inches; and slopes to 15 percent.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mayqueen, Sheppard and Shiprock soils. Mayqueen and Shiprock soil have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are deep. Sheppard soils are sandy and deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff and moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. Native vegetation is galleta, Mormon tea, blue grama, Indian ricegrass, big sagebrush, broom snakeweed and winterfat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Monierco soils are of small extent in northwestern New Mexico and northeastern Arizona. MLRA 35.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Juan County, New Mexico Eastern Park, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon: the zone from the surface to a depth of 3 inches.
Argillic horizon: the zone from 5 to 10 inches. (Bt horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003