LOCATION MONJEAU NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Paleustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Monjeau loam--forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine, few fine, and common medium roots; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and medium roots; common thick clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--8 to 16 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate coarse angular blocky structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and medium roots; many thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
C--16 to 32 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; rock structure; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and medium roots; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Cr--32 inches; partially weathered andesite.
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, New Mexico; about 1 mile west of Ruidoso; in the N1/2, NE1/4, sec. 29, T. 11 S., R. 13 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through April and July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 47 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Reaction: neutral or mildly alkaline
Clay: 18 to 27 percent
Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 2 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6
Texture: clay loam, clay (35 to 60 percent)
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma: 2 through 8
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competitors.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Monjeau soils are on hills. They formed in material weathered from andesite, sandstone, siltstone, or shale. Slopes range from 5 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 7,000 to 7,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 18 to 24 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F. The average frost-free period is about 100 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Docdee soil. Docdee soils are shallow and are on ridges and near rock outcrops within areas of Monjeau soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; slow or very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Monjeau is used for urban development, woodland, and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation includes ponderosa pine and Gambel oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Monjeau soils are of small extent in southcentral New Mexico. MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, New Mexico, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 8 inches
Argillic horizon: 2 to 16 inches
Paralithic contact: 32 inches
The classification of this series is being changed from Fine, mixed, mesic Udic Argiustolls to Fine, mixed, mesic Typic Paleustolls. The change is due to an increase of 15 percent clay (absolute) within 2.5 cm of the upper boundary of the argillic horizon, and the current concepts of soil moisture regimes in New Mexico.