LOCATION MOREFIELD COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Morefield loam, on a south facing, 1 percent slope in pinyon-juniper woodland at an elevation of 6,840 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 8 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; common very fine discontinuous tubular pores; clay bridging between sand grains; neutral (pH 6.8) abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--8 to 12 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots throughout; common very fine discontinuous tubular pores; clay bridging between sand grains; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Bt3--12 to 24 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots throughout; few very fine discontinuous tubular pores; clay bridging between sand grains; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
Btk1--24 to 58 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium roots throughout; few very fine discontinuous tubular pores; many faint continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common fine irregular carbonate threads; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 40 inches thick)
Btk2--58 to 67 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots throughout; few very fine discontinuous tubular pores; many faint continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine irregular carbonate threads; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Montezuma County, Colorado. Chapin Mesa, Mesa Verde National Park; about 100 yards north of the southern park boundary, east of the helipad; located about 600 feet north and 2,700 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 33, T. 34 N., R. 15 W.; Moccasin Mesa USGS quad; lat. 37 degrees 9 minutes 31 seconds N. and long. 108 degrees 28 minutes 53 seconds W., NAD27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic bordering on aridic
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 10 to 36 inches
Mean annual soil temperature: 46 to 51 degrees F
Particle-size control section:
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 (3 or 4 moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 (3 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam or clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Btk horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 (3 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loam or clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: eolian material derived from sandstone
Landform: mesas
Slopes: 1 to 6 percent
Elevation: 6,800 to 7,800 feet
Mean annual temperature: 47 to 50 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 16 to 19 inches
Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year with July and August being slightly wetter and June being slightly dryer.
Frost-free period: 130 to 150 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arabrab, Roubideau, and Longburn soils. Roubideau soils are moderately deep and Arabrab and Longburn soils are both shallow.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, medium runoff, moderately slow permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is twoneedle pinyon, Utah juniper, serviceberry, and muttongrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: southwest Colorado. LRR D, MLRA 36. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cortez Area, Colorado, Parts of Dolores and Montezuma Counties 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 2 inches. (A)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 2 to 67 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Btk1, and Btk2)
Particle size control section: The zone from 2 to 22 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3)
Pale Great Group: 7.5YR or redder hues and less than 20% relative clay decrease in the argillic horizon within 150 cm of surface.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab sampled S93CO-083-006.
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Ninth Edition, 2003.