LOCATION MORENDA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Cumulic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Morenda sandy loam--on a low stream terrace sloping 2 percent to the north at 7,240 feet elevation in mixed deciduous-coniferous forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was dry from 0 to 6 inches, slightly moist from 6 to 21 inches, moist from 21 to 48 inches, and wet from 48 to 58 inches. A water table was at 58 inches.)
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) sandy loam, black (7.5YR 2.5/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium, common fine, and common very fine roots; few fine and few very fine irregularly shaped pores; 10 percent gravel; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
AB--3 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) sandy loam, black (7.5YR 2.5/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium, few fine, and common very fine roots; few fine and few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bw1--9 to 20 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) loam, black (7.5YR 2.5/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse, few medium, common fine, and common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Bw2--20 to 27 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) loam, black (7.5YR 2.5/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse, few medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; few fine and few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; strongly effervescent, 2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Bw3--27 to 35 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) sandy loam, black (7.5YR 2.5/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few coarse, few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
BC--35 to 46 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few coarse, few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few very fine irregularly shaped pores; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; negative reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
2Cg1--46 to 56 inches; dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) very gravelly coarse sand, very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; positive reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) and few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.
2Cg2--56 to 81 inches; dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) extremely gravelly coarse sand, very dark gray (7.5YR 3/1) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and few very fine roots; 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; positive reaction to alpha, alpha-dipyridyl; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) and few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about 4 miles south-southeast of Cundiyo; 2,425 feet north and 1,150 feet west of the southeast corner of section 4, T.19N., R.10E.; USGS Cundiyo 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 54 minutes 18 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 52 minutes 41 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section (SMCS) is moist in all parts from January to May and intermittently moist in some part from June to December. The SMCS is dry in some part less than 60 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. The soil moisture regime is typic ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 35 to 44 inches
Depth to redox concentrations - 38 to 47 inches
Depth to horizons with aquic conditions - 44 to 59 inches
Organic matter content - 2 to 4 percent in the mollic epipedon
Salinity, mmhos/cm - 0 to 2
Sodicity, SAR - 0 to 1
Lithology of rock fragments: granite, gneiss, schist
Particle-size control section - weighted averages
Silicate clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Sand content: 50 to 70 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 35 to 60 percent
Rock fragment content: 5 to 10 percent in the upper part and 15 to 35 percent in the lower part
Mica content: 15 to 20 percent (by grain count)
A and AB horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 or 2.5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent gravel
Bw horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 through 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist
Texture: gravelly coarse sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent gravel
BC horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: gravelly coarse sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam
Rock fragments: Total range is 20 to 35 percent
15 to 25 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Organic matter content: 0 to 1 percent
2Cg horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: extremely gravelly coarse sand or very gravelly coarse sand
Rock fragments: Total range is 45 to 75 percent
40 to 50 percent gravel
5 to 20 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Organic matter content: 0 to 1 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Plite,
Posada (T),
Soward,
Sowcan, and
Telecan series.
Plite and Telecan soils have an ustic moisture regime bordering aridic; in addition Plite soils have fewer than 5 percent rock fragments in the control section.
Posada soils do not have aquic conditions and have secondary carbonates.
Soward soils do not have aquic conditions and have a cambic horizon.\
Sowcan soils have less than 15 percent mica in the control section and receive most of their moisture in the spring.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Morenda soils are on treads of low stream terraces and inset fans of valley floors. They formed in alluvium derived from Precambrian granite, gneiss, and schist. Slopes are 1 to 20 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,800 to 8,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 18 inches with about 40 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Enmedio, Espanola, and Fiesta soils. Enmedio soils are loamy-skeletal over fragmental and occur on backslopes of hills. Espanola soils are loamy-skeletal, lack mollic epipedons, and occur on risers of high stream terraces. Fiesta soils are fine-loamy, have argillic horizons, and occur on footslopes of valley sides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; low surface runoff; permeability is moderate in the upper part and very rapid in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Morenda soils are used for timber production, urban development, livestock grazing, and recreation. The historic climax vegetation is Arizona fescue, Gambel's oak, elk grass, muttongrass, ponderosa pine. The ecological site is Pinus ponderosa-Juniperus scopulorum/Quercus gambleii-Cercocarpus montaus/Poa fendleriana-Muhlenbergia montana(F070XA022NM).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Morenda soils are of small extent on the southwestern Sangre de Cristo part of the Southern Rocky Mountains province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 48A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Area Soil Survey Update; 2008. Morenda is coined from a local Spanish name.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 35 inches. (A, AB, Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons)
Cumulic feature - An irregular decrease in organic carbon is inferred from the variable textures in the zone from 10 to 35 inches.
Lithologic discontinuity - The abrupt change to sandy-skeletal material at 46 inches. (upper boundary of the 2Cg1 horizon)
Endosaturation - - Observed saturation at 58 inches and also inferred from the low chroma in the 2Cg1 and 2Cg2 horizons.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, and part of the BC horizon)
Series control section - The zone from 0 to 60 inches.
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon sampled as S99NM-049-001 by NSSL.