LOCATION NOLTEN NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nolten loam--forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine and very fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine and fine blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and few medium roots; very few thin clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--8 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium blocky structure parting to strong fine blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine and common very fine roots; many thin clay films on faces of peds; common pressure faces; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bt3--15 to 27 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many medium and common fine roots; many thin clay films on faces of peds; common pressure faces; neutral (pH 6.8); diffuse smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
C--27 to 39 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) clay loam, mixed yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; rock structure; many fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); diffuse smooth boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Cr--39 inches; soft partially weathered andesite.
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, New Mexico; about 1 mile west of Ruidoso; at the end of Westburg Road in NW 1/4 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. Typic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 47 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3
Texture: loam or clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent pebbles
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6
Texture: clay loam or clay (35 to 60 percent clay)
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral
C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma: 2 through 8
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent soft pebbles
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Paco (NM), Rond (AZ), and Roundtop (AZ) soils. Paco and Rond soils are more than 40 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Roundtop soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nolten soils are on hills. They formed in material weathered from andesite, sandstone, siltstone, or shale. Slopes range from 0 to 50 percent. Elevation ranges from 7,000 to 7,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 17 to 25 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: These are the Docdee and Monjeau soils. Docdee soils are shallow soils on ridges within areas of Nolten soils. Monjeau soils have an abrupt textural change at the top of the Bt horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nolten soils are used for urban development, woodland, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is ponderosa pine and Gambel oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Nolten soils are of small extent in south-central 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 (A & Bt horizon)
Argillic horizon: 4 to 27 inches (Bt horizon)
Paralithic contact: 39 inches (Cr horizon)
The soil classification of this series is being changed from Fine, mixed, mesic Udic Argiustolls to Fine, mixed, mesic Typic Argiustolls. The change is due to a redefining of the Udic and Typic subgroups of Argiustolls in Amendments to Soil Taxonomy 615.43 page 615-105.