LOCATION NUECES TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, hyperthermic Arenic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Nueces fine sand on 0 to 3 percent slopes in rangeland at an elevation of 57 m (188 ft). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose; very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (thickness of the A horizon is 20 to 38 cm [8 to 15 in])
E1--25 to 58 cm (10 to 23 in); brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose; very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
E2--58 to 81 cm (23 to 32 in); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose; very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the E horizons is 30 to 64 cm [12 to 25 in])
2Bt1--81 to 102 cm (32 to 40 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine pores; few distinct clay films and organic coatings on faces of peds; common fine and medium distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) masses of redox concentrations; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
2Bt2--102 to 122 cm (40 to 48 in); light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine pores; common distinct clay films and organic coatings on faces of peds; many medium coarse prominent reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) masses of redox concentrations; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons is 64 to 102 cm [25 to 40 in])
2Bt3--122 to 203 cm (48 to 80 in); yellow (10YR 7/6) sandy clay loam; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) moist; weak medium blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) few faint clay films and organic stains on faces of peds; common coarse prominent reddish yellow (5YR 6/8) masses of redox concentrations; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Brooks County, Texas; from the intersection of U. S. Highway 281 and Farm Road 755 in Rachal; 6.45 miles west on Farm Road 755; 2.1 miles south on caliche road to dead end; 150 feet east in rangeland. Hartland, Texas USGS topographic quadrangle. Latitude: 26 degrees, 51 minutes, 44 seconds N.; Longitude: 98 degrees, 14 minutes, 12 second W.; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime. Precipitation pattern: moist spring and fall months and dry summer and winter months. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 90 but less than 180 cumulative days in normal years. June through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through May.
Solum thickness is more than 203 cm (80 in)
Depth to argillic horizon: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in)
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Coarse Fragments: 0 to 5 percent
CEC/clay ratio: 0.40 to 0.60
A and E horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sand or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 2 to 12 percent
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent fine gravel
Base saturation: 90 to 100 percent
EC (dS/m): 0 to 2
Gypsum: 0 to 1 percent
SAR: 0 to 2
Effervescence: noneffervescent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
2Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Clay films: amount- few or common, size- faint to prominent, on faces of peds, lining pores, and bridging of sand grains
Redox concentrations: common or many in the upper part, amount- none to common in the lower part, size- fine and medium, contrast- faint to prominent with diffuse boundaries in the upper part and sharp in the lower part
Redox depletions: amount- none to common, size- fine and medium, contrast- faint to prominent with diffuse boundaries in the upper part and sharp boundaries in the lower part
Coarse fragments: 0 to 5 percent fine pebbles
Base saturation: 90 to 100 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent
EC (dS/m): 0 to 2
Gypsum: 0 to 2 percent
SAR: 0 to 7
Effervescence: noneffervescent or very slightly effervescent in the lower part
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Some pedons have a darker colored horizon that is 2.5 to 7.5 cm (1 to 3 in) thick and enriched with organic matter overlying the 2Bt horizon. This layer contains less than 1 percent organic matter.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the
Atiras (TX),
Comitas (TX),
Heatly (TX),
Leming (TX),
Nusil (TX),
Padrones (TX),
Poth (TX),
Rhymes (TX), and
Sarita (TX) series.
Atiras, Rhymes, and Sarita soils: have a sandy surface layer more than 102 cm (40 in) thick.
Comitas soils: have an argillic horizon with less than 18 percent clay in the particle size control section.
Heatly soils: have a thermic temperature regime.
Leming and Poth soils: are in a clayey family.
Nusil soils: have a siliceous mineralogy class.
Padrones soils: have a natric horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: sandy eolian Holocene age deposits over loamy Quaternary age alluvium
Landform: sandsheet prairie
Slope: 0 to 5 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 22 to 23 degrees C (72 to 74 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 508 to 711 mm (20 to 28 in)
Frost-free period: 270 to 341 days
Elevation: 15 to 152 m (50 to 500 ft)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 21 to 30
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Comitas,
Falfurrias,
Sarita, and
Delfina series.
Comitas and Sarita soils: are on convex knolls. In addition, Comitas soils do not have redoximorphic features in the upper part of the Bt and Sarita soils have sandy surfaces more than 102 cm (40 in) thick.
Falfurrias soils: are on vegetated dunes and do not have an argillic horizon within 203 cm (80 in) of the surface.
Delfina soils: are on convex knolls and have sandy surface layers less than 51 cm (20 in) thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is moderately rapid above the moderately slow permeable subsoil. Runoff is negligile on slopes less than 1 percent and low on 1 to 5 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is grasses such as seacoast bluestem, fringeleaf paspalum, switchgrass, threeawn, grassbur,and fall witchgrass. Invading vegetation such as scattered mesquite, pricklypear, and catclaw are common. A few areas of this soil are used for crop and forage production. Cotton, vegetables, and watermelons are the principal crops. The ecological site is Sandy 25-35 PZ (R083EY706TX).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sandsheet Prairie, Texas; LRR I, MLRA 83E. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nueces County, Texas, 1908.
REMARKS: This is a Benchmark Series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: 81 to 132 cm (32 to 52 in). (2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3 horizons)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 81 cm (0 to 32 in). (A and E horizons)
Argillic horizon: 81 to 203 cm (32 to 80 in). (2Bt horizons)
Pale feature: common coarse prominent redox accumulations with hue of 5YR and chroma of more than 6 in the lower half of the argillic horizon.
Redoximorphic concentrations: 81 to 203 cm (32 to 80 in). (2Bt horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: S77TX-047-001 (Brooks County, Texas); S77TX-215-003 (Hidalgo County, Texas); S77TX-247-001 (Jim Hogg County, Texas); S98TX-131-002 (Duval County, Texas). The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is supported by laboratory data number S76TX-047-001 (type location) and S77TX-047-003 from Brooks County, Texas.
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.