LOCATION NYJACK NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Nyjack loam--on a summit of an undulating plateau sloping 2 percent to the south at 6,910 feet elevation- woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 13, 2000, the soil was slightly moist from 10 to 26 inches and otherwise dry throughout.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to moderate medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and few very fine roots; few very fine irregularly shaped pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few coarse, common medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few prominent and common distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--12 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium, common fine, and few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few prominent and few distinct clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
Bt3--20 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular and moderate coarse granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium, few fine, and common very fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent pumice paragravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 18 inches thick)
2C--28 to 32 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very paragravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; 40 percent paragravel and 10 percent paracobbles; very slightly alkaline; slightly acid (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2Cr--32 to 42 inches; moderately cemented rhyolitic tuff bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos County, New Mexico; about 5.0 miles south of Los Alamos; Latitude 35 degrees 48 minutes 10.20 seconds North and Longitude 106 degrees 17 minutes 27.93 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is moist in all parts during the 60 days following the winter solstice. It is moist in some part less than 40 percent and moist in all parts less than 25 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through April and July through October. The soil is dry in May and June.
Mean annual soil temperature: 49 to 52 degrees F.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 17 to 34 inches
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches
Lithology of pararock fragments: Rhyolitic tuff and pumice
Particle-size control section weighted averages:
Silicate clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: 40 to 60 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 20 to 40 percent
Pararock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent paragravel
Volcanic glass content: 10 to 20 percent in the coarse silt plus sand fraction
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
Bt horizons
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt3 horizon (not in all pedons)
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam or paragravelly loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Pararock fragments: total range is 5 to 20 percent, mostly tuff and pumice, 5 to 15 percent paragravel, 0 to 5 percent paracobbles
2C horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry
Texture: very paragravelly loam, paragravelly loam, paracobbly sandy clay loam, paragravelly sandy loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Pararock fragments: total range is 5 to 55 percent, mostly tuff and pumice, 20 to 40 percent paragravel, 5 to 15 percent paracobbles
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arnor, Arwite, Bosonoak, Celavar, Dalhart, Deekay, Elwop, Evpark, Flugle, Fort Collins, Gateson, Iwela, Oldwolf, Olnest, Orlie, Parkelei, Rauzi, Rockybutte, Stonebutte, Toluca, and Wagonhound series. Arnor, Arwite, Bosonoak, Dalhart, Deekay, Flugle, Iwela, Olnest, Orlie, Parkelei, Rauzi, Rockybutte, Toluca, and Wagonhound soils are deeper than 40 inches to bedrock. Celavar and Evpark soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Elwop, Gateson, and Oldwolf soils do not contain volcanic ash and are more moist in May and June. Series that have not had activity classes assigned are the Augustine, Bigbow, Carri, Celacy, Dermala, Goesling, Lykorly, Maia, Pinitos, and Ribera series. Augustine, Goesling, Maia, and Pinitos soils are very deep to bedrock. Carri and Ribera soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Celacy do not have volcanic ash in their profile and are over soft sandstone and shale.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nyjack soils are on summits of interfluves on undulating plateaus and mesas. Slopes are 1 to 15 percent. The soil formed in alluvium and eolian material weathered from tuff. The elevation is 6,000 to 7,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is about 12 to 16 inches, but can range as high as 17 inches in some areas. The mean annual temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 110 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Hackroy and Frijoles soils. Hackroy soils have paralithic contact at 20 inches or less. Frijoles soils are loamy-skeletal over fragmental.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mostly for wildlife and production of wood. Present vegetation is twoneedle pinyon, oneseed juniper, and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral New Mexico. MLRA 36. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sandoval County Area, Los Alamos County, New Mexico, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to a depth of about 2 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 2 to 28 inches. (Bt1, Bt2, and BCt horizons)
Paralithic contact: Moderately cemented tuff bedrock at 32 inches. (top of 3Cr layer)
In February 2002 the type location was moved to the Bandelier National Monument to better reflect the Aridic Ustic moisture regime and better typify the plant community. The term 'superactive' was added to the taxonomic class.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference samples were analyzed for mineralogy family at the Riverside Laboratory, Sample No. R74-295.