LOCATION ORTIZ NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Ortiz extremely cobbly loam, pion and juniper woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When re-described on September 29th, 2004, the profile was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary.
Bt1--2 to 5 inches (5 to 12 cm); reddish brown (2.5YR5/4) clay, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 7 percent gravel; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--5 to 10 inches (12 to 26 cm); red (2.5YR 5/6) clay, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; common medium tubular and few fine and medium irregularly shaped pores as spaces between ped faces; 10 percent gravel; many prominent clay films located on ped faces; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--10 to 18 inches (26 to 45 cm); red (10R 5/6) gravelly clay, red (10R 4/6) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few medium and coarse roots; many fine and medium pores as spaces between ped faces; 15 percent gravel; many prominent clay films on ped faces; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
Btk--18 to 31 inches (45 to 78 cm); pale red (10R 6/4) gravelly clay loam, red (10R 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; very few fine and medium roots; many very fine and common fine vesicular pores; 20 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; common distinct and few faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine and medium carbonate filaments throughout; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Bk--31 to 45 inches (78 to 114 cm); pale red (10R 6/4) gravelly clay loam, red (10R 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky, very plastic; very few fine and medium roots; many very fine and common fine vesicular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; common fine and medium irregularly shaped soft carbonate masses disseminated throughout; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary.
2Ck--45 to 57 inches (114 to 144 cm); light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/3) extremely paragravelly clay loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; very few very fine roots; common fine and very fine vesicular pores; 85 percent paragravel; many fine and medium carbonate filaments throughout; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.75); clear smooth boundary.
2Cd1--57 to 67 inches (144 to 170 cm); noncemented shale bedrock
2Cd2--67 to 100 inches (170 to 250 cm); noncemented shale bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico. About 1.3 miles east of Fangio Mesa, USGS Glorieta 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 30 minutes 16.2 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 46 minutes 38.2 seconds West, NW of NE of Sec 28, T 15N, R 11E, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and July through September. The soil is driest during May and June. Aridic Ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 46 to 48 degrees F (7.8 to 8.8 degrees C)
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 40 to 60 inches
Depth to calcareous material (as visible secondary calcium carbonate) - 8 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section weighted averages - Silicate clay content: 35 to 50 percent; Sand content: 15 to 25 percent
Reaction neutral at the surface to strongly alkaline in the subsurface
Salinity, mmhos/cm 0.1 to 2
Sodicity, SAR - 0 to 1
A horizons
Hues: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Texture: extremely cobbly loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly clay loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam, very cobbly sandy loam, extremely gravelly clay loam, very cobbly loam
Bt horizons
Hues: 10R to 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Texture: clay, gravelly clay, gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay, very gravelly sandy clay loam, extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam.
Calcium carbonate content: 0 to 5 percent
Btk horizons
Hues: 10R to 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Texture: gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay, very gravelly sandy clay loam, extremely gravelly sandy clay loam.
Calcium carbonate content: 5 to 15 percent
Bk Horizons
Hues: 10R to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Texture: gravelly clay loam, clay loam, very gravelly clay loam
Calcium carbonate content: 5 to 15 percent
Ck Horizons
Hues: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Texture: very paragravelly sandy clay loam, extremely paragravelly sandy clay loam, very paragravelly clay loam, extremely paragravelly clay loam, very paragravelly clay, extremely paragravelly clay,
Rock fragments: 5 to 85 percent paragravels, 0 to 15 percent gravels
Calcium carbonate content: 5 to 15 percent
COMPETING SERIES: Current competitors include the Durango, Erramouse, Fikel, Hosta, Hualapai, Montecito, Nogal, , Prater, Teco, Tinian, and Wilmac series. The Durango, Fikel, and Hosta do not contact a paralithic within 80 inches, the Erramouse, Hualapai, Jacee, Montecito, Nogal, Paguate, Teco, Tinian, and Wilmac soils are moderately deep or deep to bedrock. Erramouse and Hualapai are granitic soils, and Montecito are basaltic. The Fikel, Hosta, Nogal, Prater, Teco, Tinian, and Wilmac soils formed in sedimentary rocks. Montecito and Prater soils have more yellow hues. Prater soils are found in slightly wetter climates and Tinian soils are found in slightly drier climates
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ortiz soils are located on linear to slightly convex backslopes of relict alluvial fans from the southern Sangre De Cristo Mountains on slopes of 15 to 40 percent. Elevations are 6,600 to 8,000 feet, mean annual temperatures range from 46 to 48 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation typically ranges from 14 to 16 inches with the peak periods occurring from July through September and December through March. The frost-free period is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Altega, Fangio, and Predawn soils. Altega soils are fine-silty, do not have rock fragments in their surface horizon, and occur on footslopes of eroded fan remnants. Fangio soils are fine, have a calcic horizon, and are located on lower backslopes of eroded fan remnants. Predawn soils are fine-loamy, have a fine horizon in the upper part of the argillic, and occur on summits of eroded fan remnants.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to moderate surface runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Ortiz soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Present vegetation is galleta, blue grama, stipa, snakeweed, plains pricklypear, walkingstick cholla, oneseed juniper, and twoneedle pion.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ortiz soils are of small extent on the northern Glorieta Slope part of the Pecos Valley section of the Great Plains physiographic province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 70A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County (Santa Fe Area), New Mexico, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - surface to a depth 2 inches. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon 2 to 31 inches (Bt and Btk horizons).
Densic contact 57 inches (top of 2Cd1 layer).
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.
Note: The type location was moved and re-classified from the old classification of Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustolls.