LOCATION PALMA NM+AZ CO UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Palma fine sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; neutral; clear boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A2--4 to 7 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly alkaline; clear boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 19 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; thin common patchy clay films on faces of peds and as coatings on sand grains and bridging between grains; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 17 inches thick)
Bt2--19 to 23 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few clay bridging between sand grains; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonate segregated as few fine masses and threads; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bk--23 to 36 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; calcium carbonates segregated as very few fine masses, filaments, and coatings on the sand grains; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 40 inches thick)
C--36 to 60 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Torrance County, New Mexico; southeast quarter, northeast quarter, northwest quarter, sec. 16, T. 8 N., R. 10 E.; 105 degrees, 52 minutes, 52 seconds west longitude and 34 degrees, 55 minutes, 24 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in the soil moisture control section December through March and July through September. The summer precipitation is more than the winter precipitation.
Soil Temperature: 52 to 57 degrees F.
Depth to base of the Bt: 10 to 38 inches.
Depth to free carbonates: 10 to 40 inches.
Reaction: neutral to strongly alkaline.
A horizon: Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR. Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 6.
Texture: Fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam.
Bt horizon: Hue - 2.5YR to 7.5YR. Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 6.
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam with 10 to 18 percent clay and more than 20 percent fine sand or coarser on a weighted average.
Bk or C horizons: Hue - 2.5YR to 7.5YR. Value: 4 to 8 dry, 3 to 7 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 6.
Texture: loamy fine sand, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 30 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Khapo (T NM), Marjane (AZ), Vonid (CO), and Windwhistle (UT) series. Khapo soils are more moist in the soil moisture control section between December and March, and do not have significant amounts of volcanic glass in the series control section. Marjane and Windwhistle soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Vonid soils have hues that are more yellow and are more moist in May and June.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Palma soils formed in alluvial and eolian material on hillslopes, plateaus, undulating plains, dunes of plains, fan terraces and fan piedmonts. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from 49 to 55 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches, but is as high as 15 inches in areas. The majority of the precipitation falls during the late summer. The frost-free period ranges from 125 to 170 days and elevation ranges from 4,500 to 7,600 feet. In Utah the frost-free period is as low as 110 days. In Colorado mean annual temperature ranges as low as 47 degrees.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bond, Chupadera, Mathis, Mespun, Otero, Penistaja, Redbank, and Trail soils. Bond and Mathis soils have bedrock at depths of less than 40 inches. Chupadera, Mespun, Otero, Redbank, and Trail soils do not have an argillic horizon. Penistaja soils have more than 18 percent clay in the Bt horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Permeability is moderately rapid. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 3 percent, very low on 3 to 5 percent slopes, low on 5 to 10 percent slopes, and medium on 10 to 15 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for livestock grazing. Vegetation is blue grama, sand dropseed, sandsage, yucca, and cactus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central portions of New Mexico, southern Utah, and areas of Arizona and Colorado. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lower Colorado Area, Colorado, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 7 inches. (A horizons)
Argillic horizon: 7 to 23 inches. (Bt horizons)
Calcic horizon: 23 to 36 inches. (Bk horizon)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.