LOCATION PINATA NM+COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Pinata stony loam, forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; forest litter, undecomposed and partially decomposed needles, bark and twigs.
A--2 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) stony loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong fine crumb structure; soft, very friable; many fine and very fine roots; about 30 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
E--5 to 12 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) stony loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; weak and moderate thin platy structure parting to moderate very fine granules; soft, very friable; many fine and very fine roots; about 30 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1--12 to 32 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) very stony clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very plastic; common fine and medium roots; thin continuous clay films on peds and stones; about 50 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 21 inches thick)
Bt2--32 to 47 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) very stony clay, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) moist; weak subangular blocky structure; very hard, very plastic; few to common fine and coarse roots; thin, nearly continuous clay films on peds and stones; about 50 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
R--47 to 62 inches; partially weathered felsite bedrock with few fractures in upper part.
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, New Mexico; SE1/4 section 31, T.1S., R.12E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock ranges from 40 to 72 inches. The solum is slightly acid to neutral (pH 6.1 to 7.3). It ranges from 30 to 50 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from an estimated 40 to 45 degrees F. and the mean summer soil temperature is about 67 degrees F. The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is loam, silt loam, or fine sandy loam and contains 15 to 40 percent coarse fragments, most of which are stones. The E horizon is similar to the A horizon except that the E horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry and 4 through 6 moist. The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is heavy clay loam, clay or sandy clay modified by stones that make up 40 to 80 percent of the horizon. Fragments are dominantly stones but range through gravel. C horizons are in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Borrego, Crest, Etown, Nutras, and Loberg series. Borrego soils have bedrock within 20 inches of the surface. Etown soils have argillic horizons with their upper boundary at depths greater than 24 inches below the mineral surface. Nutras and Loberg soils have a cryic temperature regime, and in addition, Loberg soils have montmorillonitic mineralogy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pinata soils are on strongly to very steep side slopes of mountains where the elevation ranges from 6,800 to 8,800 feet. Slopes are 1 to 60 percent. The soils formed mostly in residuum weathered from felsite and minor amounts of limestone and sandstone. The mean annual temperature is 40 degrees F. and the annual precipitation is about 27 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Erramouspe, Fortwingate, Stroupe, Tampico, and Tecolote soils, and the competing Crest soils. Erramouspe soils have mesic temperature regimes. Fortwingate soils lack skeletal control sections. Stroupe and Tampico soils have a mollic epipedon. Telcolote soils have a loamy, skeletal control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland, woodland, and wildlife. Vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and some juniper and oak brush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of central New Mexico and Colorado. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Boulder Area, Colorado, 1971.
REMARKS: Pinata soils were formerly classified as Gray Wooded soils.