LOCATION PRESA                   NM+WY

Established Series
Rev. JOC/JAW/KLS
09/2022

PRESA SERIES

The Presa series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from sandstone and shale. Presa soils are on steep slopes of mountains and canyons and have slopes of 15 to 80 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 890 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 2 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Presa cobbly loam, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed organic matter derived from forest litter

Oe--3 to 6 cm; moderately decomposed organic matter derived from forest litter

A--6 to 11 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable; common very fine, fine and medium roots, few coarse roots; many very fine and fine pores; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobblestones; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

E--11 to 19 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine pores; 30 percent gravel, few cobblestones; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 38 cm thick)

BE--19 to 39 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine pores; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobblestones; many thin films on rock fragments; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

Bt1--39 to 67 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; 50 percent gravel, 25 percent cobblestones, 10 percent stones; many thin clay films on rock fragments; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--67 to 92 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) extremely cobbly loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic; few very fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; 45 percent gravel, 30 percent cobblestones, 20 percent stones; many thin clay films on rock fragments; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--92 to 115 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, few very fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; 45 percent gravel, 30 percent cobblestones, 20 percent stones; common thin clay films on faces of peds and on rock fragments; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary.

BC--115 to 138 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) extremely stony sandy clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; very weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; 5 percent gravel, 15 percent cobblestones, 70 percent stones; many moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and on rock fragments; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons - 75 to 190 cm)

C--138 to 199 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) extremely stony sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist, massive; slightly hard, very friable; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; 25 percent cobblestones, 60 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Taos County, New Mexico; section 27, T.24N., R.15E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--1 to 3 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--2 to 6 degrees C
Thickness of solum--100 to 230 cm
Rock fragments--angular pebbles, cobbles, and stones

A horizon (where present)
Value--4 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma--2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture--loam or sandy loam
Rock fragment content in the A1 and A2 horizons--10 to 35 percent

Bt horizons
Hue--7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value--5 through 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--loam, sandy clay loam, and clay loam
Clay content--20 to 30 percent
Rock fragment content--35 to 95 percent

BC horizon
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Rock fragment content--50 to 90 percent

C horizon (where present)
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Texture--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Rock fragment content--60 to 95 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Agneston, Angostura, Cloud Peak, Cundiyo, Duchesne, Frisco, Gambler, Granile, Hyattsville (t), Jorge, Kebler, Lake Creek, Lakehelen (t), Larand, Leadville, Lulude, Macfarlane, Tenrag (t), Tolvar and Zabel (t) series. Agneston, Cloud Peak, Hyattsville, Kebler, Lake Creek, Lakehelen, and Lulude soils have bedrock at depths of less than 100 cm. Angostura soils have a mixed Bt/E horizon and have a mean summer soil temperature of 6 to 7.8 degrees C. Cundiyo, Jorge, and Macfarlane soils have less than 20 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Duchesne soils have argillic horizons less than 50 cm thick. Frisco soils have E horizons thicker than 28 cm. Gambler, Granile, Larand, Tolvar, and Zabel soils have mixed E/B horizons. Leadville and Tenrag soils have hue of 7.5YR or 5YR.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain and canyon side slopes
Elevation--3,050 to 3,660 meters
Slopes--0 to 80 percent
Parent material--materials weathered from sandstone and shale
Mean annual precipitation ranges--760 to 1,020 mm
Mean annual air temperatures--0 to 3 degrees C
Mean annual summer temperature--2 to 4 degrees C
Frost-free period--50 to 70 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Vegetation is Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, with an understory of kinnikinnick, and whortleberry. Scattered grasses are timber oatgrass, mountain brome, nodding brome, and tufted hairgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Presa soils are of moderate extent in northern New Mexico and northwestern Wyoming; MLRAs 48A, 43B

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Taos Area, New Mexico, 1976.

REMARKS: Converted to metric and O horizons were updated to start at zero. Competing series section was not updated. 2/2022

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.