LOCATION PAJARITO NM+AZ TX
Established Series
Rev. LHG/CLC/GRS
12/2014
PAJARITO SERIES
The Pajarito series consists of very deep, and well drained soils that formed in a sandy to moderately sandy mixed sediments from mixed sources. These soils are typically on plains, bajadas, and alluvial fans and have slopes of 0 to 15 percent, dominantly 1 to 3 percent. The mean annual precipitation 9 inches. The mean average annual air temperature is about 61 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Pajarito loamy fine sand - rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 4 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) loamy fine sand, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common fine and medium vesicular pores; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary (4 to 12 inches thick).
Bw1--4 to 11 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) loam fine sand, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common fine and medium vesicular pores; 3 percent caliche gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary (6 to 14 inches thick).
Bw2--11 to 21 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine and medium vesicular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary (8 to 20 inches thick).
Bk--21 to 65 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few medium roots; few medium tubular pores; few irregular masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Pajarito loamy fine sand; Eddy County, New Mexico; 2025 feet west and 815 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 20, T. 21 S., R. 30 E.; Latitude 32 degrees 28 minutes 48 seconds and Longitude 103 degrees 53 minutes 01 seconds.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture - the moisture control section is dry in all parts more than three fourths of the time the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. The majority of the moisture is received during July, August and September with the soil being moist intermittently above the SMCS or in the upper part of the SMCS for very short periods of time. Typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean Annual Soil temperature - 62 to 72 degrees F.
Depth to Bk horizon - 14 to 40 inches or more.
Reaction - neutral to moderately alkaline.
Calcium carbonate - 2 to 15 percent within a depth of 40 inches.
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent, in some pedons, rock fragments, dominantly gravel, may range to 35 percent in any one horizon but the weighted average within the particle size control section is less than 15 percent.
A horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, gravelly sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand
B horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loamy fine sand, coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam (averages less than 18 percent clay).
Bk horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam with less than 15 percent gravel above 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Agustin (AZ),
Filaree (AZ),
Hayhook (AZ),
Lostman (AZ),
Nasagold (CA),
Pyxo (CA), and
Sahuarita (AZ) series. Agustin soils contain 15 to 35 percent gravel in the control section. Filaree, Lostman, and Nasagold soils are in the Mojave Desert (MLRA 30); Pyxo soils are in the Central California Coast Range. All these soils are dry in some part of the soil moisture control section for more than 20 days cumulative between July and September. Hayhook and Filaree soils are noncalcareous above 20 inches. Lostman soils contain more than 15 percent coarse fragments in the control section. Sahuarita soils have buried argillic horizons. Pyxo soils are moderately deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Pajarito soils are on upland plains, bajadas, stream terraces and alluvial fans, mostly on convex slopes of 0 to 15 percent, but dominantly 1 to 3 percent. The soils formed in sandy to moderately sandy mixed sediments. Elevations normally range from 3,800 to 5,700 feet and range down to 2,000 feet in parts of Arizona and Texas. The climate is arid to semiarid continental. The average annual precipitation ranges from about 6 to 12 inches with a marked summer maximum. The Thornthwaite PE Index ranges from about 10 to 24. The mean annual air temperature is about 57 degrees to 70 degrees F. The frost-free season is 180 to 240 days. In Arizona precipitation ranges as high as 13 inches and frost-free season as long as 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These soils are
Berino,
Bluepoint,
Dona Ana,
Largo and
Nickel soils. Berino and Dona Ana soils have argillic horizons, Bluepoint soils lack cambic horizons and are sandy throughout. Largo soils lack cambic horizons and are fine silty. Nickel soils are very gravelly and have a calcic horizon with in a depth of 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for livestock grazing. Native vegetation is principally grama, dropseeds, and muhly grasses with some yucca, sand sagebrush, and scrub mesquite.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in southeastern and south central New Mexico and adjacent areas of Texas. MLRA 42. Also occurs in southcentral Arizona in MLRA 40.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deaf Smith County, Texas 1941
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 4 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - the zone from about 4 to 21 inches (Bw horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.
Updated Competing Series section 3/13/08, CEM
Revised for the correlation of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; October, 2014, NMS
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.