LOCATION QUILLIAN AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Quillian very gravelly sandy loam - rangeland and wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 1 inch; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--1 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary.
A3--4 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few fine irregular and tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 3 to 10 inches)
Bt1--9 to 16 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine and medium irregular pores; common faint and few distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 25 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--16 to 26 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; few faint and distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 30 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 9 to 20 inches)
2Cr--26 to 30 inches; weathered granite bedrock; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
2R--30 inches; hard, unweathered granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Fort Bowie National Historic Site; located at a latitude of 32 degrees, 8 minutes, 38 seconds North and longitude of 109 degrees, 26 minutes, 47 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - September and December - February. Driest during May and June. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 59 to 64 degrees F.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Organic matter: less than 1 percent
Lithochromic colors. The organic carbon content does not decrease by more than 0.6 percent with increasing depth.
Depth to unweathered bedrock: 20 to 40 inches
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 through 3 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ady (TX) and Gardencan (AZ) series. Both of these soils are very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Quillian soils are on pediments at elevations of 4800 to 5000 feet. Slopes range from 5 to 30 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from granite. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December to February. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Budlamp and Overlook soils. Budlamp soils are less than 20 inches deep and do not have an argillic horizon. Overlook soils are more than 60 inches deep and have a mollic epipedon that is 20 to 34 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for recreation, wildlife habitat and livestock grazing. Vegetation includes mesquite, one-seed juniper, agave, yucca, turpentine bush, sotol, nolina, sideoats grama, blue grama, crinkleawn, cholla, and prickly pear.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. Quillian soils are of limited extent. MLRA is 41. The name is from nearby Quillian well.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona; Soil survey of Fort Bowie National Historic Site; 1996.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 9 inches (A1, A2, A3 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 9 to 26 inches (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 26 inches (2Cr horizon)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 30 inches (2R horizon)