LOCATION QUILOTOSA AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, hyperthermic Lithic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Quilotosa extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) 80 percent of the surface is covered with gravel, cobble, stones, and boulders.
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 70 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bw--2 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 65 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bk--6 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive, slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 65 percent gravel with calcium carbonate coatings on some gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2Cr--14 to 19 inches; weathered granite; common yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay coatings and thin calcium carbonate coatings in joints; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2R--19 inches; granite.
TYPE LOCATION: Maricopa County, Arizona; about 7 miles north and 11 miles east of Gila Bend in the Maricopa Mountains; 1000 feet east and 850 feet south of the northwest corner of section 25, T. 4 S., R. 3 W.
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. Typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Rock fragments - Greater than 35 percent in the particle-size control section. Surface covered with gravel, cobble, stones, and boulders.
Depth to bedrock - 4 to 20 inches
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6 dry, 3, 4 or 6 moist
B horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6 dry, 3, 4 or 6 moist
Texture: Sandy loam, coarse sandy loam; dominantly coarse and very coarse in the sand fraction.
Reaction: Slightly or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Appleseed (AZ), Goldroad (AZ), Hyder (AZ), Redneedle (NV), and Sunrock (AZ) series. Appleseed, Goldroad, Redneedle, and Sunrock soils are moist for less than 20 days cumulative in the summer. In addition, Appleseed soils formed in parent material derived from limestone, Goldroad soils formed in parent material derived from granite and are dominated by 2 to 5 millimeter gravel, Redneedle soils formed in parent material derived from sandstone, and Sunrock soils formed in parent material derived from andesite and similar volcanic rocks. Hyder soils have control sections dominated by fine and medium sand, do not have layers of weathered bedrock and formed on volcanic rock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Quilotosa soils are on hills and mountains at elevations of 400 to 3500 feet. They formed in slope alluvium from granitic and metamorphic rock. Slopes range from 3 to 65 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 2 to 10 inches. The mean annual air temperature is about 69 to 78 degrees F. The frost-free period is 240 to 350 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Momoli, Pinamt, and Vaiva soils. Momoli, and Pinamt soils are very deep. Vaiva and Pinamt soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and recreation. Vegetation is saguaro, littleleaf paloverde, brittlebush, creosotebush, ocotillo, ironwood, triangle bursage, white bursage, cholla, forbs and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. Quilotosa soils are moderately extensive. MLRA is 40.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Maricopa County, Arizona; 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 14 inches (2Cr horizon)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 19 inches (2R horizon)
Soils with Cr materials ranging to 3 inches thick over an R are placed in a lithic subgroup in Arizona. The type location for this series will be relocated to meet these criteria and maintain the present classification.