LOCATION REFLECTION NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, gypsic, thermic Leptic Haplogypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Reflection fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
By--3 to 14 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/4) loam, pink (7.5YR 7/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; entire horizon engulfed with gypsum; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bky1--14 to 31 inches; pink (5YR 8/4) loam, light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common medium irregularly shaped masses of calcium carbonate and gypsum; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bky2--31 to 60 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common medium irregularly shaped masses of calcium carbonate, many fine irregularly shaped soft masses of gypsum; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5)
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, New Mexico; 3 miles south of Oscuro; in the SW1/4 Sec. 13, T. 10 S., R. 9 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through March and July through September. The soils are driest during May and June. Typic aridic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: - 59 to 62 degrees F.
Depth to gypsic horizon: - less than 8 inches
Particle-size control section:
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent clay,
Rock fragment - 0 to 10 percent pebbles on a weighted average
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam or loam
Reaction: slightly to strongly alkaline
By or Bky horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: loam, silt loam, or clay loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 percent
Calcium sulfate equivalent: 45 to 80 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Reflection soils formed in gypsiferous alluvium on broad, dissected ridge tops and side slopes in the Tularosa Valley. Slopes range from 1 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 4,500 to 5,500 feet. Average annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches. Average annual temperature is about 57 to 60 degrees F. Average frost-free period is about 190 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bluepoint, and Onite soils. Bluepoint soils lack gypsic horizons and are in dunes. Onite soils have less than 18 percent clay in the control section, have an argillic horizon, and lack a gypsic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Present vegetation includes coldinia, fourwing saltbush, creosotebush, mesquite, and bush muhly.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral New Mexico. Reflection soils are of small extent. MLRA 42.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, New Mexico, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 3 inches
Gypsic horizon - 3 to 60 inches
Reflection soils are in a consistently repeating pattern with Malargo soils.
The depth to the gypsic horizons increases near and under large bushes (Malargo series). Whether this is a function of vegetative degradation of the gypsic horizon, increased amounts of moisture under bushes, soil erosion factors, etc., is not known.