LOCATION ROMINE NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Romine extremely gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; 55 percent pebbles and 20 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 35 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--15 to 23 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common thin clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bk1--23 to 39 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few thin filaments of segregated calcium carbonate; 50 percent pebbles, 35 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
Bk2--39 to 60 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely cobbly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few thin filaments of segregated calcium carbonate; 35 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, New Mexico; about 4 miles southeast of Capitan in an unsectionalized area of Fort Stanton Experimental Range; about 3/4 mile northwest of Fort Stanton Hospital and Training School.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through April and July through October. The soil is driest during May and June.
Soil Temperature: 47 to 56 degrees F.
Depth to base of Bt horizon: 20 to 30 inches
Particle-size control section: 22 to 35 percent clay, 20 to 35 percent pebbles, 15 to 25 percent cobbles on a weighted average.
A horizon: Value - 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist
Bt horizon: Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam or clay loam
Bk horizon: Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6
Rock fragments: 20 to 45 percent pebbles, 15 to 40 percent cobbles Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Irock, Majada, Mokiak, Montoso, Murdo, Nederland, Purcella, Salas, and Willowman. Irock, Mokiak, and Salas soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Majada and Purcella soils have calcic horizons. Montoso soils are influenced by pyroclastic materials and have cinders within 40 inches. Murdo and Willowman soils are less than 20 inches to the base of the Bt horizon. Nederland soils lack horizons of calcium carbonate accumulation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Romine soils formed in alluvium on fan terraces. Slopes range from 3 to 45 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,300 to 7,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 to 18 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 45 to 56 degrees F. The average frost- free period is about 130 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bernal and Hightower soils. Bernal soils are shallow and are on nearby landscapes. Hightower soils are moderately deep and are in lower positions on the landscape than Romine soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Romine soils are used for grazing livestock. Present vegetation includes pinyon, alligator juniper, wavyleaf oak, sideoats grama, and wolftail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Romine soils are of small extent in southcentral New Mexico.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, New Mexico, 1981.
REMARKS: The classification of this soil is changed from loamy- skeletal, mixed, mesic Typic Argiustolls to loamy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Aridic Argiustolls. The change is due to current concepts of soil moisture in New Mexico.
DIAGNOSTIC HORIZONS AND FEATURES RECOGNIZED IN THIS PEDON ARE:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 15 inches
Argillic horizon: 9 to 23 inches