LOCATION ROSWELL NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, thermic Ustic Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Roswell fine sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 13 cm (0 to 5 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; single grained; loose; many very fine roots; many very fine pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
A2--13 to 33 cm (5 to 13 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, many very fine and few coarse roots; many very fine pores; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 23 cm thick)
C--33 to 224 cm (13 to 88 inches); pink (7.5YR 7/4) fine sand, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, many very fine and common coarse roots; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Chaves County, New Mexico; in an area of Roswell-Jalmar complex; 174 feet south and 180 feet west oil well stand pipe in SE 1/4 SE 1/4 of section 6, T. 13 S., R. 31 E. Latitude: 33 degrees, 12 minutes N., 46 seconds; Longitude: 103 degrees, 51 minutes, 16 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Aridic moisture regime bordering on ustic. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts for 150 to 225 days, cumulative, in normal years. The soil is moist for longer periods between July and September than October through May.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 17 degrees C.
A and C horizons:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 7, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8.
Texture of the 10- to 40- inch particle size control section: fine sand, loamy fine sand.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aguena (NM) and Durazo (AZ) series. Similar soils are the Nutivoli and Milsand series.
Aguena series: are in a drier climate that receives 229 to 305 mm (9 to 12 in) of precipitation and support a slightly different plant community.
Durazo series: receive significant amounts of moisture in the soil moisture control section during the months of December to March. In addition, these soils support a distinctively different vegetative community typical of the Sonoran Desert.
Nutivoli and
Milsand series: are moist in the soil moisture control section for slightly longer periods (aridic-ustic).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: noncalcareous, deep, sandy material that has been reworked by wind.
Landform: nearly level to undulating and hummocky upland plains, alluvial fans, and valley side slopes.
Slopes: 1 to 30 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 21 degrees C (57 to 70 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 305 to 381 mm (12 to 15 in).
Frost-free period: 180 to 220 days
Elevation: 1,060 to 1,470 meters (3,300 to 4,650 ft)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Berwolf,
Faskin,
Jalmar and
Malstrom soils.
Berwolf, Faskin and Jalmar series: have an argillic horizon and are slightly lower in the landscape.
Malstrom series: have a calcic horizon and are in a slightly lower landscape position.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained. Permeability is rapid. Runoff is negligible on 1 to 3 percent slopes, very low on 3 to 5 percent slopes, low on 5 to 20 percent slopes and medium on slopes greater than 20 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for livestock grazing, recreation and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly sand bluestem, sand dropseed, threeawn, sandbur, sandsage brush, shimmery oak, mesquite, and yucca. The ecological site is Deep Sand (R070XB063NM) on 1 to 5 percent slopes or Sandhills (R070XB061NM) on 1 to 30 percent slopes.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Upper Pecos River Valley (MLRA 70B in LRR G) of southern New Mexico and southwestern Texas. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chaves County, New Mexico, 1899. Concept revised 1974.
REMARKS: The concept of the Roswell series originated in the Roswell area during a early soil survey of the late 19th century.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 33 cm. (A horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: 2 pedons, R72 130 and 131, Riverside Lab. 1972.
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006