LOCATION SANTANA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Lithic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Santana loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine irregular pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--2 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine and few medium irregular pores; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
BA--8 to 12 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; common fine and few medium irregular pores; 20 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2R--12 inches; coarse grained granite.
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, New Mexico, about one mile north of Central; NW 1/4, NW 1/4, SW 1/4 Sec. 25, T.17S., R.13W.; 108 degrees 8 minutes 55 seconds west longitude and 32 degrees 48 minutes 2 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: the SMCS is usually moist, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days from April through October. It is usually dry, in some part, for more than 120 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through March, but not moist in all parts for 45 consecutive days from January through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 50 to 54 degrees
Depth to bedrock: 4 to 20 inches
Mollic epipedon thickness: 4 to 14 inches
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: loam, gravelly loam or silt loam.
Coarse fragments: 5 to 25 percent gravel.
BA horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Texture: loam or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 10 to 30 percent gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Purner (AZ) and Venezia (AZ) series. Venezia soils are developed in residuum and loess over basalt. Purner soils have hue redder than 7.5YR.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Santana soils are on hilly or steep mountain side slopes. Slopes range from 1 to 35 percent. Elevations range from 5,000 to 7,000 feet. Average annual precipitation is about 12 to 16 inches. Average annual air temperature is about 52 to 56 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 150 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Santa Fe and Boysag series. Santa Fe soils have an argillic horizon and are skeletal. Boysag soils have an argillic horizon and a clayey control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Santana soils are used for livestock grazing, forestry and recreation. Natural vegetation is sideoats grama, blue grama, little bluestem, shrub liveoak, pinyon, juniper and mountainmahogany.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern and central New Mexico. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 38.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sierra County, New Mexico, (The Lower Rio Grande Watershed), 1939.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 12 inches
Lithic contact: 12 inches
The classification was changed to an Aridic Lithic subgroup in 2007.
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.
The series was revised ATS: 7/25/44; and AJC: 3/5/63; however, it was not used in a published soil survey and sufficient acreage was not recognized in Sierra County to use in the final correlation of that county. Therefore, the type location was moved to Grant County, New Mexico in 5/79 by JBC and the concept of the series changed somewhat from that set forth in the description AJC: 3/5/63. The typical pedon appeared to be skeletal; however, the classification is nonskeletal. The present concept is a warmer soil and one that is gravelly in places but is nonskeletal.