LOCATION SENA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sena very fine sandy loam, at 6,100 feet (1860 m) elevation in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on November 16, 2004, the soil was dry throughout.)
Akz1--0 to 1 inch; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) rubbed, very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) rubbed, moist; 53 percent sand; 30 percent silt; 17 percent clay; weak thin platy structure; friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots between peds; common very fine high continuity tubular pores; 6 percent medium prominent irregular weakly cemented salt masses with clear boundaries throughout; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Akz horizons is 0 to 6 inches)
Akz2--1 inch to 4 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) rubbed, loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) rubbed, moist; 33 percent sand; 32 percent silt; 25 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, soft, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots between peds; common very fine high continuity tubular pores; 6 percent medium prominent irregular weakly cemented salt masses with clear boundaries throughout; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear wavy boundary.
Btknyz1--4 to 11 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) rubbed, clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) rubbed, moist; 33 percent sand; 32 percent silt; 35 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, soft, very sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine roots between peds; common very fine moderate continuity tubular pores; 5 percent discontinuous faint clay films on all faces of peds; 2 percent fine distinct irregular weakly cemented gypsum crystals with diffuse boundaries on faces of peds and 6 percent medium prominent irregular weakly cemented salt masses with clear boundaries throughout and 5 percent medium faint threadlike weakly cemented carbonate masses with clear boundaries on surfaces along root channels; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary.
Btknyz2--11 to 20 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) rubbed, clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) rubbed, moist; 32 percent sand; 26 percent silt; 42 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, very sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine roots between peds; common very fine moderate continuity tubular pores; 5 percent discontinuous faint clay films on all faces of peds; 2 percent fine distinct irregular weakly cemented gypsum crystals with diffuse boundaries on faces of peds and 6 percent medium prominent irregular weakly cemented salt masses with clear boundaries throughout and 5 percent medium faint threadlike weakly cemented carbonate masses with clear boundaries on surfaces along root channels; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary.
Btknyz3--20 to 30 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) rubbed, clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) rubbed, moist; 31 percent sand; 22 percent silt; 47 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, very sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine roots between peds; common very fine moderate continuity tubular pores; 5 percent discontinuous faint clay films on all faces of peds; 2 percent fine distinct irregular weakly cemented gypsum crystals with diffuse boundaries on faces of peds and 6 percent medium prominent irregular weakly cemented salt masses with clear boundaries throughout and 5 percent medium faint threadlike weakly cemented carbonate masses with clear boundaries on surfaces along root channels; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Btknyz horizons is 20 to 42 inches)
Cz1--30 to 58 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) rubbed, clay, brown (10YR 4/3) rubbed, moist; 22 percent sand; 28 percent silt; 50 percent clay; massive; extremely firm, very hard, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine roots between peds; few very fine low continuity tubular pores; 6 percent medium prominent irregular weakly cemented salt masses with clear boundaries throughout; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
Cz2--58 to 83 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) rubbed, clay, brown (10YR 4/3) rubbed, moist; 18 percent sand; 29 percent silt; 53 percent clay; massive; extremely firm, very hard, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine roots between peds; few very fine low continuity tubular pores; 6 percent medium prominent irregular weakly cemented salt masses with clear boundaries throughout; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Cz horizons is greater than 35 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, about 3 1/3 miles (5 1/3 km) south of Galisteo; USGS Galisteo topographic quadrangle, latitude 35 degrees 20 minutes 49.60 seconds north and longitude 105 degrees 56 minutes 53.40 seconds west. NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section is intermittently moist in some part from July to October and December to March. The soils are driest in May and June. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 52 to 54 degrees F (11.1 to 12.2 degrees C)
Depth to base of ochric epipedon: 2 to 11 inches (5 to 28 cm)
Depth to natric horizon: 2 to 11 inches (5 to 28 cm)
Depth to identifiable secondary carbonates: 0 to 5 inches (0 to 13 cm)
Depth to salt accumulation: 0 to 5 inches (0 to 13 cm)
Depth to gypsum accumulation: 8 to 15 inches (20 to 33 cm)
This soil has an irregular organic-carbon distribution with depth.
Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Silicate clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 25 to 35 percent
Fine sand or coarser content: 15 to 25 percent
Akz horizon(s):
Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma:3 or 4, dry or moist
Clay content: 8 to 27 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 9.0
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 8 to 16
Sodicity, SAR: 4 to 13
Gypsum content: 0 to 1 percent
Btknyz horizon(s):
Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma:3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: clay, clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 9.0
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 8 to 20
Sodicity, SAR: 13 to 30
Gypsum content: 1 to 3 percent
Cz horizon(s):
Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma:3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: clay
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 8.5 to 9.0
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 4 to 8
Sodicity, SAR: 4 to 30
Gypsum content: 0 to 1 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Starlake series. Starlake soils are dry for longer periods in the moisture control section, and may be reclassified into a typic aridic moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sena soils are on flood plain steps of valley floors. They formed in alluvium derived from shale and sandstone. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevation is 5,400 to 6,600 feet. Mean annual temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 10 to 13 inches. The frost-free period is 150 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Galisteo and Zia soils. Galisteo soils do not have a natric horizon and occur on low stream terraces. Zia soils are coarse textured and do not have diagnostic subsurface horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium to high runoff, and very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The Sena soils are used for livestock grazing. The historic climax vegetation is alkali sacaton, blue grama, fourwing saltbush, and galleta. The ecological site is Salt Flats (R036XB126NM).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sena soils are of small extent on the northern Galisteo Basin part of the Mexican Highlands section of the Basin and Range province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 36.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Area Soil Survey Update; 2008. The name "Sena" is local Spanish surname and also the name of a local town.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon -from the surface to 4 inches (Akz1 and Akz2 horizons).
Natric horizon - from 4 to 30 inches (Btknyz1, Btknyz2, and Btknyz3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 4 to 24 inches (upper 20 inches of the natric horizon).
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.