LOCATION SIZER AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over fragmental, mixed, superactive, frigid Vitrandic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sizer gravelly silt loam - forest (Colors for dry conditions unless otherwise noted)
0i--1 to 0 inch; pine litter.
A1--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick.)
A2--2 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; plentiful fine and few coarse roots; common fine interstitial pores; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick.)
Bt1--8 to 18 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; plentiful fine and a few coarse roots; common fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films on ped faces and in pores; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick.)
C--18 to 60 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) cinders or very gravelly sandy loam; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; noneffervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Navajo County, Arizona. NE 1/4 of Sec. 27, T8N, R23E, 1 mile SE of Indian Pine, Arizona.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Depth to the C horizon (raw cinders or very gravelly (cindery) sandy loam material): 14 to 40 inches, but averages 15 to 20 inches.
Coarse fragment content: 15 to 35 percent in the solum and is over 35 percent in the C horizon.
Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 35 degrees F. to 45 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature is less than 59 degrees F. Hues of
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR and 10YR
Value: 3 thru 5 dry and 2 and 3 moist
Chroma: 2 and 3
Texture: loam, silt loam, gravelly loam, gravelly silt loam, very gravelly loam or very gravelly silt loam.
Reaction: medium acid to neutral
Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR thru 10YR
Value:4 and 5 dry and 3 and 4 moist
Chroma: 2 thru 4.
Texture: gravelly loam and gravelly light clay loam
Clay content: more than 18 percent but less than 35 percent clay.
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
Effervescence: The soil may be effervescent in the lower part.
C horizon
Texture: red or black loose raw cinders to very gravelly sandy loam (over 50 percent cinders)
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Sizer soils are at elevations of 7200 to 9400 feet in a continental climate on gently sloping to steep slopes. Slopes range from 2 to 50 percent but are dominantly 6 to 30 percent. These soils are formed on the side slopes of cinder cones and at the base of cinder cones. The average annual precipitation ranges from 22 to 32 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from about 40 degrees to 46 degrees F. The frost-free season ranges from 85 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the Tatiyee, Bandera, Gordo and Sponseller soils, these include the Brolliar series. Brolliar soils are fine-textured.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained with slow to medium runoff. Permeability is moderate to moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for the production of timber and for the grazing of livestock. Vegetation consists of ponderosa pine, spruce, fir and quaking aspen, with some Arizona fescue, mountain muhly, pine dropseed and Kentucky bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East central Arizona and possibly New Mexico. The series is moderately extensive in the Fort Apache Survey Area. MLRA 39.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fort Apache Indian Reservation Area , Arizona, 1971.
REMARKS: The Sizer series would have been classified in the Brown Forest and Reddish Chestnut soil groups.