LOCATION SUELEROS NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sueleros very fine sandy loam--on the planar to slightly convex tread of a strath terrace remnant sloping 8 percent to the north at 6,080 feet elevation--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to moderate very fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few medium, common fine, and common very fine roots; common very fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 or 3 inches thick)
Btkn1--3 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium columnar structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, common fine, and common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films on faces of peds and common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; few uncoated sand and silt grains (skeletans) as spots on top of columns; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as very few fine irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds and on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Btkn2--6 to 14 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium platy; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and as bridges between sand grains; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine and medium irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds and on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Btkn3--14 to 26 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and few very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and as bridges between sand grains; 8 percent gravel; violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine and medium irregularly shaped coats on faces of peds and on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
Bkn--26 to 37 inches; white (7.5YR 8/1) very gravelly sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; common very fine irregularly shaped pores; large krotovina at base of horizon; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent, matrix is impregnated with secondary calcium carbonate; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
2Bk1--37 to 44 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) with white (7.5YR 8/1) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) with light brown (7.5YR 6/3) moist; single grain, portions with concentrations of secondary calcium carbonate are massive; loose and hard, loose and firm, nonsticky and slightly sticky, and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; very slightly to violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine irregularly shaped coats on rock fragments and few large irregularly shaped soft masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 30 inches thick)
2Bk2--44 to 54 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; very slightly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few fine irregularly shaped coats on rock fragments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
3BCk1--54 to 70 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive, thin platy structure, breaking along beds or laminae of fine stratification; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly to violently effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as common fine irregularly shaped seams; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 16 inches thick)
3BCk2--70 to 92 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive, thin platy structure, breaking along beds or laminae of fine stratification ; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, secondary calcium carbonate segregated as few fine irregularly shaped and rounded soft masses; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 22 inches thick)
3C--92 to 120 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive, thin platy structure, breaking along beds or laminae of fine stratification; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; on the Pojoaque Indian Reservation about 1 mile southwest of Nambe; 200 feet south and 3,950 feet west of the northeast corner of section 16, T.19N., R.9E.; USGS Cundiyo 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 53 minutes 3 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 59 minutes 42 seconds West, NAD 27.
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.
Depth to calcareous material (as visible secondary calcium carbonate) - 2 or 3 inches
Depth to base of natric horizon - 22 to 38 inches
Depth to calcic horizon - 22 to 34 inches
Depth to lithologic discontinuity of sandy-skeletal material - 29 to 38 inches
Volcanic glass content: 5 to 10 percent in the coarse silt plus sand fraction
Lithology of rock fragments: granite, gneiss, and schist
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Upper part
Silicate clay content: 12 to 18 percent
Sand content: 40 to 65 percent
Fine or coarser sand content: 15 to 40 percent
Rock fragment content: 5 to 10 percent
Mica content: 1 to 3 percent (by grain count)
Lower part
Silicate clay content: 0 to 6 percent
Sand content: 85 to 95 percent
Fine or coarser sand content: 80 to 90 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 55 percent
Reaction - moderately alkaline in the surface; strongly alkaline in the underlying material
A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent gravel
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 0 to 2
Sodicity, SAR: 0 to 4
Btkn1 horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 6 percent
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 0 to 4
Sodicity, SAR: 4 to 13
Btkn2 horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 5 percentSalinity, mmhos/cm: 8 to 16
Sodicity, SAR: 30 to 60
Btkn3 horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, gravelly sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 6 percent
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 8 to 16
Sodicity, SAR: 30 to 60
Other features: some pedons have horizons of very gravelly sandy loam or very fine sandy loam; some pedons have accumulations of secondary gypsum
Bkn horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam or gravelly fine sandy loam
Fine and coarser sand content: 30 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: total range is 20 to 50 percent
20 to 45 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 16 to 32
Sodicity, SAR: 30 to 60
Other features: some pedons have accumulations of secondary gypsum
2Bk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly coarse sand, very gravelly loamy sand, and very gravelly loamy coarse sand
Rock fragments: total range is 35 to 55 percent
35 to 50 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 4 to 8
Sodicity, SAR: 13 to 30
Other features: some pedons have accumulations of secondary carbonates that qualify as part of the calcic horizon
3BCk or 3C horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam; some pedons have strata of gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly sandy loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 10 percent
Salinity, mmhos/cm: 4 to 16
Sodicity, SAR: 13 to 30
COMPETING SERIES: At present, there are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sueleros soils are on lower, beveled portions of treads of strath terrace remnants. They formed in loess derived from Tertiary micaceous sandstone and siltstone over alluvium derived from Precambrian granite, gneiss, and schist. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. Elevation ranges from 5,500 to 6,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches with about 45 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 150 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Depolvo, Jaconita, and Xenmack soils. Depolvo soils are fine-silty, have argillic horizons, and occur on adjacent higher portions of treads. Jaconita soils are sandy-skeletal, have calcic horizons, and are on risers of strath terrace remnants. Xenmack soils are fine-loamy, moderately deep to soft bedrock, and occur on risers of strath terrace remnants.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; moderate permeability in the uuper part and rapid to very rapid permeability in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sueleros soils are used for urban development, livestock grazing, and recreation. The historic climax vegetation is blue grama, sand dropseed, spike dropseed, galleta, black grama, Bigelow's rubber rabbitbrush. The ecological site is Sandy(R036XB113NM)..
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sueleros soils are of small extent on the southeastern Espanola Basin part 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. Sueleros is a coined name.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 3 inches. (A horizon)
Natric horizon - The zone from 3 to about 26 inches. (Btkn1, Btkn2, and Btkn3 horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 26 to about 37 inches. (Bkn horizon)
Lithologic discontinuity - The abrupt change to sandy-skeletal material at about 37 inches. (upper boundary of 2Bk1 horizon)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 3 to 40 inches (Btkn1, Btkn2, Btkn3, Bkn, and part of 2Bk1 horizon)
Series control section - The zone from 0 to 60 inches.
Taxonomic version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA: The series type location has been sampled for full characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S97NM-049-009.