LOCATION SUERTE TXTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Suerte loamy fine sand on a south, simple linear, 2 percent slope in pasture at an elevation of 365 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many very fine roots; very few fine dendritic pores; noneffervescent; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--13 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many very fine roots; common fine dendritic pores; few fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; noneffervescent; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 20 inches)
Bt1--15 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots in cracks; common fine tubular pores; few krotovinas; common discontinuous distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on surfaces of peds; few fine faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations and few fine faint brown (7.5YR 5/2) iron depletions; noneffervescent; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--19 to 28 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots in cracks; common fine tubular pores; few krotovinas; many discontinuous distinct brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on surfaces of peds; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bt3--28 to 34 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots in cracks; common fine tubular pores; few krotovinas; few spherical insect casts throughout; common discontinuous distinct clay films on vertical surfaces of peds; few organic stains along pores; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bt horizons 13 to 25 inches thick)
Btk1--34 to 43 inches; 70 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 30 percent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots between peds; common fine dendritic pores; many discontinuous prominent light gray (10YR 7/2) clay films on surfaces of peds; common fine threads of calcium carbonate; many fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulations; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Btk2--43 to 56 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse angular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few fine dendritic pores; common continuous prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay films on surfaces of peds; common faint yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulations; common fine threads of calcium carbonate; noneffervescent; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Btk horizon is 0 to 53 inches thick)
B't4--56 to 77 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few fine dendritic pores; many continuous prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on surfaces of peds; few medium irregular black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concentrations; few coarse irregular masses of gypsum; few medium prominent pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) iron depletions; noneffervescent; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
B't5--77 to 80 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few fine dendritic pores; many continuous distinct clay films on surfaces of peds; few prominent black (10YR 2/1) organic stains; few medium black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concentrations; few medium and coarse irregular masses of gypsum; noneffervescent; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Duval County, Texas; from the intersection of Texas Highway 359 and Texas Highway 339 in Benavides, Texas; south 15.2 miles on Texas Highway 339 in Ramirez, south 1.0 mile on county road, west 0.7 mile on county road, south on county road 1.0 mile; site is 200 feet west in pasture. USGS Ramirez, TX topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 27 degrees, 20 minutes, 00 seconds N; Longitude: 98 degrees, 26 minutes, 25 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section remains moist in some or all parts for less than 90 days, consecutive, in normal years. June through August and December through February are the driest months. These soils are intermittently moist in September through November and March through May.
Mean annual soil temperature: 72 to 74 degrees F.
Depth to argillic horizon: 8 to 20 inches
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 30 to 80 inches
Depth to redox concentrations: 10 to 20 inches
Depth to redox depletions: 10 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 22 to 32 percent
Rock Fragments: 0 to 5 percent
A Horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Bt Horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
Note: The maximum clay content of the surface horizons and the minimum clay content of the upper part of the argillic horizons never occur in the same pedon.
Btk Horizon
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 to 8
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: sandy clay loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
B't Horizon
Hue: 5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the
Delfina,
Delmita,
Leming,
Miguel and
Papalote series.
Delfina soils: have aquic conditions for longer periods of time between the A and Bt horizons.
Delmita soils: have a petrocalcic horizon within 40 inches of the surface.
Leming, Miguel and Papalote soils: have more than 35 percent clay in the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loamy colluvium and residuum overlain by sandy and loamy eolian deposits from the Sandsheet Prairie.
Landform: upland
Slope: 0 to 3 percent
Mean annual temperature: 70 to 73 degrees F.
Mean annual precipitation: 22 to 26 inches
Frost-free period: 270 to 320 days
Elevation: 300 to 700 feet
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Comitas,
Delmita,
Nueces and
Sarita series.
Comitas soils: have a sandy surface layer more than 20 inches thick and are on slightly higher positions.
Delmita soils: have a petrocalcic horizon within 40 inches of the surface and are on similar positions.
Nueces soils: have a sand surface layer greater than 20 inches thick and are on slightly higher positions.
Sarita soils: have a sandy surface layer more than 40 inches thick and are on summits of ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Moderately slow permeability. Runoff is low on slopes less than 1 percent and medium on 1 to 3 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for pastureland and rangeland. Vegetation is switchgrass, little bluestem, tanglehead, brownseed paspalum, plains bristlegrass, southwestern bristlegrass, hooded windmillgrass, Arizona cottontop, sideoats grama, threeawns, mesquite and prickly pear. Some areas are used for growing crops such as watermelons and grain sorghum.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sandsheet Prairie, Texas; LRR I; MLRA 83E; the series is of moderate extent.
SERIES PROPOSED: Duval County, Texas, 1999. The name is Spanish from a ranch in the county.
REMARKS: The series was formerly included in the Delfina series. Delfina soils occur on different landscape positions, and are in sub MLRA 83D.
Aquic conditions occur at the interface between the A and Bt horizons for short periods of time following heavy or prolong periods of rain. The period of saturation and reduction is insufficient to affect major soil interpretations.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: The zone from 15 to 35 inches. (Bt horizons)
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 15 inches. (A horizons)
Argillic horizon: 15 to 80 inches. (Bt horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations: 15 to 19 inches. (Bt1 horizon)
Redoximorphic depletions: 13 to 19 inches. (A horizon)
Abrupt textural change: At the upper boundary of the Bt1 horizon.
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from Jim Wells County, Texas.
Taxonomic version: Eighth edition of Soil Taxonomy, 1998