LOCATION TSOSIE NM
Established Series
Rev. LH/RJA/SAZ/TWH
11/2011
TSOSIE SERIES
The Tsosie series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from shale and sandstone on alluvial fans on valley sides and stream terraces on valley floors. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Tsosie clay loam. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine continuous pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
C1--2 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine and fine continuous pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear gradual boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
C2--10 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine continuous pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
C3--20 to 26 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine continuous pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
C4--26 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly plastic and slightly sticky; few very fine roots; few very fine continuous pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
C5--36 to 44 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C6--44 to 55 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 12 inches thick)
C7--55 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico; 8 miles south of Lybrook, 1100 feet north and 2200 feet west of the southeast corner of section 6, T. 21 N., R. 6 W.; Galisteo SE USGS quad; lat. 36 degrees 04 minutes 34 seconds N. and long. 107 degrees 30 minutes 33 seconds W., NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Typically, dry in all parts of the moisture control section after April 15 to July 1, moist in some part periodically from July 1 through October and from January 1 through March. The winter moisture peak is not as high as the summer peak. Ustic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 48 to 56 degrees F
Calcium carbonate equivalent: less than 15 percent
Rock fragments content: 0 to 15 percent, dominantly gravel
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: silt loam or clay loam
C horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, sandy clay loam, or loam in upper part. Stratified sandy loam through silty clay loam in the lower part
Other features: In some pedons, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, and silt loam textures occur below the control section or as thin lenses within it.
COMPETING SERIES: Current competitors are the
Kishona,
Mikim,
Neville,
Paradox,
Pojoaque,
Thedalund, and
Theedle series.
Kishona and
Mikim soils lack stratification in the lower part of the C horizon.
Neville and
Paradox soils have hue redder than 10YR.
Pojoaque soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments.
Thedalund and
Theedle soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tsosie soils formed in alluvium derived from shale and sandstone. They are on stream terraces on valley floors and alluvial fans on valley sides. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,000 to 7,000 feet. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 53 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 13 inches. The frost-free period is 100 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Councelor and
Lybrook soils. Councelor soils have less than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Lybrook soils have more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The Tsosie soil is used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is alkali sacaton, galleta, black greasewood, western wheatgrass, big sagebrush and fourwing saltbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern New Mexico. MLRA 35 and 36, LRR-D. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sandoval County Area, New Mexico, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - from the surface to 2 inches. (A horizon)
Lack of diagnostic horizons - from about 2 inches to a depth of 60 inches. (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7 horizons)
Series control section: The zone from the surface to 60 inches.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 10 to 40 inches. (C2, C3, C4, and part of C5 horizons)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy Eleventh Edition, 2010.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.