LOCATION TALPA                   TX+OK

Established Series
Rev. CCW-LJB-BJW-DDR
01/2017

TALPA SERIES

The Talpa series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in residuum derived mainly from dolomitic limestone of the Blaine formation of Permian age. These very gently sloping to steep soils occur on interfluves and side slopes of hills and ridges on dissected plains. Slope ranges from 1 to 30 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 635 mm (25 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 16.7 degrees C (62 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Calciustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Talpa gravelly loam--native range.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 10 cm (0 to 4 in); brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam; dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky and granular structure; hard, firm; many fine and medium roots; common fine and medium pores; common earthworm casts and insect burrows; about 15 percent by volume of limestone fragments 2 to 5 cm across long axis; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. Thickness is 8 to 20 cm (3 to 8 in)

A2--10 to 23 cm (4 to 9 in); brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky and granular structure; hard, firm; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium pores; few worm channels and casts; about 20 percent by volume of limestone fragments 2 to 5 cm across long axis; some fragments have secondary coatings of calcium carbonate on the lower side; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. Thickness is 0 to 33 cm (0 to 13 in), Combined thickness of the A horizons is 10 to 50 cm (4 to 20 in)

C/A--23 to 28 cm (9 to 11 in); 90 percent of the horizon is very pale brown (10YR 8/2) and pink (7.5YR 8/4) strongly cemented reprecipitated calcium carbonate 1 to 8 cm thick surrounding light gray (10YR 7/2) broken limestone fragments; 10 percent of the horizon is loamy soil material 2 to 20 mm thick; many fine and medium roots; common fine calcium carbonate concretions; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. Thickness is 0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in)

R--28 to 135 cm (11 to 53 in); very pale brown (10YR 8/2) indurated fractured limestone; fractures are up to 2 cm wide and 1 to 2 feet apart; discontinuous and fractured coatings of reprecipitated calcium carbonate up to 2 cm thick on the top of the bedrock and in most cracks and crevices; other cracks and crevices contain soil and roots; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. Thickness is 25 to 152 cm (10 to 60 in)

Cd1--135 to 180 cm (53 to 71 in); olive gray (5Y 5/2) claystone with clay texture, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; massive; rock structure with many fractures; few streaks of weak red (10R 4/3); few masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. Thickness is 36 to 61 cm (14 to 24 in)

Cd2--180 to 203 cm (71 to 80 in); weak red (10R 4/3) claystone with clay texture, dusky red (10R 3/3) moist; massive; rock structure with many fractures; few masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: King County, Texas; from the courthouse in Guthrie; 13.5 miles north on U.S. Highway 83; 3.2 miles east on Farm Road 1168; 3.0 miles east on Farm Road 3416 to ranch road; 2.75 miles southeast on ranch road; 4.1 miles south on ranch road; 0.85 mile west on oil field road; 0.17 mile south and 120 feet west of road in rangeland.
USGS topographic Quadrangle: J Y Ranch, Texas;
Latitude 33 deg. 43 min. 53 sec. N;
Longitude 100 deg. 13 min. 34 sec. W;
Datum: NAD83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Typic Ustic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than four-tenths and less than six-tenths of the cumulative days in normal years.
Depth to lithic bedrock: typically is 15 to 30 cm, (6 to 12 in), but ranges from 10 to 51 cm (4 to 20 in)
Identifiable secondary carbonate: occur mainly as coatings on fragments, on the limestone bedrock, and in fractures

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent total; 10 to 35 percent limestone gravel; 0 to 20 percent limestone cobbles and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent (less than 20mm fraction): 15 to 40 percent

A Horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 5 dry
Chroma: 2 to 3
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, loam, or their gravelly counterparts
Total clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Carbonate clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 20 percent in the A1 and 15 to 35 percent in the A2; mainly cobble and gravel size, but stones may also occur
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 40 percent
Effervescence: slight to violent
Reaction (pH): moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)

C/A Horizon (where present)
Texture of the fine earth fraction (5 to 20 percent of the layer): clay loam, silty clay loam, loam
Rock fragments: 80 to 95 percent; mainly cobble and gravel size, but stones may also occur
Identifiable secondary carbonate: mainly coatings on fragments; Plates of indurated caliche 1 to 5 cm thick and 8 to 38 cm (3 to 15 in) long are present in some pedons
Effervescence: strong to violent
Reaction (pH): moderately alkaline (7.9 to 8.4)

R layer
Texture: mainly dolomitic limestone; surface of the limestone is weathered and fractured
Thickness: generally 25 to 152 cm (10 to 60 in), but ranges up to 5 meters (16 feet)
Cracks and fractures: 10 to 122 cm (4 to 48 inches) apart; Plant roots penetrate the unsealed fractures
Identifiable secondary carbonate: discontinous coatings of calcium carbonate cap the limestone which seal many of the fractures

Cd Horizons
Color: shades of gray and red
Texture: interbedded and stratified, claystone and/or mudstone

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Similar soils are the Eckrant, Lueders, Palopinto, Pidcoke, Purves, and Tarrant series.
Eckrant and Tarrant soils: contain more than 35 percent clay and more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section.
Lueders soils have carbonatic mineralogy and more than 35 percent limestone fragments in the control section.
Palopinto soils: do not have a calcic horizon, contain more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section, and formed from mainly Pennsylvanian age limestone.
Pidcoke soils: have carbonatic mineralogy and formed from fossiliferous limestone of the Lower Cretaceous Period.
Purves soils: contain more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous loamy residuum derived from dolomite and limestone, mainly of the Blaine Formation of Permian age. The limestone is mainly less than 15 feet thick between interbedded layers of calcareous siltstone, claystone, and gypsum.
Landscape: dissected plains
Landform: interfluves and side slopes of hills, hillslopes, and ridges
Slope: mainly 1 to 15 percent, but ranges up to 30 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 559 to 711 mm (22 to 28 in)
Thornthwaite P-E indices: 32 to 44
Mean annual air temperature: 13.9 to 18.3 degrees C (57 to 65 degrees F)
Frost free days: 180 to 230 days
Elevation: 396.2 to 762.0 m (1,300 to 2,500 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aspermont, Cornick, Cottonwood, Foursixes, Harmon, Knoco, Lueders, Owens, Quinlan, Quanah, Vernon, and Vinson series.
Aspermont soils: occur on lower positions and are more than 102 cm (40 in) deep to densic bedrock.
Cornick, Cottonwood and Vinson soils: occur on similar positions and are formed from gypsum.
Foursixes soils: occur on smoother, less sloping areas and have more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Harmon and Lueders soils: occur on similar positions and have carbonatic mineralogy and more than 35 percent limestone fragments in the control section.
Knoco, Owens, and Vernon soils: occur on lower sloping positions and have more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section over densic claystone.
Quinlan soils: occur on similar positions and have cambic horizons over soft, silty sandstone.
Quanah soils: occur on lower footslopes and are more than 152 cm (60 in) deep to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate in the solum and very slow to moderate in the bedrock. Runoff is high on 1 to 5 percent slopes and very high on slopes greater than 5 percent.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used almost entirely as rangeland. A few minor areas are cropped where deeper soils are associated. Native vegetation consists of mostly grama species, buffalograss, little bluestem and shrubs. Juniper is a common invader.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwest Texas and western Oklahoma; LRR H; MLRA 78B & 78C - Central Rolling Red Plains, and MLRA 78A - Rolling Limestone Prairies. The soil is of large extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coleman County, Texas; 1967.

REMARKS: This series was formerly included in the Ector and Harmon series.

Edited 01/2017 (RFG-ROG): Changed to tabular format. Added metric measurements. Updated competing series, geographic setting, and associated soils sections.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle size control section: 0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 in) (A horizons)
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 in) (A1 and A2 horizons)
Calcic horizon: 10 to 28 cm (4 to 11 in) (A2 and C/A horizons)
Lithic contact: indurated limestone at 28 cm (11 in) (R layer)

ADDITIONAL DATA: 82TX-095-004 Concho County

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.