LOCATION ZAFARANO NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal over fragmental, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Zafarano very gravelly sandy loam, on a backslope of a hill sloping 48 percent to the north northwest, at 7,960 feet elevation in ponderosa pine-Douglas fir forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on April 19, 1999, the soil was slightly moist from 1 to 12 inches and dry throughout the rest of the profile).
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 or 2 inches thick)
A1--1 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; common fine and few very fine irregularly shaped pores; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--5 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common coarse, common medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; few medium and few fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bt--12 to 20 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium, few fine, and few very fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear irregular boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
2C1--20 to 31 inches; gravel; fine earth is sandy clay loam; few very fine and few fine roots; 75 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; rock fragments are separated by fractures devoid of fine earth in some part; clear wavy boundary. (11 to 21 inches thick)
2C2--31 to 43 inches; gravel; fine earth is sandy loam; few medium and few fine roots; 70 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; rock fragments are separated by fractures devoid of fine earth in some part; clear wavy boundary. (12 to 19 inches thick)
2R--43 to 53 inches; indurated granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; about six miles southeast of Santa Fe; 2,250 feet south and 2,000 feet east of the NW corner, section 15, T16N, R10E; USGS Glorieta 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 37 minutes 5 seconds North and Longitude 105 degrees 52 minutes 8 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Depths given are measured from the top of the mineral surface.)
Soil moisture - The soil moisture control section (SMCS) is moist in all parts from January to May and intermittently moist in some part from June to December. The SMCS is dry in some part less than 60 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. The soil moisture regime is typic ustic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 10 to 16 inches
Depth to base of argillic horizon and discontinuity with fragmental material - 18 to 26 inches
Depth to lithic contact - 41 to 56 inches
Lithology of rock fragments - granite, gneiss, and schist
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Upper part
Silicate clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: 40 to 55 percent
Fine sand and coarser content: 30 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content: 50 to 60 percent
Mica content: 25 to 45 percent (by grain count)
Lower part
Rock fragment content: 90 to 95 percent
A1 horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Rock fragment content: total range is 45 to 60 percent
35 to 50 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
A2 horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly fine sandy loam
Rock fragment content: total range is 45 to 70 percent
35 to 60 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
Bt horizons
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: very gravelly clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Rock fragment content: total range is 50 to 60 percent
45 to 55 percent gravel
5 to 10 percent cobbles
2C horizons
Texture: gravel
Texture of fine earth: sandy loam or sandy clay loam
Rock fragment content: total range is 90 to 95 percent
65 to 80 percent gravel
10 to 30 percent cobbles
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The Enmedio series in a closely related family has a mesic temperature regime and an aridic subgroup.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zafarano soils are on north-facing backslopes of hills. They formed in colluvium derived from granite, gneiss, and schist over residuum weathered from granite. Slopes are 35 to 60 percent. Elevation ranges from 6,600 to 9,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 15 to 17 inches with about 45 percent falling as rain from high-intensity convective thunderstorms between July and September. The mean annual air temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 110 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Enmedio and Lazaro soils. Enmedio soils have a mesic temperature regime, are in an aridic subgroup, and occur on south-facing backslopes of hills. Lazaro soils are fragmental, do not have a mollic epipedon or argillic horizon, and occur on beveled summits, shoulders, and backslopes of hills.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; permeability is moderately slow in the subsoil and rapid in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Zafarano soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, and recreation. The historic climax vegetation is muttongrass, mountain muhly, Gambel's oak, and ponderosa pine. The ecological site is Pinus ponderosa/Quercus gambeli(F048AY010NM)..
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Zafarano soils are of small extent on the southwestern Sangre de Cristo part of the Southern Rocky Mountains province in northcentral New Mexico. The MLRA is 48A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County, New Mexico; Santa Fe Area Soil Survey Update; 2008. Zafarano is street name in Santa Fe.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 12 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 12 to 20 inches. (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact - at 43 inches. (2R layer)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 12 to 40 inches. (Bt, 2C1, and 2C2 horizons)
Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA: EC was determined with an instant salinity kit.