LOCATION ZALESKA AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Zaleska extremely cobbly sandy loam - wildlife habitat. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) (25 percent) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine pores; 40 percent gravel, 20 percent cobble, 5 percent stone; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
AE--2 to 6 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3)(75 percent) and pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) very cobbly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular and few fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobble, 5 percent stone; noneffervescent; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
E--6 to 10 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) very gravely sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; few silt coats and bridging between sand grains; 30 percent gravel, 5 percent cobble; noneffervescent; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches)
2Bt--10 to 19 inches, reddish brown (5YR 5/4)(70 percent) and red (10R 4/8)(30 percent) clay, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky. hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 10 percent gravel; noneffervescent; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2R--19 inches; hard, unfractured fine grained sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Coronado National Memorial; located at a latitude of 31 degrees, 20 minutes, 36 seconds North and longitude of 110 degrees, 15 minutes, 9 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during July - September and December - February. Driest during May and June. Aridic ustic soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 59 to 64 degrees F.
Rock fragments: averages less than 15 percent
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent in the control section
Depth to unweathered bedrock: 14 to 20 inches
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 2.5 through 4, dry or moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Reaction: slightly acid or moderately acid
AE and E horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid
Bt horizon
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 through 8, dry or moist
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zaleska soils are on low hills at elevations of 5200 to 5900 feet. Slopes range from 20 to 50 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum from fine grained sandstone. The mean annual precipitation is 18 to 23 inches and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December to February. The mean annual air temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F. The frost-free period is 160 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canquya and Morimount soils. Canquya soils have a mollic epipedon and Morimount soils do not have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to moderate runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes Arizona white oak, Emory oak, alligator juniper, manzanita, sotol, agave, cholla, bullgrass, Texas bluestem, beggartick threeawn, plains lovegrass and sideoats grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. Zaleska soils are of limited extent. MLRA is 41.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona; Soil survey of Coronado National Memorial; 1996.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (A, AE, E horizon)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 19 inches (2Bt horizon)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 19 inches (2R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006