LOCATION ZASTER NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Calciustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Zaster extremely gravelly loam--in wildlife land on an east facing, convex, 50 percent slope at an elevation of 7,460. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; 50 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones (all rock fragments are limestone); strongly effervescent; 4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bk1--3 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium roots; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles (all rock fragments are limestone); strongly effervescent; many fine and medium masses and many fine concretions of calcium carbonate; 13 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--11 to 27 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine, medium, and few coarse roots; 40 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones (all rock fragments are limestone); violently effervescent; many fine, medium, and many fine concretions of calcium carbonate; 23 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 19 to 35 inches)
2Cr--27 to 37 inches; weathered sandstone and limestone
R--37 inches; San Andreas limestone
TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; about 5.3 miles south of McGaffey, New Mexico; Upper Nutria Quadrangle; 108 degrees 32 minutes 06 seconds west longitude, 35 degrees 17 minutes
44 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The SMCS is usually moist, in all parts, for less than 90 cumulative days from April through October. It is usually dry, in some part, for more than 120 cumulative days during the same period. It is continuously moist in some part November through April, but not moist in all parts for 45 consecutive days from January through April. The period of maximum precipitation is July through October. The soil is driest during May and June. Aridic ustic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 47 to 49 degrees F
Particle size control section: 10 to 20 percent clay
Depth to lithic contact: 20 to 40 inches to dolomitic limestone
Depth to calcic horizon: 5 to 18 inches
Rock fragments: control section weighted average is 35 to 70 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline
A horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent total
20 to 50 percent gravel
0 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 10 percent stones
Bk horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent total
15 to 25 gravel
10 to 25 percent cobbles
0 to 20 percent stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 25 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ayon (NM), Curabith (CO), Hogadero (NM), Hubert (AZ), Mextank (AZ), Modyon (NM), and Pena (NM) series. Ayon, Curabith, Hogadero, Hubert, Mextank and Pena soils are very deep. Modyon soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact of basalt bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Zaster soils formed in slope alluvium and colluvium derived from sandstone and limestone and are on escarpments. Slopes are 10 to 40 percent. Elevations range from 7000 to 7600 feet. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches. The frost free period is 90 to 110 days. The Zaster soils generally occur on drier east and south facing slopes promoting mesic soil temperatures and a pinyon pine-juniper woodland
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chunkmonk, Morclay, Rionutria, and Tuces soils. The Chunkmonk soils are shallow over limestone on dipslopes of cuestas and summits of mesas. The Morclay soils are very deep with vertic properties and are on valley floors and sides. The Rionutria soils are frigid and moderately deep over limestone on escarpments. The Tuces soils are moderately deep to shale on escarpments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high runoff, and moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This series is used for wildlife habitat due to the amount of rock outcrop and steep slopes. The present vegetation is juniper, pinyon pine, bitterbrush, blue grama, big leaf yucca and mutton grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central, New Mexico; MLRA 36, LRR-D. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McKinley County Area, New Mexico; McKinley County and Parts of Cibola and San Juan Counties, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 11 inches. (A and Bk1 horizons)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 3 to 27 inches. (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Calcic horizon: The zone from 11 to 27 inches. (Bk2 horizon)
Paralithic contact: The zone from 27 to 37 inches. (2Cr horizon)
Lithic contact: 37 inches to San Andreas limestone. (R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy Tenth Edition, 2006.
Reclassified to an Aridic subgroup in 2007. The change was made to be consistent with the moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Calcium carbonate equivalent determined with the gas volumetric method by the soil survey field lab.