LOCATION ZUKAN UT+AZ
Established Series
Rev. RSJ/MJD/LJGII
11/2011
ZUKAN SERIES
The Zukan series consists of shallow to bedrock, well drained soils that formed in residuum and alluvium from limestone, sandstone, and shale. These soils are on mesas with gradients of 1 to 10 percent. The mean annual air temperature is about 54 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 12.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Zukan fine sandy loam - rangeland (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine and coarse pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bw1--2 to 4 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; strongly effervescent; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
Bw2--4 to 10 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine and few medium pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 13 inches thick)
Bk--10 to 16 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates are in soft accretions and in veins; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
R--16 inches; limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Utah; about 1 5/8 miles southeast of Hurricane School; about 800 feet east and 570 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 1, T.42 S., R.13 W; Hurricane Quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 9 minutes 29 seconds N. and long. 113 degrees 16 minutes 13 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 54 to 59 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature: 72 to 73 degrees F.
Soil moisture: Ustic aridic moisture regime
Depth to bedrock: 10 to 20 inches
Rock fragment content: 2 to 15 percent gravel and cobbles
A and Bw horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Texture: fine sandy loam, loam, sandy loam
Bk horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Texture: loam, very fine sandy loam, clay loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bigmon (CO),
Hideout (UT),
Kenzo (UT),
Lazear (CO),
Redspear (WY),
Rizno (UT),
Rizozo (NM),
Skyvillage (NM),
Travessilla (NM) and
Travson (WY) series. Kenzo soils are inactive. Rizno and Skyvillage soils lack an accumulation of carbonates. Bigmon, Hideout, Lazear, Redspear, Rizozo, Travson, and Travessilla soils are moist in the soil moisture control section during
May and June.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zukan soils are on mesas with gradients of 1 to 10 percent. Elevations range from 3,600 to 4,800 feet. These soils formed in residuum and alluvium from limestone, sandstone and shale. The mean annual air temperature is 52 to 57 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature is 73 to 79 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches. Frost-free period is 135 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Yaki soils. Yaki soils have calcic horizons and have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used as livestock grazing. Vegetation is blackbrush, sagebrush, Mormon tea, snakeweed, galleta and cheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Utah and northern Arizona. MLRA 35. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washington County Utah 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features found in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon).
Lithic contact - the boundary at 16 inches (R horizon).
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2010.
The Bk horizon is 2 to 6 inches thick and is not diagnostic for the series. The taxonomic placement is based on the assumption that the thickness requirement for a calcic horizon is not met.
This soil was previously classified as a Lithic Torriorthents.
Updates and revisions for the correlation of Navajo Mountain Area (AZ711), July 2, 2008, CEM
Update and revisions for the correlation of Chinle Area (AZ713), August 2011, LJGII
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.