LOCATION CAPILLO NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Capillo loam--mixed forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--2 inches to 0; Decomposing needles, bark, and twigs; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--3 to 6 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; few large pores; few thin clay films lining pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--6 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky, plastic; thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; few large pores; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Bt3--11 to 21 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few fine pores; thin continuous clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 inches thick)
Bt4--21 to 30 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few fine pores; few thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
C--30 to 40 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 36 inches thick)
2Cr--40 to 60 inches; Soft shale with partially weathered thin, fractured layers or coarse fragments of sandstone; slightly effervescent (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Torrance County, New Mexico; NE 1/4 Sec. 15, T.5N., R.5E.; 106 degrees, 23 minutes, 50 seconds west longitude; 34 degrees, 39 minutes, 52 seconds north latitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: Moist in some part of the soil moisture control section December through April and intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section July through October.
Soil Temperature: 43 to 47 degrees F.
Thickness of Mollic epipedon: 10 to 16 inches.
Reaction: slightly acid to mildly alkaline
Depth to Cr horizon: 40 to more than 60 inches.
Some pedons have BA horizons above the Bt horizon.
A horizon: Hue - 10YR through 5YR Value: 2 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist Chroma: 1 through 3
Texture: Loam or silt loam. Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles
Bt horizon: Hue - 10YR through 5YR Value: 3 through 6 dry, 2 or 5 moist Chroma: 2 through 5
Texture: Clay or silty clay loam Clay: 35 to 45 percent Sand: less than 40 percent Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
C horizon: Hue - 7.5 YR or 10YR Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist Chroma: 4 through 6 moist.
Texture: clay, clay loam, or silty clay
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Barela(NM), Charo(NM), Darret(MT), Fergus(MT), Microy(NM), Moreno(NM), Pino(NM), Terrad(MT), Turkeysprings(MT), Wilcoxson(MT) and Zau(CO) soils. Barela and Moreno soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the Bt horizon. Charo, Darret, Microy, Pino and Zau soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Fergus, Terrad, Turkeysprings, and Wilcoxson soils are calcareous in the lower Bt horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Capillo soils formed in moderately fine textured interbedded shales, sandstone and limestone mountain hill, and mesa sideslopes. Slopes range from 0 to 70 percent. Rock outcrop is common where the landscapes are undulating. Elevations range from 7,000 to 11,000 feet. At the type location the average annual precipitation is 16 to 22 inches, the average annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. Frost free period is 80 to 100 days. Most of the precipitation falls during the summer months.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to some of the competing series, these are the Cueva, Cundiyo, Encierro, Fortwingate, McVickers, Mirabal, Posos, and Supervisor soils. Cueva and Encierro soils have average soil temperatures greater than 47 degrees F. Cundiyo, Fortwingate, McVickers, Mirabal, and Posos soils lack mollic horizons. Supervisor and Mirabal soils lack argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Recreation, wildlife, and forest products. Present vegetation is Douglas and white fir, ponderosa pine, gambel oak, lupine, blue grama, brome, pine dropseed, and Arizona fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous area of central New Mexico. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lakewood, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Fe County (Santa Fe Area), New Mexico, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 11 inches. (A, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 3 to 30 inches. (Bt horizons)