LOCATION WOODCUTTER AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Lithic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Woodcutter very gravelly fine sandy loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; noneffervescent; 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobble; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 6 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) very gravelly loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces, in pores, and on rock fragments; 45 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary.
Bt2--6 to 12 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular and tubular pores; many distinct clay films on ped faces, in pores, and on rock fragments; many distinct organic coatings on rock fragments; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobble; noneffervescent; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 7 to 19 inches)
2R--12 to 60 inches; granite.
TYPE LOCATION: Fort Huachuca, Arizona; located at a latitude of 32 degrees, 30 minutes, 10 seconds North and longitude of 110 degrees, 22 minutes, 30 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: more than 35 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Organic Matter: 1 to 2 percent
Depth to bedrock: 5 to 20 inches
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 2 through 5 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma: 1 through 4 dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, loam, sandy clay loam (20 to 35 percent clay)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Atascosa (AZ), Costavar (AZ), Guaynaka (AZ), and Silktassel (NM) series. Atascosa, Guaynaka, and Silktassel soils are inactive. Costavar soils are effervescent throughout and have 2 to 10 percent calcium carbinate equivalent.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Woodcutter soils are on hills and mountains at elevations of 4,500 to 6,600 feet. Slopes range from 15 to 60 percent. These soils formed in slope alluvium from granite, gneiss, monzonite, quartzite, and granodiorite. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches and occurs as thunderstorms during July to September and as gentle rains during December and January. 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 Huachuca, Hogris, Far and Budlamp soils. Huachuca soils are calcareous throughout. Hogris soils are very deep. Budlamp and Far soils do not have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for military training, recreation and wildlife habitat. Vegetation includes Texas bluestem, plains lovegrass, sideoats grama, bullgrass, beggartick three-awn, green sprangletop, Arizona white oak, Mexican blue oak, Emory oak, sacahuista, sotol, manzanita and Palmer agave.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Arizona. Woodcutter soils are of moderate extent. MLRA is 41. Name derived from Woodcutters Canyon on Fort Huachuca.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cochise County, Arizona; Soil survey of Cochise County, AZ, Douglas-Tombstone Part; 1996.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 6 inches (A, Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 2 to 12 inches (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact - The boundary at 12 inches (2R horizon)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006.