Major Land Resource Area 042B
Southern Rio Grande Rift
Accessed: 12/28/2024
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2
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Next, learn more about the selected ecological site group and its characteristic dynamics by browsing the ecological site group description and exploring alternative state and transition model formats.
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i
Key Characteristics
- Not flooded (hills, convex portions of piedmont slopes, broad basin floors)
- Exposed bedrock absent and few if any cobbles and stones
- Soil surface texture loamy sand to medium sandy loam, subsoil non gravelly, gypsum absent
- Soil is shallow (< 50 cm) or has a calcic, cambic, or argillic horizon within 1 m, dunes may occur but are separated by areas of finer soil texture
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Flooded (low-lying landscape position, evidence of water flow and/or high production, narrow inset fans, bottomlands, river flood plains or meadows; Flooded soils group)
- In a river floodplain
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i
Key Characteristics
- Not flooded (hills, convex portions of piedmont slopes, broad basin floors)
- Exposed bedrock present or surface cobbles and stones common
- Rock at lithic contact is basalt, may be a carbonate layer on top of it
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i
Key Characteristics
- Not flooded (hills, convex portions of piedmont slopes, broad basin floors)
- Exposed bedrock absent and few if any cobbles and stones
- Soil surface texture loamy sand to medium sandy loam, subsoil non gravelly, gypsum absent
- Soil is not shallow (≥ 50 cm) and does not have a clear pedogenic horizon, continuous undulating surface or dunes
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Not flooded (hills, convex portions of piedmont slopes, broad basin floors)
- Exposed bedrock absent and few if any cobbles and stones
- Soil surface textures are fine sandy loam to clay loam, subsoil non gravelly, gypsum may or may not be present
- Subsoil not moderately to strongly saline
- Subsoil lacks a gypsic horizon and gypsum not evident at the surface
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Not flooded (hills, convex portions of piedmont slopes, broad basin floors)
- Exposed bedrock absent and few if any cobbles and stones
- Soil surface textures are fine sandy loam to clay loam, subsoil non gravelly, gypsum may or may not be present
- Subsoil moderately to strongly saline, often with visible salt accumulation or crusts
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Not flooded (hills, convex portions of piedmont slopes, broad basin floors)
- Exposed bedrock absent and few if any cobbles and stones
- Soil surface gravelly, soil profile gravelly to skeletal
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Not flooded (hills, convex portions of piedmont slopes, broad basin floors)
- Exposed bedrock present or surface cobbles and stones common
- Rock at lithic contact is not basalt
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Not flooded (hills, convex portions of piedmont slopes, broad basin floors)
- Exposed bedrock absent and few if any cobbles and stones
- Soil surface textures are fine sandy loam to clay loam, subsoil non gravelly, gypsum may or may not be present
- Subsoil not moderately to strongly saline
- Subsoil has a gypsic horizon and/or gypsiferous materials evident at the soil surface
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Flooded (low-lying landscape position, evidence of water flow and/or high production, narrow inset fans, bottomlands, river flood plains or meadows; Flooded soils group)
- Not in a river floodplain
- Swales and depressions within upland landforms or at the margins of playas featuring highly productive vegetation
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Flooded (low-lying landscape position, evidence of water flow and/or high production, narrow inset fans, bottomlands, river flood plains or meadows; Flooded soils group)
- Not in a river floodplain
- Level lake plains occupying lowest part of closed depressions in which flood waters persist long enough to prevent perennial vegetation in most areas
Ecological site group keys
MLRA 42.2 Ecological Site Group Key
I.
Flooded (low-lying landscape position, evidence of water flow and/or high production, narrow inset fans, bottomlands, river flood plains or meadows; Flooded soils group)
B.
Not in a river floodplain
1
Level lake plains occupying lowest part of closed depressions in which flood waters persist long enough to prevent perennial vegetation in most areas
... ESG9 – Playas and lakebeds
2
Swales and depressions within upland landforms or at the margins of playas featuring highly productive vegetation
... ESG8 – Bottomlands
II.
Not flooded (hills, convex portions of piedmont slopes, broad basin floors)
A.
Exposed bedrock absent and few if any cobbles and stones
1
Soil surface texture loamy sand to medium sandy loam, subsoil non gravelly, gypsum absent
i.
Soil is shallow (< 50 cm) or has a calcic, cambic, or argillic horizon within 1 m, dunes may occur but are separated by areas of finer soil texture
... ESG1 – Sandy
ii.
Soil is not shallow (≥ 50 cm) and does not have a clear pedogenic horizon, continuous undulating surface or dunes
... ESG2 – Deep sand
2
Soil surface textures are fine sandy loam to clay loam, subsoil non gravelly, gypsum may or may not be present
i.
Subsoil moderately to strongly saline, often with visible salt accumulation or crusts
... ESG4 – Saline
ii.
Subsoil not moderately to strongly saline
a.
Subsoil has a gypsic horizon and/or gypsiferous materials evident at the soil surface
... ESG7 – Gypsic
B.
Exposed bedrock present or surface cobbles and stones common
Key to Ecological Site Groups for MLRA 70C
1a
Site occurs on a water-collecting landform such as a swale, drainageway bottom, floodplain, or playa.
...
1b
Site does not meet the criteria for 1a.
2b.
Soils lack visible masses of gypsum in the upper 100 cm.
3b
Soils are >50 cm to root-restrictive layer.
4a
Soil texture is fine sandy loam or coarser at the surface, and sand percentage is ≥50 in all horizons in the upper 100 cm.
...
4b
Soils do not meet the criteria in 4a.
5a
Soils meet both of the following criteria: 1) soil at the surface reacts strongly or violently to 1N HCl. 2) ≥5% calcareous or carbonate-coated fragments at the surface.
...
Ecological Site Group Ke for MLRA 70D
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Ecological site groups
Major Land Resource Areas
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
