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Studybutte soil series

A representative soil profile of Studybutte very gravelly loam, in an area of Studybutte-Rock outcrop complex, 20 to 60 percent slopes. In this photograph, cobbles are observed, however, gravel-sized coarse fragments dominate in the soil profile. Studybutte soils are very shallow and shallow to igneous bedrock. Soil Survey of Big Bend National Park, Texas; by James Gordon, Soil Scientist, James A. Douglass, Soil Scientist, and Dr. Lynn E. Loomis, Soil Scientist, Natural Resources Conservation Service)

 

The Studybutte series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils that are moderately rapidly permeable over very slowly permeable bedrock. The soils developed in residuum and colluvium weathered from siliceous igneous bedrock. These soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes range from 2 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 11 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 70 degrees F.

 

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid, hyperthermic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents

 

Soil moisture: Ustic aridic soil moisture regime. Receives precipitation in all months. Driest period is November through April with peak rainfall occurring during May through October.

Mean annual soil temperature: 72 to 78 degrees F.

Depth to igneous bedrock: 4 to 20 inches

Clay content: 5 to 25 percent

Rock fragment content: 35 to 80 percent igneous fragments; 25 to 60 percent gravel; 0 to 20 percent cobbles; 0 to 20 percent stones

 

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and for recreation. Vegetation physiognomy is desert shrubland. Dominant woody plants include lechuguilla, leatherstem, cenizo, catclaw acacia, ocotillo, tasajillo, creosotebush, pricklypear, and dalea species. Grasses are chino grama, sideoats grama, and tanglehead.

 

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West Texas. MLRA 42. The series is moderately extensive.

 

For additional information about the survey area, visit:

www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/texas/bigbendT...

 

For a detailed soil description, visit:

soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/S/STUDYBUTTE.html

 

For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:

casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#studybutte

 

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Uploaded on March 1, 2011
Taken in January 2004