Mariscal soil and landscape
Soil profile: Mariscal very channery loam, in an area of Mariscal-Rock outcrop complex, 5 to 30 percent slopes. Note the varying thickness of the fractured limestone bedrock and interbedded marl. (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)
Landscape: An area of Mariscal-Terlingua complex, 10 to 30 percent slopes. Chino grama, creosotebush, skeletonleaf goldeneye, pricklypear, and yucca are on this site. The Mariscal part of this map unit is in the Flagstone Hill 8-14" PZ ecological site of MLRA 81D—Southern Edwards Plateau. The Terlingua part is in the Basalt Hills ecological site, Hot Desert Shrub vegetative zone of MLRA 42—Southern Desertic Basins, Plains, and Mountains.
The Mariscal series consists of very shallow or shallow, well drained soils that are moderately permeable above a very slowly permeable limestone bedrock. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from beds of platy limestone. These soils are on gently sloping to very steep uplands. Slope ranges from 1 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm (11 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 21.1 degrees C (70.0 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, hyperthermic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents
Soil moisture: The moisture control section is dry in all parts more than three fourths of the time the soil temperature exceeds 5.0 degrees C (41 degrees F). Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during June to September. More than 60 percent of the annual rainfall occurs during that period. The soil does not receive significant amounts of moisture during winter months. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 22.0 to 25.6 degrees C (72 to 78 degrees F)
Depth to bedrock: mainly 10 to 30 cm, but ranging up to 50 cm (4 to 12 inches, but ranging up to 20 inches).
Particle size control section (weighted average):
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 70 percent in the fine earth fraction and ranges to 80 percent when less than 20 millimeter fragments are included.
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent channers or flagstones.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used as rangeland. Vegetation physiognomy is desert shrubland. Dominant woody plants are creosotebush, lechuguilla, feather dalea, yucca, catclaw acacia, and whitethorn acacia. Grasses include chino grama, black grama, fluffgrass, and threeawns.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Southern Edwards Plateau (MLRA 81D) and Trans Pecos (MLRA 42) of Texas. The series is 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/M/MARISCAL.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#mariscal
Mariscal soil and landscape
Soil profile: Mariscal very channery loam, in an area of Mariscal-Rock outcrop complex, 5 to 30 percent slopes. Note the varying thickness of the fractured limestone bedrock and interbedded marl. (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)
Landscape: An area of Mariscal-Terlingua complex, 10 to 30 percent slopes. Chino grama, creosotebush, skeletonleaf goldeneye, pricklypear, and yucca are on this site. The Mariscal part of this map unit is in the Flagstone Hill 8-14" PZ ecological site of MLRA 81D—Southern Edwards Plateau. The Terlingua part is in the Basalt Hills ecological site, Hot Desert Shrub vegetative zone of MLRA 42—Southern Desertic Basins, Plains, and Mountains.
The Mariscal series consists of very shallow or shallow, well drained soils that are moderately permeable above a very slowly permeable limestone bedrock. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from beds of platy limestone. These soils are on gently sloping to very steep uplands. Slope ranges from 1 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm (11 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 21.1 degrees C (70.0 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, hyperthermic Lithic Ustic Torriorthents
Soil moisture: The moisture control section is dry in all parts more than three fourths of the time the soil temperature exceeds 5.0 degrees C (41 degrees F). Intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section during June to September. More than 60 percent of the annual rainfall occurs during that period. The soil does not receive significant amounts of moisture during winter months. Ustic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 22.0 to 25.6 degrees C (72 to 78 degrees F)
Depth to bedrock: mainly 10 to 30 cm, but ranging up to 50 cm (4 to 12 inches, but ranging up to 20 inches).
Particle size control section (weighted average):
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 70 percent in the fine earth fraction and ranges to 80 percent when less than 20 millimeter fragments are included.
Rock fragments: 35 to 85 percent channers or flagstones.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used as rangeland. Vegetation physiognomy is desert shrubland. Dominant woody plants are creosotebush, lechuguilla, feather dalea, yucca, catclaw acacia, and whitethorn acacia. Grasses include chino grama, black grama, fluffgrass, and threeawns.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Southern Edwards Plateau (MLRA 81D) and Trans Pecos (MLRA 42) of Texas. The series is 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/M/MARISCAL.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#mariscal