Major Land Resource Area 042C

Central New Mexico Highlands

Accessed: 04/26/2025

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Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin

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Ecological site group list

Provisional

042CESG20

Temperate Forest Breaks
i
Key Characteristics
1. Uplands
2. Surface SAR <8
3. Gypsum <5% surface or <10% subsurface
4. Subsurface EC <8 and surface EC <4
5. EC <1.5 surface and <2 subsurface
6. Slope >35% & >40% surface rock
7. Elevation - >6000 ft
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Provisional

042CESG40

Thornscrub Sandy Uplands
i
Key Characteristics
1. Uplands
2. Surface SAR <8
3. Gypsum <5% surface or <10% subsurface
4. Subsurface EC <8 and surface EC <4
5. EC <1.5 surface and <2 subsurface
6. Slope <35% or <40% surface rock
7. Depth >55cm
8. Rock <30% surface and <30% subsurface
9. Clay <30% surface and <35% subsurface
10. Sand >75% or texture is loamy sand or sandier in surface & subsurface
11. Elevation - 2500-3700 ft
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Provisional

GX070C01ESG01

Run-On
i
Key Characteristics
1. Site receives significant additional moisture—either from run-on or throughflow. Site occurs on a floodplain or in a swale or playa bottom.
2. [Criteria]
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Provisional

GX070C01ESG02

Gypsum
i
Key Characteristics
1. Site does not receive significant additional moisture—either from run-on or throughflow. Site does not occur on a floodplain or in a swale or playa bottom.
2. Soils contain visible masses of gypsum in the upper 100 cm.
3. [Criteria]
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Provisional

GX070C01ESG03

Shallow
i
Key Characteristics
1. Site does not receive significant additional moisture—either from run-on or throughflow. Site does not occur on a floodplain or in a swale or playa bottom.
2. Soils lack visible masses of gypsum in the upper 100 cm.
3. Root-restrictive layer occurs within 50 cm of the soil surface.
4. [Criteria]
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Provisional

GX070C01ESG04

Sandy
i
Key Characteristics
1. Site does not receive significant additional moisture—either from run-on or throughflow. Site does not occur on a floodplain or in a swale or playa bottom.
2. Soils lack visible masses of gypsum in the upper 100 cm.
3. Soils are >50 cm to root-restrictive layer.
4. Soil texture is fine sandy loam or coarser at the surface, and sand percentage is ≥50 in all horizons in the upper 100 cm.
5. [Criteria]
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Provisional

GX070C01ESG05

Limy
i
Key Characteristics
1. Site does not receive significant additional moisture—either from run-on or throughflow. Site does not occur on a floodplain or in a swale or playa bottom.
2. Soils lack visible masses of gypsum in the upper 100 cm.
3. Soils are >50 cm to root-restrictive layer.
4. Soil texture is finer than fine sandy loam at the surface, and/or at least one horizon with <50% sand occurs in the upper 100 cm.
5. 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.
6. [Criteria]
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Provisional

GX070C01ESG06

Loamy

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Ecological site group keys

Key to the Ecological Site Groups of MLRA 42C

I. Site receives significant additional moisture—either from run-on or throughflow. Site occurs on a floodplain or in a swale or playa bottom.

A. [Criteria] ... GX070C01ESG01 – Run-On

II. Site does not receive significant additional moisture—either from run-on or throughflow. Site does not occur on a floodplain or in a swale or playa bottom.

A. Soils contain visible masses of gypsum in the upper 100 cm.

1 [Criteria] ... GX070C01ESG02 – Gypsum

B. Soils lack visible masses of gypsum in the upper 100 cm.

1 Root-restrictive layer occurs within 50 cm of the soil surface.

i. [Criteria] ... GX070C01ESG03 – Shallow

2 Soils are >50 cm to root-restrictive layer.

i. Soil texture is fine sandy loam or coarser at the surface, and sand percentage is ≥50 in all horizons in the upper 100 cm.

a. [Criteria] ... GX070C01ESG04 – Sandy

ii. Soil texture is finer than fine sandy loam at the surface, and/or at least one horizon with <50% sand occurs in the upper 100 cm.

a. 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.

1) [Criteria] ... GX070C01ESG05 – Limy

b. Soils fail to meet one or 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.

1) [Criteria] ... GX070D01XESG03 – Loamy

National Park Service

I. Additional water

A. Perennial water - 041XESG09 Riparian

B. Ephemeral water

1 Subsurface EC >4 - 040XESG10 Saline Bottoms

2 Subsurface EC <4 - 040XESG01 Bottoms

II. Uplands

A. Surface SAR >8

1 Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 041XESG62 Thornscrub Saline Hills

2 Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG63 Semi-Desert Grassland Saline Hills

3 Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG38 Madrean Woodland Saline Hills

4 Elevation - >6000 ft - 070BESG64 Temperate Forest Saline Hills

B. Surface SAR <8

1 Gypsum >5% surface or >10% subsurface

i. Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 042AESG33 Gypsum Thornscrub

ii. Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG55 Gypsum Semi-Desert Grassland

iii. Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042AESG69 Gypsum Madrean Woodland

iv. Elevation - >6000 ft - 070BESG70 Gypsum Temperate Forest

2 Gypsum <5% surface or <10% subsurface

i. Subsurface EC >8 or surface EC >4

a. Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 041XESG62 Thornscrub Saline Hills

b. Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG63 Semi-Desert Grassland Saline Hills

c. Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG38 Madrean Woodland Saline Hills

d. Elevation - >6000 ft - 070BESG64 Temperate Forest Saline Hills

ii. Subsurface EC <8 and surface EC <4

a. EC >1.5 surface or >2 subsurface

1) Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 041XESG39 Thornscrub Saline Uplands

2) Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG65 Semi-Desert Grassland Saline Uplands

3) Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG66 Madrean Woodland Saline Uplands

b. EC <1.5 surface and <2 subsurface

1) Slope >35% & >40% surface rock

a) Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG17 Thornscrub Breaks

b) Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 038XESG18 Semi-Desert Grassland Breaks

c) Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 038XESG19 Madrean Woodland Breaks

d) Elevation - >6000 ft ... 042CESG20 – Temperate Forest Breaks

2) Slope <35% or <40% surface rock

a) Depth <30cm

(1) Elevation - <2500 ft - 040XESG61 Very Shallow Desert

(2) Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG46 Very Shallow Thornscrub

(3) Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG47 Very Shallow Semi-Desert Grassland

(4) Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042AESG48 Very Shallow Madrean Woodland

(5) Elevation - >6000 ft - 070BESG49 Very Shallow Temperate Forest

b) Depth: 30-55cm

(1) Elevation - <2500 ft - 040XESG60 Shallow Desert

(2) Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG42 Shallow Thornscrub

(3) Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG43 Shallow Semi-Desert Grassland

(4) Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 038XESG44 Shallow Madrean Woodland

(5) Elevation - >6000 ft - 070BESG45 Shallow Temperate Forest

c) Depth >55cm

(1) Rock >30% surface or >30% subsurface

(a) Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG25 Deep Rocky Thornscrub

(b) Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG26 Deep Rocky Semi-Desert Grassland

(d) Elevation - >6000 ft - 070BESG28 Deep Rocky Temperate Forest

(2) Rock <30% surface and <30% subsurface

(a) Clay >30% surface or >35% subsurface

(1) Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG21 Thornscrub Clay Uplands

(2) Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG22 Semi-Desert Grassland Clay Uplands

(3) Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 038XESG23 Madrean Woodland Clay Uplands

(4) Elevation - >6000 ft - 038XESG24 Temperate Forest Clay Uplands

(b) Clay <30% surface and <35% subsurface

(1) Sand >75% or texture is loamy sand or sandier in surface & subsurface

(a) Elevation - 2500-3700 ft ... 042CESG40 – Thornscrub Sandy Uplands

(b) Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG41 Semi-Desert Grassland Sandy Uplands

(2) Sand <75% or texture is sandy loam or finer in surface & subsurface

(a) Clay <20 % or texture is sandy loam or sandier in surface

(1) Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 040XESG34 Thornscrub Loamy Uplands

(2) Elevation - 3700 4500 ft - 041XESG35 Semi-Desert Grassland Loamy Uplands

(3) Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 042BESG36 Madrean Woodland Loamy Uplands

(4) Elevation - >6000 ft - 070BESG37 Temperate Forest Loamy Uplands

(b) Clay >20% or texture is finer than sandy loam in surface

(1) Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 042AESG29 Thornscrub Finer Uplands

(2) Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG30 Semi-Desert Grassland Finer Uplands

(3) Elevation - 4500-6000 ft - 070BESG31 Madrean Woodland Finer Uplands

(4) Elevation - >6000 ft - 070BESG32 Temperate Forest Finer Uplands

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