Major Land Resource Area 060B
Pierre Shale Plains, Northern Part
Accessed: 05/19/2025
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Next, learn more about the selected ecological site and its characteristic dynamics by browsing the ecological site description and exploring alternative state and transition model formats.
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Key Characteristics
- Upland sites with soil depths ≥ 20 inches
- Sites with clayey soil surface texture; > 32% clay
- Clayey subsoil with blocky or prismatic structure
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Upland sites with moderately deep to very deep, soil depths > 20 inches
- Sites with soil surface texture is clay; > 32% clay
- Sites with soil surfaces from 32-45% clay
- Clayey subsoil with blocky or prismatic structure
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i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites with soil depths ≥ 20 inches
- Sites with clayey soil surface texture; > 32% clay
- Sites with 15-45% slope
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Upland sites with moderately deep to very deep, soil depths > 20 inches
- Sites with soil surface texture is clay; > 32% clay
- Sites with soil surfaces from 32-45% clay
- Sites with 15-45% slope; clayey subsoil with blocky or prismatic structure
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i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites with soil depths ≥ 20 inches
- Soil surface texture is loam or silt loam; ≤ 32% clay
- 4-8 inch loamy soil surface texture over dense claypan subsoil
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Upland sites with moderately deep to very deep, soil depths > 20 inches
- Sites with soil surface texture is loam or silt loam; ≤ 32% clay
- 4-8 inch loamy soil surface texture over dense claypan subsoil
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites with soil depths ≥ 20 inches
- Sites with clayey soil surface texture; > 32% clay
- Soils with course granular clays (typically acid shales)
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Upland sites with moderately deep to very deep, soil depths > 20 inches
- Sites with soil surface texture is clay; > 32% clay
- Sites with soil surface > 45% clay
- Soils with course granular clays (typically acid shales)
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites with soil depths ≥ 20 inches
- Sites with clayey soil surface texture; > 32% clay
- Clay content > 45% within surface mineral 2 inches
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Upland sites with moderately deep to very deep, soil depths > 20 inches
- Sites with soil surface texture is clay; > 32% clay
- Sites with soil surface > 45% clay
- Clay content > 45% within 2 inches of soil surface
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites with soil depths ≥ 20 inches
- Soil surface texture is loam or silt loam; ≤ 32% clay
- Clay content is ≤ 32% within surface mineral 4 inches
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Upland sites with moderately deep to very deep, soil depths > 20 inches
- Sites with soil surface texture is loam or silt loam; ≤ 32% clay
- 1-8 inch loamy soil surface texture not over a dense claypan subsoil
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Lowland sites receiving significant additional run-off moisture or flooding from overflow of ephemeral streams
- Site receives flooding from overflow of ephemeral stream
- Lowland sites receiving significant additional run-off moisture or flooding from overflow of ephemeral streams
- Site receives additional moisture from overflow of ephemeral streams or run-off
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Soils are moderately to strongly saline
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Soils are moderately to strongly saline
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i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Soils are slightly to moderately saline
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Soils are slightly to moderately saline
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i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites with soil depths < 20 inches
- Clayey soil surface texture over shale or dense clay; > 32% clay
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Upland sites that are shallow, soil depths <20 inches
- Clay soil surface texture over shale or dense clay; > 32% clay
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i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites with soil depths ≥ 20 inches
- Soil surface texture is loam or silt loam; ≤ 32% clay
- 1-4 inch loamy soil surface texture over dense claypan subsoil
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Upland sites with moderately deep to very deep, soil depths > 20 inches
- Sites with soil surface texture is loam or silt loam; ≤ 32% clay
- 1-4 inch loamy soil surface texture over dense claypan subsoil
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Lowland sites receiving significant additional run-off moisture or flooding from overflow of ephemeral streams
- Saline and/or sodic conditions are apparent on the soil surface
- Lowland sites receiving significant additional run-off moisture or flooding from overflow of ephemeral streams
- Saline and/or sodic conditions are apparent on the soil surface
-
i
Key Characteristics
- Upland sites with soil depths < 20 inches
- Loam or silt loam soil surface texture; ≤ 32% clay
- Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
- Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
- Upland sites that are shallow, soil depths <20 inches
- Loam or silt loam soil surface texture; ≤ 32% clay
Ecological site map
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Zoom in to display soil survey map units for an area of interest, and zoom out to display MLRAs. Select a map unit polygon to view ecological sites correlated to that map unit. View a brief description of an ecological site by clicking on its name in the map popup. Soil survey correlations may not be accurate, and ecological site classification of a location should always be verified in the field. Each selection may require the transfer of several hundred KB of data.
Ecological site keys
MLRA 60B Ecological Site Key
I.
Lowland sites receiving significant additional run-off moisture or flooding from overflow of ephemeral streams
A.
Saline and/or sodic conditions are apparent on the soil surface
... GX060B00X571 – Saline Lowland 10-14
II.
Upland sites affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
III.
Upland sites with soil depths ≥ 20 inches
A.
Soil surface texture is loam or silt loam; ≤ 32% clay
2
1-4 inch loamy soil surface texture over dense claypan subsoil
... GX060B00X165 – Thin Claypan 10-14
B.
Sites with clayey soil surface texture; > 32% clay
IV.
Upland sites with soil depths < 20 inches
B.
Clayey soil surface texture over shale or dense clay; > 32% clay
... GX060B00X131 – Shallow Clay 10-14
MLRA 60B ESD Key
I.
Lowland sites receiving significant additional run-off moisture or flooding from overflow of ephemeral streams
A.
Saline and/or sodic conditions are apparent on the soil surface
... GX060B00X571 – Saline Lowland 10-14
B.
Site receives additional moisture from overflow of ephemeral streams or run-off
... GX060B00X060 – Overflow 10-14
II.
Upland sites that do not receive any additional moisture beyond precipitation.
A.
Sites affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
B.
Sites not affected by saline and/or sodic conditions
1
Upland sites with moderately deep to very deep, soil depths > 20 inches
i.
Sites with soil surface texture is loam or silt loam; ≤ 32% clay
b.
1-4 inch loamy soil surface texture over dense claypan subsoil
... GX060B00X165 – Thin Claypan 10-14
c.
1-8 inch loamy soil surface texture not over a dense claypan subsoil
... GX060B00X032 – Loamy 10-14
ii.
Sites with soil surface texture is clay; > 32% clay
a.
Sites with soil surfaces from 32-45% clay
2)
Sites with 15-45% slope; clayey subsoil with blocky or prismatic structure
... GX060B00X005 – Clayey Steep 10-14
b.
Sites with soil surface > 45% clay
2
Upland sites that are shallow, soil depths <20 inches
ii.
Clay soil surface texture over shale or dense clay; > 32% clay
... GX060B00X131 – Shallow Clay 10-14
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Ecological sites
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.
