Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Major Land Resource Area 063B
Major Land Resource Area
Accessed: 04/16/2026
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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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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
Ecological site photos
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interactive key
precipitation
frost free days
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Type
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Precipitation
Frost free days
Elevation
Slope
Landform
Parent material origin
Parent material kind
Soil texture
RUN-OFF LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Upland, normally convex short slopes > 6 percent, Shoulder)
NORMAL LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Upland, slopes normally linear, 1-6 percent except sandy/sands sites can have complex slopes, Back slope, Summit, Foot slope)
RUN-IN LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Bottomlands, Drainageways, etc., not depressions, Toe slope)
OTHER LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Basin, Depression, Normal, Run-off and/or Run-in, All Hillslope Positions except Shoulder)
Is the site on a steep slope, escarpment, river break or slump area with (25-60% slope), exposed bedrock at or near the surface, with soils generally calcareous and of various depths? Deciduous trees and shrub almost always present on this site.
No. Dig hole to a depth of 20 inches minimum. Is there root restrictive layer within 10 inches of the soil surface?
Yes.
R063BY016SD – Very Shallow
R063BY016SD – Very Shallow
No. Is there a root restricting layer within 10-20 inches of the surface?
Yes. Is the soil derived from shale with weathered shale chips below 4” in the soil profile and the soil is calcareous? Clayey surface texture (2-3 inch ribbon)?
Yes. Site not Described in MLRA 63B.
No. Is the soil > 20 inches in depth but has a thin loamy or sandy loam surface layer (< 3” ) and effervesce at or near the surface (within 6” )?
Yes.
R063BY012SD – Thin Upland
R063BY012SD – Thin Upland
Yes.
R063BY017SD – Shallow Clay
R063BY017SD – Shallow Clay
No. Is there a gravelly subsurface layer within 20 inches of the surface?
Yes. Site not Described in MLRA 63B.
No. Is the soil surface 10 - 20 inches or less with a Clay loam, Silty clay loam, Sandy clay loam, Sandy loam or Silty texture?
Yes.
R063BY024SD – Shallow
R063BY024SD – Shallow
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
Dig hole to 20 inches. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface? Is there a claypan within 16 inches of the surface?
Yes. See “Other Landscape Positions”
Is the surface texture Clay or Silty Clay (40 to 55% clay) (1.75 – 3.0” ribbon) with Clayey Subsoil?
Yes.
R063BY011SD – Clayey
R063BY011SD – Clayey
No. Is the surface texture Clay or Silty Clay (> 55% clay) ( > 3.0” ribbon) Bare ground will be common?
Yes.
R063BY018SD – Dense Clay
R063BY018SD – Dense Clay
No. Is the surface texture Loam, Silt loam, Silty, Clay loam, Sandy clay loam, Very fine sandy loam (0.5 – 1.75” ribbon)?
No. See “Other Landscape Positions”
No.
R063BY010SD – Loamy
R063BY010SD – Loamy
Observe the soil to a depth of 60 inches. Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 1-2 feet of the surface and the site is dominated by hydrophytes?
Yes. Site not Described in MLRA 63B.
No. Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 2 to 5 feet of the surface?
Yes. Site not Described in MLRA 63B.
No. Does water flow into and over/through the site?
No. See “Other Landscape Positions”
Yes. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface and permanently moist soil at 4 to 5 feet?
Yes.
R063BY007SD – Saline Lowland
R063BY007SD – Saline Lowland
No. Does the site rarely flood and have an abundance of trees?
No. Does the site occasionally flood and have a clayey or silty clay surface texture?
Yes.
R063BY021SD – Clayey Overflow
R063BY021SD – Clayey Overflow
No.
R063BY020SD – Loamy Overflow
R063BY020SD – Loamy Overflow
Dig a hole to 20 inches. Does the soil have a claypan within 16 inches?
Yes. Is it in a closed depression?
No. Is the area in a basin or closed depression with no outlet?
No. Is the claypan within 4 inches of the surface?
Yes.
R063BY019SD – Closed Depression
R063BY019SD – Closed Depression
Yes.
R063BY015SD – Thin Claypan
R063BY015SD – Thin Claypan
No.
R063BY013SD – Claypan
R063BY013SD – Claypan
No. Re-think your Landscape Position and start again!
Yes. Is the site a closed depressions or basins that pond water briefly after snowmelt or heavy rain or during abnormally wet years?
Yes.
R063BY019SD – Closed Depression
R063BY019SD – Closed Depression
Long term average mean annual precipitation
- No filter
- 50 – 60cm (20 – 24in)
—
cm
Long term average frost free days
- No filter
- 110 – 130days
—
days
- No filter
- 200 – 400m (1300 – 2000ft)
- 400 – 600m
- 600 – 800m
—
m
- No filter
- 0 – 3%
- 3 – 5%
- 5 – 10%
- 10 – 15%
- 15 – 20%
- 20 – 25%
- 25 – 30%
- 30 – 35%
- 35 – 40%
- 40 – 45%
- 45 – 50%
- 50 – 60%
—
%
- No filter
- Alluvial fan
- Depression
- Drainageway
- Flood plain
- Hill
- Plain
- Ridge
- Stream terrace
- Swale
- Terrace
- Valley
- No filter
- Shale, clayey
- Shale, unspecified
- Siltstone, calcareous
- No filter
- Alluvium
- Loess
- Outwash
- Residuum
- Till, subglacial
Soil surface texture
- No filter
- Clay
- Fine sandy loam
- Loam
- Sandy clay
- Silty clay
- Silty clay loam
- Silt loam
- Sandy loam
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Ecological site keys
MLRA 063B - Southern Rolling Pierre Shale Plains (Run-off, Run-in, Normal and Other Landscape Positions)
I.
RUN-OFF LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Upland, normally convex short slopes > 6 percent, Shoulder)
A.
Is the site on a steep slope, escarpment, river break or slump area with (25-60% slope), exposed bedrock at or near the surface, with soils generally calcareous and of various depths? Deciduous trees and shrub almost always present on this site.
1
No. Dig hole to a depth of 20 inches minimum. Is there root restrictive layer within 10 inches of the soil surface?
ii.
No. Is there a root restricting layer within 10-20 inches of the surface?
a.
Yes. Site not Described in MLRA 63B.
b.
No. Is the soil > 20 inches in depth but has a thin loamy or sandy loam surface layer (< 3” ) and effervesce at or near the surface (within 6” )?
iii.
Yes. Is the soil derived from shale with weathered shale chips below 4” in the soil profile and the soil is calcareous? Clayey surface texture (2-3 inch ribbon)?
b.
No. Is there a gravelly subsurface layer within 20 inches of the surface?
1)
Yes. Site not Described in MLRA 63B.
2)
No. Is the soil surface 10 - 20 inches or less with a Clay loam, Silty clay loam, Sandy clay loam, Sandy loam or Silty texture?
b)
No. See “Normal Landscape Positions”
II.
NORMAL LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Upland, slopes normally linear, 1-6 percent except sandy/sands sites can have complex slopes, Back slope, Summit, Foot slope)
A.
Dig hole to 20 inches. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface? Is there a claypan within 16 inches of the surface?
1
Yes. See “Other Landscape Positions”
2
Is the surface texture Clay or Silty Clay (40 to 55% clay) (1.75 – 3.0” ribbon) with Clayey Subsoil?
ii.
No. Is the surface texture Clay or Silty Clay (> 55% clay) ( > 3.0” ribbon) Bare ground will be common?
b.
No. Is the surface texture Loam, Silt loam, Silty, Clay loam, Sandy clay loam, Very fine sandy loam (0.5 – 1.75” ribbon)?
1)
No. See “Other Landscape Positions”
III.
RUN-IN LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Bottomlands, Drainageways, etc., not depressions, Toe slope)
A.
Observe the soil to a depth of 60 inches. Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 1-2 feet of the surface and the site is dominated by hydrophytes?
1
Yes. Site not Described in MLRA 63B.
2
No. Is there evidence of a permanent water table within 2 to 5 feet of the surface?
i.
Yes. Site not Described in MLRA 63B.
ii.
No. Does water flow into and over/through the site?
a.
No. See “Other Landscape Positions”
b.
Yes. Are there visible salts within 16 inches of the surface and permanently moist soil at 4 to 5 feet?
2)
No. Does the site rarely flood and have an abundance of trees?
b)
No. Does the site occasionally flood and have a clayey or silty clay surface texture?
IV.
OTHER LANDSCAPE POSITIONS (Basin, Depression, Normal, Run-off and/or Run-in, All Hillslope Positions except Shoulder)
A.
Dig a hole to 20 inches. Does the soil have a claypan within 16 inches?
1
Yes. Is it in a closed depression?
i.
No. Is the claypan within 4 inches of the surface?
2
No. Is the area in a basin or closed depression with no outlet?
i.
No. Re-think your Landscape Position and start again!
ii.
Yes. Is the site a closed depressions or basins that pond water briefly after snowmelt or heavy rain or during abnormally wet years?
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.
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