Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Major Land Resource Area 121X
Major Land Resource Area
Accessed: 04/24/2026
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1
Select an ecological site
Select an ecological site using the list, keys, photos, briefcase, or quick search option located on this page. -
2
Explore the ecological site description
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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precipitation
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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.
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Add ecological sites and Major Land Resource Areas to your briefcase by clicking on the briefcase (
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
Ecological site photos
Tools
Filter by
interactive key
precipitation
frost free days
more..
clear all
Type
Image size
Done
Filters
Interactive key
Precipitation
Frost free days
Elevation
Slope
Landform
Parent material origin
Parent material kind
Soil texture
Limestone Uplands
Knobs Shale-Siltstone Uplands
Fragipan Uplands
Loess Uplands
F121XY021KY – Loess Capped Upland
F121XY021KY – Loess Capped Upland
Lakebeds
Footslopes
Terraces
Floodplains
Shallow
F121XY001KY – Shallow Limestone Residuum Backslopes
F121XY001KY – Shallow Limestone Residuum Backslopes
Moderately Deep
F121XY002KY – Moderately Deep Interbedded Limestone-Shale Backslopes
F121XY002KY – Moderately Deep Interbedded Limestone-Shale Backslopes
Deep
Ordovician Limestone Uplands
F121XY006KY – Ordovician Limestone Upland
F121XY006KY – Ordovician Limestone Upland
Phosphatic Limestone Uplands
F121XY010KY – Phosphatic Limestone Upland
F121XY010KY – Phosphatic Limestone Upland
Weathered Shale Uplands
F121XY003KY – Weathered Shale Upland
F121XY003KY – Weathered Shale Upland
Moderately Deep Shale-Siltstone Backslope
F121XY008KY – Moderately Deep Shale-Siltstone Backslope
F121XY008KY – Moderately Deep Shale-Siltstone Backslope
Black Shale Uplands
F121XY005KY – Black Shale Upland
F121XY005KY – Black Shale Upland
SWPD and PD Fragipan Uplands
F121XY022KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Upland
F121XY022KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Upland
Well Drained and MWD Fragipan Upland
F121XY023KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Upland
F121XY023KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Upland
Poorly Drained and Very Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebeds
F121XY014KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebed
F121XY014KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebed
Somewhat Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebeds
F121XY015KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebeds
F121XY015KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebeds
Colluvial Footslopes
F121XY024KY – Colluvial Footslope
F121XY024KY – Colluvial Footslope
No Fragipan
F121XY016KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Terrace
F121XY016KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Terrace
Fragipan
Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terrace
F121XY017KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terrace
F121XY017KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terrace
Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Terrace
F121XY018KY – Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Terrace
F121XY018KY – Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Terrace
Poorly drained and Very Poorly Drained Floodplains
F121XY030KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Floodplain
F121XY030KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Floodplain
SWPD Floodplains
F121XY031KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Floodplain
F121XY031KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Floodplain
Well Drained and Moderately Well Drained Floodplain
F121XY033KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Floodplain
F121XY033KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Floodplain
Residuum, Colluvium
Alluvium – Terraces, Lakebeds, Floodplains
Residuum
Colluvium – Footslopes
F121XY024KY – Colluvial Footslope
F121XY024KY – Colluvial Footslope
Limestone Uplands
Parent Material otherwise
Shallow to Moderately Deep
Deep - Parent Material – Ordovician Limestone or Phosphatic Limestone
Shallow
F121XY001KY – Shallow Limestone Residuum Backslopes
F121XY001KY – Shallow Limestone Residuum Backslopes
Mod Deep
F121XY002KY – Moderately Deep Interbedded Limestone-Shale Backslopes
F121XY002KY – Moderately Deep Interbedded Limestone-Shale Backslopes
Ordovician Limestone
F121XY006KY – Ordovician Limestone Upland
F121XY006KY – Ordovician Limestone Upland
Phosphatic Limestone
F121XY010KY – Phosphatic Limestone Upland
F121XY010KY – Phosphatic Limestone Upland
Knob Shale Siltstone Uplands
Parent Material otherwise - Fragipan or Loess Cap present
Black Shale
F121XY005KY – Black Shale Upland
F121XY005KY – Black Shale Upland
Parent Material Otherwise
Moderately deep
F121XY008KY – Moderately Deep Shale-Siltstone Backslope
F121XY008KY – Moderately Deep Shale-Siltstone Backslope
Otherwise and Weathered
F121XY003KY – Weathered Shale Upland
F121XY003KY – Weathered Shale Upland
Fragipan Uplands
Loess Cap present
F121XY021KY – Loess Capped Upland
F121XY021KY – Loess Capped Upland
Somewhat Poorly Drained and PD
F121XY022KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Upland
F121XY022KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Upland
Well Drained and MWD
F121XY023KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Upland
F121XY023KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Upland
Lakebeds and Terraces
Floodplains
Lakebeds
Terraces
Poorly Drained and VPD
F121XY014KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebed
F121XY014KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebed
Somewhat Poorly Drained
F121XY015KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebeds
F121XY015KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebeds
No Fragipan
F121XY016KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Terrace
F121XY016KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Terrace
Fragipan
Somewhat Poorly Drained
F121XY017KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terrace
F121XY017KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terrace
Moderately Well Drained
F121XY018KY – Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Terrace
F121XY018KY – Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Terrace
Somewhat Poorly Drained to VPD
Well Drained to MWD
F121XY033KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Floodplain
F121XY033KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Floodplain
Poorly Drained to VPD
F121XY030KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Floodplain
F121XY030KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Floodplain
Somewhat Poorly Drained
F121XY031KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Floodplain
F121XY031KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Floodplain
Long term average mean annual precipitation
- No filter
- 100 – 120cm (39 – 47in)
- 120 – 140cm (47 – 55in)
- 140 – 500cm (55 – 197in)
—
cm
Long term average frost free days
- No filter
- 150 – 170days
- 170 – 190days
- 190 – 210days
—
days
- No filter
- 0 – 200m (0 – 700ft)
- 200 – 400m (700 – 1300ft)
- 400 – 600m (1300 – 2000ft)
—
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%
- 60 – 70%
- 70 – 80%
- 80 – 90%
—
%
- No filter
- Depression
- Flat
- Flood plain
- Flood-plain step
- Hill
- Knob
- Lake plain
- Ridge
- Stream terrace
- Terrace
- No filter
- Limestone and shale
- Limestone, phosphatic
- Limestone, unspecified
- Sandstone and shale
- Sandstone and siltstone
- Shale and siltstone
- Shale, acid
- Shale, calcareous
- Shale, clayey
- Shale, unspecified
- No filter
- Alluvium
- Colluvium
- Lacustrine deposits
- Loess
- Loess, noncalcareous
- Residuum
Soil surface texture
- No filter
- Clay loam
- Loam
- Sandy clay loam
- Silty clay
- Silty clay loam
- Silt loam
- Sandy loam
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Ecological site keys
MLRA 121
I.
Limestone Uplands
C.
Deep
II.
Knobs Shale-Siltstone Uplands
B.
Moderately Deep Shale-Siltstone Backslope
... F121XY008KY – Moderately Deep Shale-Siltstone Backslope
III.
Fragipan Uplands
B.
Well Drained and MWD Fragipan Upland
... F121XY023KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Upland
V.
Lakebeds
A.
Poorly Drained and Very Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebeds
... F121XY014KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebed
B.
Somewhat Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebeds
... F121XY015KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Terrace Lakebeds
VI.
Footslopes
VII.
Terraces
B.
Fragipan
1
Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terrace
... F121XY017KY – Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terrace
2
Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Terrace
... F121XY018KY – Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Terrace
VIII.
Floodplains
A.
Poorly drained and Very Poorly Drained Floodplains
... F121XY030KY – Poorly Drained & Very Poorly Drained Floodplain
C.
Well Drained and Moderately Well Drained Floodplain
... F121XY033KY – Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Floodplain
121 PES KEY dichotomous
1a.
Residuum, Colluvium
2a.
Residuum
3a.
Limestone Uplands
4a.
Shallow to Moderately Deep
4b.
Deep - Parent Material – Ordovician Limestone or Phosphatic Limestone
3b.
Parent Material otherwise
7a.
Knob Shale Siltstone Uplands
8b.
Parent Material Otherwise
7b.
Parent Material otherwise - Fragipan or Loess Cap present
10a.
Fragipan Uplands
1b.
Alluvium – Terraces, Lakebeds, Floodplains
12a.
Lakebeds and Terraces
13a.
Lakebeds
13b.
Terraces
15b.
Fragipan
12b.
Floodplains
17a.
Somewhat Poorly Drained to VPD
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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