Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Major Land Resource Area 040X
Major Land Resource Area
Accessed: 04/30/2026
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Ecological site groups
Major Land Resource Areas
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Additional water
Uplands
Perennial water
040XESG09 – Riparian
040XESG09 – Riparian
Ephemeral water
Subsurface EC >4
040XESG10 – Saline Bottoms
040XESG10 – Saline Bottoms
Subsurface EC <4
Sand >50% & Clay <25% for surface and subsurface
040XESG13 – Sandy Bottoms
040XESG13 – Sandy Bottoms
Sand <50% or Clay >25% for surface and subsurface
040XESG01 – Bottoms
040XESG01 – Bottoms
>75% bedrock outcrop
040XESG08 – Outcrops
040XESG08 – Outcrops
<75% bedrock outcrop
Surface SAR >8, or Subsurface EC >8, or Surface EC >4
040XESG11 – Saline Hills
040XESG11 – Saline Hills
Surface SAR <8, or Subsurface EC <8, or Surface EC <4
Gypsum >5% surface or >10% subsurface
040XESG06 – Gypsum
040XESG06 – Gypsum
Gypsum <5% surface and <10% subsurface
EC >1.5 surface or >2 subsurface
040XESG12 – Saline Uplands
040XESG12 – Saline Uplands
EC <1.5 surface and <2 subsurface
Slope >35% & >40% surface rock
040XESG02 – Breaks
040XESG02 – Breaks
Slope <35% or <40% surface rock
Depth <30cm
040XESG16 – Very Shallow
040XESG16 – Very Shallow
Depth: 30-55cm
040XESG15 – Shallow
040XESG15 – Shallow
Depth >55cm
Rock >30% surface or >30% subsurface
040XESG04 – Deep Rocky
040XESG04 – Deep Rocky
Rock <30% surface and <30% subsurface
Clay >30% surface or >35% subsurface
040XESG03 – Clay Uplands
040XESG03 – Clay Uplands
Clay <30% surface and <35% subsurface
Sand >75% or texture is Loamy Sand or sandier in surface & subsurface
040XESG14 – Sandy Uplands
040XESG14 – Sandy Uplands
Sand <75% or texture is Loamy Fine Sand or finer in surface & subsurface
Clay <20% or texture is Sandy Loam or sandier in surface
040XESG07 – Loamy Uplands
040XESG07 – Loamy Uplands
Clay >20% or texture is Fine Sandy Loam or finer in surface
040XESG05 – Finer Uplands
040XESG05 – Finer Uplands
Additional water
Uplands
Perennial water - 041XESG09 Riparian
Ephemeral water
Subsurface EC >4
040XESG10 – Saline Bottoms
040XESG10 – Saline Bottoms
Subsurface EC <4
[Criteria]
Sand >50% & clay <25% for surface and subsurface
040XESG13 – Sandy Bottoms
040XESG13 – Sandy Bottoms
Sand <50% or clay >25% for surface and subsurface
040XESG01 – Bottoms
040XESG01 – Bottoms
Surface SAR >8
040XESG57 – Desert Saline Hills
040XESG57 – Desert Saline Hills
Surface SAR <8
Gypsum >5% surface or >10% subsurface
Gypsum <5% surface and <10% subsurface
Elevation - <2500 ft - 083BESG54 Gypsum Desert
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 042AESG33 Gypsum Thornscrub
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG55 Gypsum Semi-Desert Grassland
Subsurface EC >8 or surface EC >4
040XESG57 – Desert Saline Hills
040XESG57 – Desert Saline Hills
Subsurface EC <8 and surface EC <4
EC >1.5 surface or >2 subsurface
EC <1.5 surface and <2 subsurface
Elevation <2500 ft
040XESG58 – Desert Saline Uplands
040XESG58 – Desert Saline Uplands
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 041XESG39 Thornscrub Saline Uplands
Slope >35% & >40% surface rock
Slope <35% or <40% surface rock
Elevation <2500 ft
040XESG50 – Desert Breaks
040XESG50 – Desert Breaks
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft
040XESG17 – Thornscrub Breaks
040XESG17 – Thornscrub Breaks
Depth <30cm
Depth: 30-55cm
Depth >55cm
Elevation <2500 ft
040XESG61 – Very Shallow Desert
040XESG61 – Very Shallow Desert
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft
040XESG46 – Very Shallow Thornscrub
040XESG46 – Very Shallow Thornscrub
Elevation - <2500 ft
040XESG60 – Shallow Desert
040XESG60 – Shallow Desert
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft
040XESG42 – Shallow Thornscrub
040XESG42 – Shallow Thornscrub
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG43 Shallow Semi-Desert Grassland
Rock >30% surface or >30% subsurface
Rock <30% surface or <30% subsurface
Elevation - <2500 ft
040XESG52 – Deep Rocky Desert
040XESG52 – Deep Rocky Desert
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft
040XESG25 – Deep Rocky Thornscrub
040XESG25 – Deep Rocky Thornscrub
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG26 Deep Rocky Semi-Desert Grassland
Clay >30% surface or >35% subsurface
Clay <30% surface or <35% subsurface
Elevation - <2500 ft
040XESG51 – Desert Clay Uplands
040XESG51 – Desert Clay Uplands
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft
040XESG21 – Thornscrub Clay Uplands
040XESG21 – Thornscrub Clay Uplands
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG22 Semi-Desert Grassland Clay Uplands
Sand >75% or texture is loamy sand or sandier in surface & subsurface
Sand <75% or texture is sandy loam or finer in surface & subsurface
Elevation - <2500 ft
040XESG59 – Desert Sandy Uplands
040XESG59 – Desert Sandy Uplands
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 042CESG40 Thornscrub Sandy Uplands
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG41 Semi-Desert Grassland Sandy Uplands
Clay <20% or texture is sandy loam or sandier in surface
Clay >20% or texture is finer than sandy loam in surface
Elevation - <2500 ft
040XESG56 – Desert Loamy Uplands
040XESG56 – Desert Loamy Uplands
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft
040XESG34 – Thornscrub Loamy Uplands
040XESG34 – Thornscrub Loamy Uplands
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG41 Semi-Desert Grassland Sandy Uplands
Elevation - <2500 ft
040XESG53 – Desert Finer Uplands
040XESG53 – Desert Finer Uplands
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 042AESG29 Thornscrub Finer Uplands
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG30 Semi-Desert Grassland Finer Uplands
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Ecological site group keys
MLRA 40
I.
Additional water
B.
Ephemeral water
2
Subsurface EC <4
II.
Uplands
B.
<75% bedrock outcrop
2
Surface SAR <8, or Subsurface EC <8, or Surface EC <4
ii.
Gypsum <5% surface and <10% subsurface
b.
EC <1.5 surface and <2 subsurface
2)
Slope <35% or <40% surface rock
c)
Depth >55cm
(2)
Rock <30% surface and <30% subsurface
(b)
Clay <30% surface and <35% subsurface
(1)
Sand >75% or texture is Loamy Sand or sandier in surface & subsurface
... 040XESG14 – Sandy Uplands
(2)
Sand <75% or texture is Loamy Fine Sand or finer in surface & subsurface
National Park Service
I.
Additional water
A.
Perennial water - 041XESG09 Riparian
B.
Ephemeral water
2
Subsurface EC <4
i.
[Criteria]
II.
Uplands
B.
Surface SAR <8
1
Gypsum >5% surface or >10% subsurface
i.
Elevation - <2500 ft - 083BESG54 Gypsum Desert
ii.
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 042AESG33 Gypsum Thornscrub
iii.
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG55 Gypsum Semi-Desert Grassland
2
Gypsum <5% surface and <10% subsurface
ii.
Subsurface EC <8 and surface EC <4
a.
EC >1.5 surface or >2 subsurface
2)
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 041XESG39 Thornscrub Saline Uplands
b.
EC <1.5 surface and <2 subsurface
1)
Slope >35% & >40% surface rock
2)
Slope <35% or <40% surface rock
a)
Depth <30cm
b)
Depth: 30-55cm
(3)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG43 Shallow Semi-Desert Grassland
c)
Depth >55cm
(1)
Rock >30% surface or >30% subsurface
(c)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042AESG26 Deep Rocky Semi-Desert Grassland
(2)
Rock <30% surface or <30% subsurface
(a)
Clay >30% surface or >35% subsurface
(3)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG22 Semi-Desert Grassland Clay Uplands
(b)
Clay <30% surface or <35% subsurface
(1)
Sand >75% or texture is loamy sand or sandier in surface & subsurface
(b)
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 042CESG40 Thornscrub Sandy Uplands
(c)
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
(3)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 042BESG41 Semi-Desert Grassland Sandy Uplands
(b)
Clay >20% or texture is finer than sandy loam in surface
(2)
Elevation - 2500-3700 ft - 042AESG29 Thornscrub Finer Uplands
(3)
Elevation - 3700-4500 ft - 041XESG30 Semi-Desert Grassland Finer Uplands
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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