M332Dh Big Belt Mountains

Landscape Characteristics:

Mountains that formed in limestone, shale, and granite. The granite intrusions have been glaciated. Elevations range from 4000 to 9500 feet. Drainage density is moderate.

Climate:

Mean annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 40 inches, about 50 percent falling as snow. The soil temperature and moisture regimes are cryic and typic ustic.

Potential Vegetation:

Douglas-fir forest/Foothills prairie

Relationships of Dominant Map Unit Components:

Landform Geology Soil Taxa
Mountainsides/ridges/terraces Limestone/shale/granite Cryoboralfs/Cryochrepts/Argiborolls

Disturbance and Land Use:

The primary natural disturbance is fire. Land use is predominantly livestock grazing, timber harvest, and mining.