M332Dj Boulder/Elkhorn Mountains

Landscape Characteristics:

Mountains that formed in granitic and volcanic bedrock. Much of the area has been glaciated. Elevations range from 4500 to 9400 feet. Drainage density is high.

Climate:

Mean annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 30 inches, about 20 percent falling as snow. The soil temperature and moisture regimes are frigid (cryic at higher elevations) and typic ustic.

Potential Vegetation:

Douglas-fir forest/Foothills prairie

Relationships of Dominant Map Unit Components:

Landform Geology Soil Taxa
Mountainsides Granitic/volcanic Cryochrepts/Cryoboralfs/Argiborolls/Haploborolls
Glaciated uplands/troughs Till/granite Cryochrepts/Cryoboralfs

Disturbance and Land Use:

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