M333Ba Purcell/North Cabinet Mountains

Landscape Characteristics:

Glaciated mountains that formed primarily in quartzite, siltite, and argillite. Granitic intrusions also occur. Fairly thick volcanic ash layers occur on most soil surfaces. Elevations range from 1800 to 7700 feet. Drainage density is moderate. Lakes are common in this subsection.

Climate:

Mean annual precipitation ranges from 25 to 70 inches, about 70 percent falling as snow. The soil temperature and moisture regimes are cryic and udic. Rain on snow events occur frequently.

Potential Vegetation:

Douglas-fir forest/Western spruce-fir forest

Relationships of Dominant Map Unit Components:

Landform Geology Soil Taxa
Valleys/wetlands Alluvium/till Umbrepts/Aquands/Cryands/Fluvents
Mountainsides/ridges Till/metasedimentary bedrock Dystrochrepts/Udivitrands/Cryochrepts/Haplocryands
Cirquelands Metasedimentary bedrock/till Cryochrepts/Haplocryands/Cryumbrepts/Fulvicryands

Disturbance and Land Use:

The primary natural disturbances are fire, insects and disease, and mass wasting. Land use is predominantly intensive timber harvest and livestock grazing.