M333Ca Livingston Mountains

Landscape Characteristics:

Thrust faulted mountains formed from argillite, siltite, and dolomite and strongly shaped by alpine glaciation. Glacial till covers much of the landscape. Volcanic ash deposits also occur. Elevations range from 3200 to 10100 feet. Drainage density is moderate.

Climate:

Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 110 inches, about 80 percent falling as snow. The soil temperature and moisture regimes are cryic and udic.

Potential Vegetation:

Douglas-fir forest and Western spruce-fir forest

Relationships of Dominant Map Unit Components:

Landform Geology Soil Taxa
Mountainsides Till/volcanic ash Cryoboralfs
Alpine ridges/cirquelands Argillite/dolomite/till Cryochrepts
Valley floors Alluvium/outwash Eutrochrepts/Udifluvents/Cryoboralfs

Disturbance and Land Use:

The primary natural disturbances are fire, mass wasting, insects, and windthrow. This subsection is almost entirely within Glacier National Park; therefore, human disturbances are very limited.