M333Ce Flathead Thrust Faulted Mountains

Landscape Characteristics:

Thrust faulted mountains that formed from shale, sandstone, limestone, and conglomerate. These mountains have been strongly shaped by alpine glaciation. Elevations range from 3680 to 8500 feet. Drainage density is moderate. A few lakes occur in glacial cirque basins.

Climate:

Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 90 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/sedimentary rock Cryoboralfs/Eutroboralfs
Valleys Alluvium/outwash Eutrocrepts/Cryoboralfs/Udifluvents
Alpine ridges/cirquelands Sedimentary rock/till Cryochrepts

Disturbance and Land Use:

The primary natural disturbances are fire, insects, and windthrow. This subsection is almost entirely wilderness, therefore, human disturbances are very minor.