331Fd Missouri Plateau

Landscape Characteristics:

Plains, fans, and terraces that formed in alluvium and residuum from shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Elevations range from 1000 to 3500 feet. Drainage density is low to moderate.

Climate:

Mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches, about 20 percent falling as snow. The soil temperature and moisture regimes are frigid and typic ustic. Summers are usually dry.

Potential Vegetation:

Wheatgrass-needlegrass

Relationships of Dominant Map Unit Components:

Landform Geology Soil Taxa
Plains/terraces Sedimentary Haploborolls/Argiborolls/Ustorthents/Ustochrepts
Fans/floodplains Alluvium Ustochrepts/Ustifluvents

Disturbance and Land Use:

The primary natural disturbance is drought. Land use is predominantly livestock grazing and dryland farming.