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331Ga Montana High Plains and Foothills

Landscape Characteristics:

Dominantly plains and foothills with some terraces and fans that formed in sandstone and shale. Elevations range from 2900 to 6000 feet. Drainage density is moderate.

Climate:

Mean annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 20 inches, about 35 percent falling as snow. The soil temperature and moisture regimes are frigid and tyic ustic/aridic ustic. Chinook winds are frequent.

Potential Vegetation:

Grama-needlegrass-wheatgrass and Foothills prairie. Some Eastern ponderosa forest also occurs at higher elevations.

Relationships of Dominant Map Unit Components:

Landform Geology Soil Taxa
Plains/foothills Sandstone/shale Ustorthents/Haploborolls/Argiborolls/Haplargids
Terraces/fans Alluvium Calciorthids/Argiborolls

Disturbance and Land Use:

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