M331Ap Madison Mountains

Landscape Characteristics:

Steep mountains that formed in predominantly sedimentary rock with some included volcanic rock. Elevations range from 7500 to 11200 feet. Drainage density is moderate. Lakes occur in the high elevation cirque basins.

Climate:

Mean annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 100 inches, about 65 percent falling as snow. The soil temperature and moisture regimes are cryic and typic ustic.

Potential Vegetation:

Douglas-fir forest/Western spruce-fir forest with some Alpine meadows and barren at the highest elevations.

Relationships of Dominant Map Unit Components:

Landform Geology Soil Taxa
Mountainsides/ridges Sandstone/shale/limestone/diorite Cryochrepts/Cryoboralfs/Cryoborolls

Disturbance and Land Use:

The primary natural disturbances are fire, insects, and disease. Land use is predominantly timber harvest, mining, and some livestock grazing.