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Central Mixedwood Soils

Soils are similar to those of the Dry Mixedwood Subregion with Gray Luvisols in well drained, upland till sites with Brunisols in coarse-textured sandy uplands. Organics and Gleysolics occur on wet depressional sites.

Brnisoilic SoilBrunisolic soil is generally an immature soil, found under forests, tundra and alpine vegetation while Luvisolic soils are normally formed in humid, tropical conditions, but they are present in drier areas like Alberta in a fossilized form. They became fossilized by a change from humid to much drier climatic conditions. It's possible that they formed during the Holocene period.

Deciduous plant material, such as an Aspen tree, is the most common kind of vegetation that will grow in luvisolic soil. In some places, however, forests that grow both deciduous and coniferous vegetation are present on this type of soil.  Most of the time, Luvisols are found on flat or gently sloping sites.

Organic soils are made from a buildup of organic matter, like that from plants and animals. They develop under water saturated conditions, like those found in bogs and fens.

Gleysols are found mostly in cool areas, and are formed as a result of long periods of anaerobism. Because they're saturated for part of the year, but aerated for a few months, gleysols tend to be a mottled gray and olive colour.

Gleysolic soils are formed mostly out of glacial deposits and because of that they have a medium to coarse texture. This particular type of soil also originated during the Holocene period.

This soil usually forms where the water table comes close to the surface, like flat areas, depressions, and the lower ends of slopes. Mosses and rushes are common vegetation found on gleysols. 

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