Home: Rocky Mountains: Montane

The Montane Soils

Soils vary greatly with the complex topographic and climatic conditions in this Subregion and a wide range of soils is typical. Soils under grasslands are mostly Chernozemics, Brunisolics and Regosolics. Forest soils include Brunisolics, which are normally an immature soil, found under forests, tundra and alpine vegetation, and Luvisolics.

Luvisolic soils are normally formed in humid, tropical conditions, but they are present in drier areas, generally in a fossilized form. They became fossilized by a change from humid to much drier climatic conditions. It is believed that they were formed during the Holocene period.

Deciduous plant material, like Aspen trees, is the most common type of vegetation that grows on luvisols. 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. 

Information provided by and printed with the permission of Alberta Community Development, Provincial Parks and Protected Areas.

[Geology and Landforms][Climate][Soils]
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