Summary Table: Characteristics of the Ecoregions of Utah 13. CENTRAL B ASIN AND RANGE 19. WASATCH AND UINTA MOUNTAINS (continued) Level IV Ecoregion Physiography Geology Soil Climate Potential Natural Vegetation*/ Land Use Level IV Ecoregion Physiography GeologyS oil Climate Potential Natural Vegetation*/ Land Use Temperature/ Precipitation Frost Free Mean Temperature Present Vegetation Temperature/ Precipitation Frost Free Mean Temperature Present Vegetation Area Elevation/ Surficial material and bedrockOrder (Great Groups) Common Soil Series Area Elevation/ Surficial material and bedrockOrder (Great Groups) Common Soil Series Moisture Mean annual Mean annual January min/max; Moisture Mean annual Mean annual January min/max; (square Local Relief (square Local Relief Regimes (inches) (days) July min/max, (° F) *Source: Kuchler, 1964 Regimes (inches) (days) July min/max, (° F) *Source: Kuchler, 1964 miles) (feet) miles) (feet) 13a. Salt Deserts 6655 Unglaciated. Mostly barren, nearly level playas, Mostly 4200- Mostly very alkaline, Quaternary mud and Mostly Aridisols (Aquisalids, Mostly Saltair; also Jordan, Mesic/ Mostly 4- 110-190 12/40; Desert/ Mostly barren; some recreational, 19f. Semiarid Foothills 6158 Partially glaciated. Semiarid lower mountain Mostly 5000- Quaternary colluvium, alluvium, and Mollisols (mostly Argixerolls; Agassiz, Yeates Hollow, Mesic, 12-16 60-100 Long, cold Mostly mountain mahogany-oak scrub; Wildlife habitat, livestock grazing, salt flats, mud flats, low terraces, and saline lakes 4650/ salt flat deposits; also Quaternary eolian Haplocalcids); also Alfisols Lakeshore, Bramwell. Soils are Aridic 8; some 50/94 Vegetation is mostly absent; scattered, military,and industrial activity. Tailing slopes, foothills, ridgetops, and alluvial fans. Some 8000; locally glacial drift. Tertiary volcanics, also Argiustolls, Calcixerolls, Broadhead, Charcol, Lizzant, Frigid/ winters also juniper-pinyon woodland/ recreation, and water supply. Some once drowned by ancient Lake Bonneville. A few, 0-50; material, lacustrine sediments, and (Natrustalfs) mostly clayey, light-colored, eastern extremely salt-tolerant plants occur such as ponds, dikes, salt processing plants, perennial streams occur and typically originate in higher/ Precambrian metamorphic rocks, and Haploxerolls, Palexerolls, Pernty, Dacore, Golsum, Ridd, Xeric Gambel oak, maples,juniper,sagebrush, intensively used rangeland areas have small scattered mountains occur. Almost no lakes commonly alluvium. Isolated exposures of much strongly affected by salt and sites salicornia, saltgrass, alkali sacaton, iodine smelters, and refuse facilities are found higher ecoregions. 100-2000; Cenozoic, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic Paleustolls) Ant Flat, St. Marys, Vicking, pinyon, serviceberry, mountain mahogany, been cleared of trees and reseeded to have an outlet and water levels fluctuate seasonally nearly level older rock occur. alkali, poorly- or very poorly- receive up bush, and/or greasewood. locally. Very limited grazing potential. locally to sedimentary rocks. Bedrock outcrops are Deer Creek, Fontreen, Ocambee, snowberry,and associated grasses. Maple- exotic grasses. Oil production occurs in and annually. Playas and salt flats are ponded drained, and often salt-crusted. to about 12 Largely unsuitable as cropland. 3000 common. Waltershow, Ipson, Durst, Harol, oak scrub is dominant in the north but is the Overthrust Belt near Pineview in during wet intervals and eroded by wind when dry. inches Sanpitch, Gappmayer. Soils are gradually replaced by pinyon-juniper Summit County. generally colluvial, rocky, or woodland towards the south. In the south: 13b. Shadscale- 8110 Unglaciated. Arid nearly flat to gently sloping 4300-5600/ Quaternary lacustrine sediments, Aridisols (Natrargids, Skumpah, Tooele, Uffens, Mesic/ 4-9 100-190 12-44; Mostly saltbush-greasewood/ Primarily rangeland and wildlife habitat. cobbly. ponderosa pine grows at highest elevations. Dominated Saline valley bottoms, lake terraces, fan skirts, and lower 25-600 alluvium, colluvium, basalt, and eolian Haplocalcids), Goshute, Dera, Uvada, Hiko Aridic 48/94. Shadscale, winterfat, greasewood, bud Large livestock and poultry farms raise Basins hillslopes. Scattered dunes and ephemeral streams deposits. Entisols (Torriorthents) Springs, Drum, Biddleman, January sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, and/or hogs and chickens. Cropland is usually 19g. Mountain Valleys 1351 Unglaciated. Largely unforested valleys that 4800-8000/ Mostly Quaternary alluvium and Mollisols (Argixerolls, Genola, Notter, Ant Flat, Tebbs, Mesic- 5-24 70-100 4/42; Mostly Great Basin sagebrush; also some Mostly irrigated cropland and occur. The area is internally-drained. Timpie. Light-colored soils with maximums are Indian ricegrass. In the south: galleta. uncommon due to lack of water and separate the high plateaus. Alluvial fans, low Usually 25- colluvium; also Quaternary lacustrine Haploxerolls, Calciustolls, Tridell, Birdow, Sanpete, Frigid/ 45/90 Juniper-Pinyon woodland/ pastureland; also rangeland. Native high salt and alkali content are highest in the salty soils; however, near Delta, alfalfa, terraces, flood plains, and a few hills occur. 600; 1400 sediments. Tertiary igneous and Argiustolls, Calcixerolls), Arapien, Codley, Yeates Hollow, Aridic, Grasses, sagebrush common; some pinyon, grasses, alfalfa hay,and some small common and are dry for south barley, corn silage, pasture, and sugar Includes the Heber, Kamas, Loa, and Panguitch maximum. sedimentary rock. Entisols (Torriorthents, Bruman, Descot, Manila, Xeric, and Utah juniper. In riparian areas, grain crops are grown. They are mainly extended periods. beets are grown under irrigation. valleys. Valley floors Torrifluvents, Fluvaquents), Krueger, Vicking, Alldown, Aquic cottonwoods and introduced Russian used as winter feed for livestock. Turkey often nearly Aridisols (Haplocalcids) Utaba, Dacore, Villy,Stoda olives. farms, feedlots, and dairy operations 13c. Sagebrush Basins 9394 Unglaciated. Semiarid basin rims, lake terraces, 4400-7400/ Mostly Quaternary alluvium, Quaternary Aridisols (Haplocalcids, Hiko Peak, Garbo, Amtoft, Mesic/ 8-12 80-170 10/44; Great Basin sagebrush/ Rangeland, wildlife habitat, and flat occur locally. and Slopes valleys, alluvial fans, bajadas, mountain flanks, 100-2600 colluvium, and Tertiary valley-fill Calciargids, Natrargids), Sevy,Taylorsflat, Biblesprings, Aridic often 46/94. Wyoming big sagebrush; perennial localized irrigated agriculture. In Sevier and stream terraces. Ephemeral streams occur. The deposits; also some Quaternary lacustrine Entisols (Torriorthents) Ashdown. Soils are light bordering January bunchgrasses and herbaceous plants Valley, irrigated alfalfa, feed lots, and ecoregion is internally-drained. sediments, Tertiary volcanics, and colored, often coarse-textured, on Xeric maximums are become progressively more common dairy operations. Grazing and fire have Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. and are dry for extended highest in the northward as available moisture increases. reduced native grasses and promoted periods. south cheatgrass. 20. COLORADO PLATEAUS 13d. Woodland- and 5498 Unglaciated. Low, rocky fault-block mountains, 5000-9000/ Quaternary colluvium and basalt. Tertiary Entisols (Torriorthents), Eaglepass, Lodar, Logring, Mesic- 10-22 40-120 10/48; Juniper-pinyon woodland/ Rangeland, woodland, wildlife habitat, Level IV Ecoregion Physiography Geology Soil Climate Potential Natural Vegetation*/ Land Use Shrub-Covered Low ridges, mountain slopes, hills, foothills, alluvial 200-3400 sedimentary rocks, Tertiary volcanic Mollisols (Calcixerolls, Kyler, Ubehebe, Nevu, Uana, Frigid/ 46/96. Juniper and pinyon woodland and, at and logging. Large areas have been Temperature/ Precipitation Frost Free Mean Temperature Present Vegetation fans, and valley-fill terraces. Ephemeral streams rocks, Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, and Argixerolls, Durixerolls, Segura, Cropper, Itca Xeric January higher elevations, mountain brush cleared in an effort to increase livestock Area Elevation/ Surficial material and bedrock Order (Great Groups) Common Soil Series Mountains Moisture Mean annual Mean annual January min/max; (square Local Relief occur. Cambrian quartzite. Haploxerolls) sometimes maximums are (including mountain mahogany, cliffrose, forage. Grazing has depleted the Regimes (inches) (days) July min/max, (° F) *Source: Kuchler, 1964 bordering highest in the and western serviceberry). Sagebrush woodland understory of grasses,which miles) (feet) on Aridic south (including black sagebrush and big has reduced fire frequency and allowed 20a. Monticello Upland 346 Unglaciated. Nearly level to rolling, semiarid plain 6700-7200/ Quaternary eolian deposits, alluvium, and Mollisols (Argiustolls, Monticello, Northdale, Ucolo, Mesic/ 10-17 120-130 8/36; On deep, fine-textured, eolian soil: Great Mostly dryland farming, and rangeland. sagebrush) codominates. sagebrush to invade. containing stream terraces, alluvial fans, low 25-200 colluvium. Cretaceous shale and Haplustolls,Paleustolls, Abajo, Scorup, Hovenweep, Ustic 50/88 Basin sagebrush. On shallow or stony soils: Winter wheat, other small grains, and 13e. High Elevation 116 Partially glaciated. High, rugged, rocky, north- 8000-12100/ Quaternary glacial drift, alluvium, and Mollisols (Palecryolls, Flygare, Podmor Frigid/ 25-40+ 50-90 8/32; Western spruce-fir forest/ Summer rangeland, wildlife habitat, rolling hills, and ridges. Ephemeral streams occur. sandstone. Calciustolls) Montvale. Deep, medium-