Detailed Soil Survey of the Mount Revelstoke Summit Area.

limiting to plant growth in some gleysolic soils .Shallow depth to bedrock is one edaphic factor limiting toplant production in the Summit area .Bedrock exposures and areas wheredepth to bedrock isless than 20 cm are severely limited in productiveability for most plants, and especially for trees . Lichens grow well onthe bare rock and various plants (including small trees) grow on theshallow to bedrock soils where rooting depth is restricted .The soils with deep Ah horizons and considerable depth tobedrock mapped as map unit 2 on the open meadow slopes in the northeastquadrant of the study area are probably themost productive soils inthestudy area .Slope gradients in these areasare typically 15 to over60percent with a south to east aspect .Thesesoils are freely drainedandare classified as Orthic Sombric Brunisol .Vegetation consists of lushmeadow stands of Valeriana sitchensis , Veratrum viride , Heracleum lanatum ,Epilobium angustifolium , Erythronium grandiflorum , Arnica spp ., andErigeron peregrinus .The Sombric Humo-Ferric Podzol of map unit 8,which also hasan Ah horizon, is probably the next most productive soil in this area .This soil occurs mainly in the .south half of the-study area and supportsmixedforest-meadow communities at present .The soils of map units 7, 4, 5, 9, 1, 3, and 6 appear somewhatless productive and may be ordered in diminishing productivity as shown .This rating, however, must be taken as being only a rough estimate .Thelithic soils of map unit 10 probably rate below these in productivity .