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http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/projects/ecoregions/342b.htm
Section 342B
Northwestern Basin and Range
This section comprises the northern, and particularly the northwestern, part of the Great Basin in the Basin and Range Province. It is in MLRA 23.
Geomorphology. Isolated ranges (largely dissected block mountains) separated by aggraded desert plains. Basin and Range geomorphic province.
Lithology. Quaternary alluvial and lacustrine deposits, and Pliocene and Miocene volcanic rocks.
Soil Taxa. Aridisols, Entisols, Inceptisols and Mollisols in combination with frigid and mesic soil temperature regimes and aridic and xeric soil moisture regimes. Includes areas of salt affected soils.
Vegetation. Predominant potential natural communities includes the Big sagebrush series, Mixed saltbush series, Greasewood series and Shadscale series.
The following series are found throughout the California part of the section and are not restricted to or extensive in any subsection. Series dominated by exotic plants are not listed under subsections unless they are extensive and stable.
Series dominated by exotic plants: Cheatgrass series, Crested wheatgrass series, Introduced perennial grassland series and Kentucky bluegrass series.
Series that can occur in all subsections, but are not extensive: Bulrush series, Bulrush - cattail series, Bur-reed series, Cattail series, Cordgrass series, Duckweed series, Mosquito fern series, One-sided bluegrass series, Pondweeds with floating leaves series, Pondweeds with submerged leaves series, Sedge series and Spikerush series.
Series restricted to riparian settings: Arroyo willow series, Black willow series, Common reed series, Mixed willow series, Narrowleaf willow series, Red willow series and Water birch series.
Fauna. Reserved
Elevation. 4000 to 8000 feet.
Precipitation. 4 to 20 inches.
Temperature. 30 to 52F.
Growing Season. 25 to 150 days.
Surface Water Characteristics. Few moderately slow rivers and streams in deeply incised canyons with bedrock controlled channels (higher elevations) to alluvial channels (lower elevations) that terminate in basins or lakes within the section, or in basins and lakes in the Bonneville Basin section. A few large lakes occur within the section.
Disturbance Regimes.
Fire: Infrequent, low and moderate intensity fires, and high intensity stand replacing fires.
Land Use. Composition and successional sequence of some communities has changed because of plant and animal species introduced between the mid 1800s and early 1900s related to mining, grazing, and agricultural and recreational activities.
Cultural Ecology. To be written
Subsections. Five subsections of the Northwestern Basin and Range Section occur in California.
Map
Surprise Valley-Sheldon Range-Honey Lake Basin- Cottonwood - Skedaddle Mountains- Madeline Plains