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Site / Soil Characteristics


Summaries of site and soil characteristics as calculated from the constituent plot data for the Association / subassociation.

Note for this display version of CNVC00001, some data have been omitted. For the full version of CNVC00001, see Explore the Classification.
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Elevation Range


The minimum, mean and maximum elevations of constituent plots in the Association / subassociation. See the Type Description page of the factsheet for additional comments about potential elevation range or variation throughout the geographic range.
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Slope Gradient


A list of slope gradient classes with % frequency of occurrence per class. Percent frequencies are calculated from the total number of constituent plots in the Association / subassociation. The dominant class is bolded. Only classes that occur in the plot data for the Association / subassociation are listed.

Slope gradient class
Slope (%)

 
very steep
66 – 100

steep
35 – 65

moderately steep
20 – 34

moderate
11 – 19

gentle
4 – 10

level
< 4
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Aspect


A list of azimuth classes depicting site aspect, or orientation of slope face, with % frequency of occurrence per class. Percent frequencies are calculated from the total number of constituent plots in the Association / subassociation. The dominant class is bolded. Only classes that occur in the plot data for the Association / subassociation are listed.

Aspect class    Azimuth (degrees)
north                  316 - 45
east                    46 - 135
south                  136 - 225
west                    226 - 315
level                    slope < 4%

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Meso Topoposition


Topoposition at the scale of the local landscape. Classes are listed with the % frequency occurrence for each class. Percent frequencies are calculated from the total number of constituent plots in the Association / subassociation. The dominant class is bolded. Only classes that occur in the plot data for the Association / subassociation are listed.

Meso topoposition classes
crest/upper slope; mid-slope; lower/toe slope; depression; level
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Moisture Regime


A list of relative moisture regime classes with the % frequency of occurrence per class. Relative moisture regime refers to the potential capacity of a soil to hold, lose or receive water, as determined from the properties of the soil as well as site position on the landscape, regardless of climate. Percent frequencies are calculated from the total number of constituent plots in the Association / subassociation. The dominant class is bolded. Only classes that occur in the plot data for the Association / subassociation are listed.

Moisture regime classes
very dry: water removed extremely rapidly in relation to supply; soil is moist for a negligible time after precipitation; primary water source is precipitation.

dry: water removed rapidly to very rapidly in relation to supply; soil is moist for brief periods following precipitation; primary water source is precipitation.

mesic: water removed readily to somewhat slowly in relation to supply; soil may remain moist for a significant, but sometimes short, period of the year; in moderate to fine-textured soils, the primary water source is precipitation; in coarse-textured soils the primary water source is precipitation and/or limited seepage. In mesic soils, the available soil moisture reflects climatic inputs.

moist: water removed slowly enough to keep soil wet for a significant part of the growing season; seepage, mottling and gley colours common; primary water source is seepage.

wet: water removed slowly enough to keep the water table at, above or near the soil surface for most of year; deep organic or organic over gleyed mineral soils; primary water source is the permanent water table, often with seepage.

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Nutrient Regime


A list of nutrient regime classes with % frequency of occurrence per class.  Percent frequencies are calculated from the total number of constituent plots incorporated in the Association / subassociation. The dominant class is bolded. Only classes that occur in the plot data for the Association / subassociation are listed. Nutrient regime is the relative level of nutrient availability for plant growth.

Nutrient regime classes
poor: available nutrients are low to very low.

medium: available nutrients are average.

rich: available nutrients are abundant.

saline: excess salt accumulation.

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Soil Parent Material


A list of soil parent material classes with % frequency of occurrence per class. Percent frequencies are calculated from the total number of constituent plots in the Association / subassociation. The dominant class is bolded. Only classes that occur in the plot data for the Association / subassociation are listed. Soil parent material is the unconsolidated and more or less chemically unweathered material from which soil develops by pedogenic processes.

Soil parent material classes and their definitions
bedrock: the solid rock underlying soil and the regolith or exposed at the surface.

colluvium: heterogeneous mixture of soil materials that has reached its present position as a result of direct, gravity-induced movement. It is usually associated with steep slopes.

eolian: referring to mineral particles moved and sorted by wind; usually fine sands and coarse silt.

moraine / till: heterogeneous mixture of soil and rock, typically unsorted and unstratified, which has been transported and deposited directly by glacial ice.

fluvial: deposits produced by the actions of rivers and streams; generally coarse textured and stratified.

glacioflviaul: deposits and landforms produced by meltwater streams flowing from wasting glacial ice; generally coarse textured.

lacustrine: sediments deposited on a lake bed generally consisting of stratified fine sand, silt and/or clay.

glaciolacustrine: deposits made in lakes affected by glacial ice or by meltwaters flowing directly from glaciers; generally stratified silt, clay and/or fine sand.

marine: unconsolidated deposits of clay, silt, sand, or gravel that are well to moderately well sorted and well to moderately stratified (in some places containing shells) that have settled from suspension in salt or brackish water bodies or have accumulated at their margins through shoreline processes such as wave action and longshore drift.

glaciomarine: sediments of a glacial origin laid down in a marine environment in close proximity to glacial ice; generally fine textured.

organic: sediments of mostly organic materials resulting from the accumulation of decayed vegetative matter; usually > 40 cm thick.

anthropogenic: human-made or human-modified materials such that their initial physical properties have been drastically altered.

undifferentiated: a layered sequence of more than three types of genetic material outcropping on a steep erosional escarpment.

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Soil Rooting Zone Substrate


A list of substrate or soil texture classes within the zone of maximum rooting with % frequency of occurrence per class. Percent frequencies are calculated from the total number of constituent plots in the Association / subassociation. The dominant class is bolded. Only classes that occur in the plot data for the Association / subassociation are listed.

Substrate classes
For soil texture class definitions, see "texture (soil)": http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/glossary/t/index.html.

non-soil: soil parent material = bedrock, or coarse colluvium e.g., tallus. See "soil rooting zone substrate" in the Glossary  for more information.

shallow soil: root restricting depth < 20cm.

coarse sandy: B horizon texture = very coarse sand, coarse sand, medium sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy medium sand.

fine sand: B horizon texture =  fine sand, loamy fine sand.

coarse loamy: B horizon texture = very fine sand, loamy very fine sand, loam, all sandy loams.

fine loamy: B horizon texture = clay loam, silty clay loam, all sandy clay loams.

silty: B horizon texture = silt, silt loam.

clayey: B horizon texture = clay, heavy clay, silty clay, sandy clay.

organic: fibric organic, mesic organic, humic organic > 39 cm depth; or woody substrate.

ash: unconsolidated volcanic ash.

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Root Restricting Depth


A list of soil depth classes to the root restricting layer with % frequency of occurrence per class. Percent frequencies are calculated from the total number of constituent plots in the Association / subassociation. The dominant class is bolded. Only classes that occur in the plot data for the Association /subassociation are listed.

Depth classes (cm)
 0-20; 21-100; > 100

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Humus Form


A list of soil humus form classes with % frequency of occurrence per class. Percent frequencies are calculated from the total number of constituent plots in the Association / subassociation. The dominant class is bolded. Only classes that occur in the plot data for the Association /subassociation are listed.

Humus form classes
mor: a terrestrial humus form characterized by raw plant material, usually matted, with a distinctive boundary at the mineral soil surface; fungal activity is the primary method of decomposition.

moder: a terrestrial humus form characterized by unmatted, partially decomposed plant material; decomposition results primarily from the activity of soil fauna; in moder humus forms, decomposed organic matter is weakly incorporated into the surface mineral soil by soil fauna, but the organic layers are typically distinct from the mineral soil.

mull: a terrestrial humus form characterized by an intimate mixture of well-humified organic matter and mineral soil; decomposition is primarily the result of soil faunal activity; mixing of organic matter with underlying mineral soil is the result of the activity of burrowing soil fauna (primarily earthworms).

peatymor: a semiterrestrial humus form that develops under conditions of prolonged soil saturation due to elevated water tables; characterized by an accumulation of peat that is less than 40 cm deep.