Identifier: forestphysiograp01bowm (find matches)
Title: Forest physiography; physiography of the United States and principles of soils in relation to forestry
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Bowman, Isaiah, 1878-1950
Subjects: Physical geography Forests and forestry Soils
Publisher: New York, J. Wiley & sons (etc., etc.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ormthe higher summits, while the softer sedimentary rocks have beeneroded, although the members of each group have been eroded atvery different rates owing to differences in degree of resistance. Onaccount of deficient height the Little Belt Mountains did not supportlocal ice sheets during the glacial period, nor were they covered bythe continental ice sheet during the time of its maximum southwardextension.^ Throughout the greater part of the Little Belt region a plateau-liketopography prevails; broad flat summits are characteristic. The aver-age elevation is 7600 feet, though the summit level from which thespurs radiate is 8000 feet high. The highest summit of the group is notat the center but along the northeastern border, where Big Baldyreaches an altitude of 9000 feet. The Little Belt Mountains are 1 W. H. Weed, The Geology of the Little Belt Mountains, Mont., 20th Ann. Rept. U. S.Geol. Surv., pt. 3, 1898-1899, p. 273. 2 Idem, p. 277. PLATEAUS AND RANGES OF THE PLAINS COUNTRY 447
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448 FOREST PHYSIOGRAPHY bounded by relatively soft rocks to whose deep erosion the prominenceof the mountains is chiefly due. The relation of the detailed topographic features to the rock characteris so intimate that it is impossible to distinguish the one feature withoutdistinguishing the other. Summit plateaus are bordered by steep es-carpments with towering limestone cliffs along the stream gorges.Only the highest peaks along the northeastern border and the steeplimestone gorges lend picturesqueness to the scenery. In the centerof the mountain area where the beds are horizontal or only gently in-clined, secondary structural plateaus are commonly found. Upon someof these the rock is so resistant as to determine broad ridges which insome cases are emphasized by differences in soil and vegetation, as isthe case in Belt Park and other timberless parks near Neihart, whichhave been developed on quartzite and which are in contrast with thewooded and soil-covered slopes above and below. Th

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