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The Soils of the USA pp 115–130Cite as

Soils of the Western Range and Irrigated Land Resource Region: LRR D

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Abstract

The arid and semiarid ecosystems of the Western Range and Irrigated Region occupy large areas across the states of Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, and Texas. These areas are largely comprised of desert and semi-desert ecosystems located on broad plateaus, plains, basins, and isolated mountain ranges providing areas of forested habitat. The ecosystems in this region are predominantly dominated by shrubs, grasses, and scattered trees in the low lying areas, with areas of forest in the cooler, wetter mountain ranges. Much of the low lying land in this region is used for grazing with areas of irrigated agricultural production where water is available and soils are suitable. The soils in this region are dominantly Aridisols , Entisols, and Mollisols. The dominant suborders include Argids and Calcids on alluvial fans, plains, and basins ; Orthents and Fluvents on alluvial fans, plains, plateaus, and valleys; and Xerolls and Ustolls on mountain slopes. The soils in this area are central to sustainable ecosystem management and function, providing critical ecosystem services such as watershed and groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration , and maintenance of plant and animal diversity over a large area of the Western US.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Craig Rasmussen, Rebecca A. Lybrand, Caitlin Orem, Jennifer Kielhofer & Molly Holleran

Authors
  1. Craig Rasmussen
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  2. Rebecca A. Lybrand
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  3. Caitlin Orem
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  4. Jennifer Kielhofer
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  5. Molly Holleran
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Craig Rasmussen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA

    L.T. West

  2. Davis, California, USA

    M.J. Singer

  3. University of Wisconsin – Madison , Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    A.E. Hartemink

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Rasmussen, C., Lybrand, R.A., Orem, C., Kielhofer, J., Holleran, M. (2017). Soils of the Western Range and Irrigated Land Resource Region: LRR D. In: West, L., Singer, M., Hartemink, A. (eds) The Soils of the USA. World Soils Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41870-4_7

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