SOILS OF THE PALOUSE LOESS

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Abstract
Variation in microclimate, due to exposure and localized accumulation of snow, has been dominant in determining soil differences within the Palouse catena. The zonal Prairie soil, Palouse silt loam, is found only on the relatively gentle south-facing slopes. A profile with Chernozem morphology, Athena silt loam, is on the dry ridges. On the locally wet lee slopes a claypan soil, Thatuna silt loam, had developed. Soil-forming materials are similar throughout the catena, except that the lee north slopes have accumulated a blanket of loess plus volcanic dust, younger than the underlying Palouse loess. Although the microclimate and associated changes in vegetation have detd. the general course of soil formation in members of the catena, this layering of soil-forming material has detd. the position of the A-B break in the Thatuna profile.