Welcome to the newly opened Soils of Mendocino County Web
Site! Inceptisols, Ultisols, Spodosols, and other soil orders can be
found within close proximity of the town of Mendocino (See
pictures and descriptions of soil orders). These soils each
support unique ecosystems ranging from grasslands along the coast to
mixed conifer and pygmy forests further inland. These soils and the
plant and animal  communities that
live on them have coevolved in response to the unique geomorphological activity of marine terraces in the
region. The continental shelf in the region has experienced uplift for at
least a couple million years (See picture at left). This in combination with fluctuating ocean levels during glacial cycles
has etched out a series of steps or terraces that due to uplift extend
several miles inland. So, we invite you to take a look at what this
site has to offer, including:
- A map showing the locations of a recent
field trip by our group; (You can click on the sites to get the
soil description sheets for soils such as: Humic Dystrustepts, Typic
Plinthohumults, and Oxiaquic Haplorthods.)
- An argument
for the preservation of soils and unique ecosystems;
- Static maps of the Mendocino area at 24K, 100K,
and 250K resolution;
- The 12 Soil Orders; and
- Links to Other Resources on Marine Terraces
and the Mendocino Area.
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communities that
live on them have coevolved in response to the unique geomorphological activity of marine terraces in the
region. The continental shelf in the region has experienced uplift for at
least a couple million years (See picture at left). This in combination with fluctuating ocean levels during glacial cycles
has etched out a series of steps or terraces that due to uplift extend
several miles inland. So, we invite you to take a look at what this
site has to offer, including:
