The soils are mostly well drained. Soil temperature regimes are mostly mesic. Soil moisture regimes are xeric. The predominant natural plant communities, from lower to higher elevations, are Ponderosa pine series, Mixed conifer series, and White fir series. There is Jeffrey pine series in volcanic terrain at higher elevations.
Canyon live oak series is common on very steep rocky slopes.
The mean freeze-free period is in the range from 100 to 150 days. Surface Water . Maximum flow in these rivers is during spring when snow is melting rapidly. There are no natural lakes, but there are some reservoirs in the subsection.