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Strichen

Distrobution of Strichen Soil Association DERIVATION:

Acid rocks; mainly acid schists, schistose grits and granulites of the Dalradian.

TYPES OF PARENT MATERIALS MAPPED:

  • Glacial drift, often shallow
  • Glacial till
  • Shattered rock in situ
  • Deeply weathered rock
  • Cryogenic deposits

COLOUR:

Yellowish brown to light yellowish brown

TEXTURE:

Sandy clay loam to clay loam within till deposits; soils developed on shallow stony drift or shattered rock have coarser textures than those developed on till. Slightly to moderately stony with shallow drift deposits and shattered rock being very stony.

DOMINANT LAND USE:

Arable, permanent pasture, forestry, recreation.

LANDFORMS:

Highly variable, from high summits with cryogenic deposits to lowland sites with glacial drift. Valley bottom sites are often characterised by glacial till deposits whereas glacial drifts, often water-modified, characterise long, gentle to steep valley slopes with varying amounts of outcropping rock.

SOIL CHEMISTRY:

Inherently acidic with values of about 5.0 within the subsoil, low percentage base saturation and low total phosphorus. Low available cobalt.

SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Potential rooting depth between 35 to 80cm depending on presence of and depth to induration or rock. Weak structural development at depth.

SERIES NAME SOIL TYPE DRAINAGE PARENT MATERIAL
Anniegathel Noncalcareous gley (SW) Poor Drift and till
Auquhollie Peaty gley Poor Drift and till
Baikies Brown forest soil with gleying Imperfect Drift and till
Bantrach* Peaty podzol Imperfect Till
Chonzie Subalpine podzol Free Drift
Derraid* Humus iron podzol and iron podzol Free Shallow drift
Ealasaid Alpine podzol Free Cryogenic
Finbracks Subalpine podzol Free Drift
Fungarth Brown forest soil Free Drift and till
Gaerlie Peaty podzol Free below iron pan Drift and till
Hythie Peaty gley Poor and very poor Drift and till
Johnstripe* Humic gley Poor and very poor Till
Kichanroy* Skeletal soil Free Shallow drift
Kilry Humic gley Poor and very poor Drift
Leathain* Subalpine podzol Free Residual and deeply weathered
Obney Humus iron podzol Imperfect Drift and till
Quaich Podzolic ranker Free Shallow drift and shattered rock
Quilichan* Peaty podzol Free below iron pan Shallow drift
Saorphin Lithosol (peaty) Poor Shattered rock
Smyrna Peaty podzol Imperfect Drift
Strichen Humus iron podzol and iron podzol Free Drift and till
Strichskel Skeletal soil Variable Very shallow drift and residual
Tombain* Shallow drift Poor and very poor Shallow drift
Vorlich Peaty ranker Poor Shallow drift and residual
  • * Series originally mapped as Strichen Association but now in Arkaig Association on some maps
  • * Occurs only as component in soil complexes

Learning & Resources


Printed from /learning/exploringscotland/soils/series/strichen on 19/03/24 05:25:11 AM

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