Countesswells
DERIVATION:
Granite or granitic gneiss rock
TYPES OF PARENT MATERIALS MAPPED:
- glacial drift, often shallow
- glacial till
- shattered rock in situ
- deeply weathered rock
- morainic deposits
- cryogenic deposits
COLOUR:
Light reddish brown or light yellowish brown
TEXTURE:
Sandy loam to sandy clay loam, often gritty. Soils developed on shallow stony drift, shattered rock or morainic deposits have coarser textures than those developed on till. Moderately or very stony subsoils, often boulders present.
LANDFORMS:
Highly variable, from high summits with cryogenic deposits to lowland sites with glacial drift. Glacial till deposits are generally confined to valley bottom sites and shattered rock in situ or shallow drifts to hill crests and isolated hill tops.
SOIL CHEMISTRY:
Inherently acid with low amounts of basic cations. Generally low levels of available cobalt and copper.
SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
Potential rooting depth 20-40cm, locally to 70cm, depending upon depth to induration or rock (shattered or bedrock). Weak structure at depth.
SERIES NAME | SOIL TYPE | DRAINAGE | PARENT MATERIAL |
---|---|---|---|
Balfour | Brown forest soil with gleying | Imperfect | Drift and till |
Bhreac | Peaty podzol | Free below iron pan | Shallow drift |
Charr | Peaty podzol | Free below iron pan | Drift and till |
Countesswells | Humus-iron podzol and iron podzol | Free | Till and drift |
Countskel | Skeletal soil | Variable |
Shallow drift and residual |
Dalriach | Peaty podzol | Imperfect | Drift and till |
Dess | Humus-iron podzol and iron podzol | Imperfect | Drift and till |
Drumlasie | Peaty gley (SW) | Poor and Very Poor | Drift, till and colluvium |
Meallmore | Peaty podzol | Imperfect | Drift and till |
Moy | Peaty gley (SW) | Poor and Very Poor | Shallow drift |
Raemoir | Brown forest soil | Free | Drift and till |
Rinnes | Alpine podzol | Free | Cryogenic |
Saighdeir | Subalpine podzol | Free | Cryogenic |
Spinneag | Peaty ranker | Poor | Shallow drift, colluvium and organic |
Strathgyle | Peaty gley (SW) | Poor | Drift and till |
Terryvale | Noncalcareous gley | Poor | Drift and till |
* Occurs only as component in soil complexes