Strichen

[1] 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 originally mapped as Strichen Association but now in Arkaig Association on some maps
• * Occurs only as component in soil complexes