SOIL ASSOCIATIONS -
 DURNHILL

DERIVATION:

Quartzites and quartzose grits.

TYPES OF PARENT MATERIALS MAPPED:

Glacial till
Glacial drift, often shallow
Cryogenic

COLOUR:

Light yellowish brown in subsoil.

TEXTURE:

Till deposits range from loamy sand to sandy clay loam but drifts are loamy sand and sandy loam often with abundant, mainly angular stones, moderate to abundant in amount.

DOMINANT LAND USE:

Arable, permanent pasture, rough grazing, some forestry.

LANDFORMS:

Mainly hills, valley sides and mountains often with steep slopes being scree-covered.

SOIL CHEMISTRY:

Inherently low fertility, low pH (around pH5 in the subsoil), extremely low base saturation (<15%) and low levels of trace elements are characteristic.

SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Potential rooting depth is generally around less than 35cm with intense induration, an iron pan or high stone content impeding root penetration. Weak subsoil structure.