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 SOIL ASSOCIATIONS -
 TARVES
Soils Landcover Regional Landscapes Soils & Sustainability


DERIVATION:

Mixed acid and basic metamorphic and igneous rocks, locally from intermediate metamorphic and igneous rocks e.g.hornblende-schist, biotite-gneiss and diorite.

TYPES OF PARENT MATERIALS MAPPED:

Glacial till
Glacial drift
Shallow drift on rock in situ
Deeply weathered rock
Morainic material
Cryogenic deposits

COLOUR:

Dark yellowish brown to yellowish brown.

TEXTURE:

Highly variable, the till has a sandy loam to sandy clay loam texture on free-draining sites but sandy silt loam to clay loam in sites with poor drainage. Drift deposits on the upper hill slopes and summitsis stonier and coarser in texture. Moraine deposits are generally a stony, gravelly loamy sand. Moderately stony within subsoil.

Click on map or here for larger version


DOMINANT LAND USE:

Arable, forestry, recreation and rough grazing.

LANDFORMS:

Highly variable, from lower, convex and straight valley sides to steep upper hill slopes and hill summits ranging up to high mountain summits. Limited hummocky terrain on the valley floors and lower slopes.

SOIL CHEMISTRY:

Subsoil base saturation is variable, up to 80%; pH is between 5 and 6; total phosphorus low to
medium (60 - 300mgp2O5/100g).

SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Potential rooting depth seldom exceeds 45cm due to induration and/or rock. Weak subsoil structure.

 
 SERIES NAME  SOIL TYPE   DRAINAGE  PARENT MATERIAL
 Burntrible  Peaty gley  Poor  Drift and till
 Ernan  Alpine podzol  Free  Drift
 Fenzie  Humus iron podzol  Imperfect  Drift
 Fiactach  Subalpine podzol  Free  Drift
 Pettymuck  Peaty gley (SW)  Poor and very poor  Drift and till
 Pitmedden  Noncalcareous gley (SW)  Poor  Drift and till
 Pressendye  Peaty podzol  Free below iron pan  Drift and till
 Tarves  Brown forest soil  Free  Drift and till
 Tarveskel  Skeletal soil  Variable  Very shallow drift
 and residual
 Thistlyhill  Brown forest soil with gleying  Imperfect  Drift and till
 Tillypronie  Humus iron podzol  Free  Drift and till
 
ARKAIG | BALROWNIE | CORBY | COUNTESSWELLS | DARLEITH | DURNHILL | ETTRICK | FOUDLAND | LOCHINVER | ROWANHILL | SOURHOPE | STRICHEN | TARVES | THURSO | TORRIDON

Introduction Page | Soils Introduction | Back to soil parent material
Updated: 30 October 2009
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