Hydrology of Soil Types
Introduction
HOST Classification
HOST Class 4
- Geology:
- hard fissured Dalradian, Cambrian or Ordovician limestones or sandstones. Some well weathered intrusive and metamorphic rocks (England and Wales only).
- Landforms - Limestone region -
- Few areas of true Karst, predominantly undulating with ridges (eg Lismore ), rocky knolls or craggy outcrops on steep-sided valleys. Much of the land has been extensively glaciated.
- Landforms - Sandstone region -
- varies from gently undulating lowlands (e.g. Black Isle) with few rock outcrops to the rock-dominated hill tops of Sutherland and Caithness. In Shetland, the topography can be very rocky with a stepped appearance or strongly undulating lowlands.
- Soils:
- freely drained (wetness class I) brown earths, humus-iron podzols, brown and podzolic rankers, brown rendzinas and lithosols. They are often shallow.
- Vegetation:
- semi-natural grasslands and herb-rich heather moorland in the uplands to arable, improved pastures, coniferous plantation and occasionally broadleaved woodlands in the lowlands.
- Flow:
- flow in substrate is mainly through rock fissures though some rock is porous.