• Catchment Management
• Project Background
• Monitoring
• Soil Descriptions
• Vegetation Descriptions
• Topography
• Allt a' Mharcaidh references
• Deposition Chemistry
  • Bulk deposition chemistry
  • Interception deposition chemistry
• Snow
• Vegetation community composition
• Soil characteristics and chemistry
• Ground water chemistry
• Surface water chemistry
• Automatic Weather Station (CEH)
• Current Research Project
• Management of the Reserve

Allt a' Mharcaidh Catchment

Soil Descriptions

Drift Type	Component Soils
Moraine	Humus-iron podzols, Peaty podzols, Peaty rankers
Moraine	Humus-iron podzols, Peaty podzols, Deep peat
Till, Moraine	Peaty podzols
Till, Colluvium	Peaty podzols, Peaty rankers
Till	Subalpine podzols
Cryic	Alpine podzols
Cryic	Alpine podzols
Moraine	Alpine podzols, Alpine podzolic rankers
Cryic	Alpine podzols, Alpine gleyed podzols
Organic, Colluvium	Peaty rankers
Organic	Shallow blanket peat (50 – 100 cm)
Organic	Eroded shallow blanket peat (50 – 100 cm)
Organic	Deep blanket peat (> 1m)
Organic	Eroded deep blanket peat (> 1m)
Organic	Shallow high-level blanket peat (50 – 100 cm)
Organic	Eroded shallow high-level blanket peat (50 – 100 cm)
Organic	Deep high-level blanket peat (> 1m)
Organic	Eroded deep high level blanket peat (> 1m)
Alluvium, Colluvium, Organic	Humus-iron podzols, Peaty podzols
Scree	Scree

The soils of the catchment were mapped by Nolan et al (1985) and classified according to the method used by the Soil Survey of Scotland Staff (1984). The majority of soil types are developed on granitic parent material of the Countesswells Association, with the exception of the organic and alluvial soils. Fifteen soil taxonomic units (types) were identified in the catchment, these fall into three broad categories; alpine soils (including alpine podzols, alpine rankers and alpine gley soils); podzolic soils (including peaty podzols, humus iron podzols and subalpine podzols); and organic soils (including deep and shallow blanket peats and peaty rankers).

Alpine (or oroarctic) soils are distributed at high altitudes above 750m and organic soils are mainly confined to the valley floor and extend along the main stream tributaries. Podzolic soils are found on the slopes between the organic soils at low altitudes and the alpine soils at the high altitudes. The distribution of general soil types within the catchment is illustrated here.

Soil analysis

Soil analysis including profile descriptions, particle size distribution, exchangeable cations, pH, %C, %N, sulphur dynamics and mineralogy is available from the detail survey carried out at the 1:10,000 scale. Further details on the soils in the catchment can be found here.