Hexworthy soil series GB
A representative soil profile of the Hexworthy series (Placic Endoskeletic Histic Stagnic Albic Podzols) in England. (Cranfield University 2021. The Soils Guide. Available: www.landis.org.uk. Cranfield University, UK.)
Soils classified and described by the World Reference Base for England and Wales:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/wrb_list.cfm
Hexworthy soils consists mostly of podzolic soils and extends over the granite outcrop of South West England from 510 m O.D. on Dartmoor to sea level on the Isles of Scilly. Smaller areas are found over granite on the Cheviot Hills and on microgranite and rhyolite in North Wales. In Wales bedrock is usually closer to the surface and much of the land is rocky and bouldery. Over half the soils are ironpan stagnopodzols, Hexworthy series.
The land is rocky and boulder-strewn and the soils are in stony sometimes skeletal material with bedrock normally within profile depth. Rock outcrops and shallow humic rankers are found on ridges while freely drained Moor Gate series cover steep slopes and screes. Humic gley soils of the Laployd and Fordham series occur on relatively flat ground with some deeper peat soils of the Crowdy series in basin and flush sites. Rough Tor series is widespread, most extensively on Garnedd-goch and near Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The land is open heather moorland with mire vegetation on wetter soils. The grazing is poor because of the low fertility of the acid soils, and the rocky mountainous terrain makes improvements uneconomic. None is afforested; deep ploughing to break the ironpan is largely precluded by rockiness and the risk of windthrow is considerable because the land is exposed. Lodgepole pine is the most suitable species but Sitka spruce is a better choice for the more sheltered, less rocky sites.
In west Cornwall the soils are mostly unreclaimed because of steep slopes or bouldery ground, and within the Dartmoor National Park conservation and amenity aspects are over-riding. On Bodmin Moor, as elsewhere, the potential for agricultural improvement is limited by waterlogging caused by ironpans or other slowly permeable upper horizons restricting the movement of water into more permeable material below. Mechanical disruption of these layers by subsoiling improves the natural drainage. Unreclaimed Hexworthy soils have very low winter rain acceptance potential but after subsoiling winter rain penetrates more readily. After reclamation, grassland requires careful grazing and regular use of lime and fertilizer to prevent reversion to rushes. The large retained water capacity of humose or peaty topsoils makes them susceptible to poaching and traffic damage during wet periods. The soils may have been deeply ploughed and subsoiled to encourage deep rooting and so counteract windthrow on exposed sites. Sitka spruce and some Lodgepole pine have been planted as the most suitable species for the climate. The soils have low reserves of phosphorus and require fertilizer applications for adequate growth.
For additional information about the soil association, visit:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/series.cfm?serno=75...
For more information on the World Reference Base soil classification system, visit:
www.fao.org/3/i3794en/I3794en.pdf
Hexworthy soil series GB
A representative soil profile of the Hexworthy series (Placic Endoskeletic Histic Stagnic Albic Podzols) in England. (Cranfield University 2021. The Soils Guide. Available: www.landis.org.uk. Cranfield University, UK.)
Soils classified and described by the World Reference Base for England and Wales:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/wrb_list.cfm
Hexworthy soils consists mostly of podzolic soils and extends over the granite outcrop of South West England from 510 m O.D. on Dartmoor to sea level on the Isles of Scilly. Smaller areas are found over granite on the Cheviot Hills and on microgranite and rhyolite in North Wales. In Wales bedrock is usually closer to the surface and much of the land is rocky and bouldery. Over half the soils are ironpan stagnopodzols, Hexworthy series.
The land is rocky and boulder-strewn and the soils are in stony sometimes skeletal material with bedrock normally within profile depth. Rock outcrops and shallow humic rankers are found on ridges while freely drained Moor Gate series cover steep slopes and screes. Humic gley soils of the Laployd and Fordham series occur on relatively flat ground with some deeper peat soils of the Crowdy series in basin and flush sites. Rough Tor series is widespread, most extensively on Garnedd-goch and near Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The land is open heather moorland with mire vegetation on wetter soils. The grazing is poor because of the low fertility of the acid soils, and the rocky mountainous terrain makes improvements uneconomic. None is afforested; deep ploughing to break the ironpan is largely precluded by rockiness and the risk of windthrow is considerable because the land is exposed. Lodgepole pine is the most suitable species but Sitka spruce is a better choice for the more sheltered, less rocky sites.
In west Cornwall the soils are mostly unreclaimed because of steep slopes or bouldery ground, and within the Dartmoor National Park conservation and amenity aspects are over-riding. On Bodmin Moor, as elsewhere, the potential for agricultural improvement is limited by waterlogging caused by ironpans or other slowly permeable upper horizons restricting the movement of water into more permeable material below. Mechanical disruption of these layers by subsoiling improves the natural drainage. Unreclaimed Hexworthy soils have very low winter rain acceptance potential but after subsoiling winter rain penetrates more readily. After reclamation, grassland requires careful grazing and regular use of lime and fertilizer to prevent reversion to rushes. The large retained water capacity of humose or peaty topsoils makes them susceptible to poaching and traffic damage during wet periods. The soils may have been deeply ploughed and subsoiled to encourage deep rooting and so counteract windthrow on exposed sites. Sitka spruce and some Lodgepole pine have been planted as the most suitable species for the climate. The soils have low reserves of phosphorus and require fertilizer applications for adequate growth.
For additional information about the soil association, visit:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/series.cfm?serno=75...
For more information on the World Reference Base soil classification system, visit:
www.fao.org/3/i3794en/I3794en.pdf