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Fen Management Handbook - Scottish Natural Heritage

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200<br />

Soil texture<br />

Texture is a fundamental soil property influencing key characteristics<br />

such as drainage and water storage. Soil texture is determined by<br />

the relative proportions of the different sized particles which make up<br />

the soil, sand having the largest particles and clay the smallest, with<br />

silt somewhere in between. Soils are usually named according to their<br />

constituent particles or texture – for example sandy loam or clay. Soils<br />

may also be referred to as heavy (clays) and light (coarse textured) to<br />

indicate their ease of cultivation.<br />

Clay, sand and silt particles all impart distinctive qualities to the feel<br />

of the soil, which enable soil texture to be assessed by hand (hand<br />

texturing). In reality, most soils are made up of a combination of<br />

different particles, but in general terms:<br />

– sands generally feel coarse and gritty<br />

– silts generally feel smooth and/or soapy<br />

– clays generally feel sticky or plastic<br />

Further advice and information on soil texture can be found in <strong>Natural</strong><br />

England Technical Advice Note 52: Soil texture<br />

9.8 Site design<br />

Site design should take account of<br />

– soil type<br />

– depth of open water area<br />

– routes for water movement across the site<br />

– risk of erosion during early establishment or successional stages<br />

– planning consents, licenses and permissions<br />

Soil augering and soil<br />

samples at Cayton and<br />

Flixton Carrs, Scarborough<br />

(N. Droy)

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