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As pa&
of an ecological system, such as wmRUand or grazed graoshd,
soil influences and is influenoed by otb r parts of the system fnolding
the vegetation and thb animals whioh feed on it and, therefore' it cam&
be viewed m~listically in isolation,
Interantion of soil charaoteristios
and veget ztian, topography, clFmate , land-use and managemen* ultimately
moulds the landscape of an area,
In pr~.ctice, each ecrological system change6 aonttnuouaw t uwarda a
" -
condition in mob the various parts and the rates of processes in
the system are in an equilibrium determined by f~ictora such as olimate
and management.
men use or management is changed, adjustment of the
sys,tem t o a new set of factors, input8 and outputs, my take a oonsiderable
tim? and mey involve losa& and gains in certain parts of the system.
he lattsr changes am not evidence of soil detedorrrtion unless they
Wose major .Enitations on thy fit&
purpose or qlesa they lead to soil erosion.
. .
use-.& the sail for some defined
The areas of, partioubr interest in this paper Ee between the in-t;ensively
managed arable land oP8 t& valley botf oms and the virtually sail-leas
ana' unmnageab le high mountain t op s . They fall int o grade s 4 and 5 of
the Agricult-1
Land. Classification (Miaistry of' Agrioultum, Fishezies
and Food, 1966) or classes 5 and 6 of the Soil Survey Land Use Capabiliw
cl.assificatian (Bibby & Edackney, 969) and are classed mahly aa wo&W
or heathland, moorland and rtxtgh land in the Second hd-Use Survey of
Britain ( ~ ol~nm&n & &ggs, .1968), soils ~wg8 from mU-drained b m
earths carrying krostis - Fevtuca grassland frsquently invaded heavily
by Readtun on the lower fells to nutrient pour, af'tan peaty but mu-
drained soils wlth Calluna and Vaaoinium or poorly aerated gleys with
96ardw gmss2and on the higher gentle slopes, aagnant or non-#fag&
bogs domted hy Edolinia, or Erioahorum reepeotivsly, occur on level
araaa at most tiltit udei in the zone of ink amst, These are used