Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland
Variations in the morphology of a high-level footpath are characterized using a new approach that relates footpath morphology to six terrain units defined jointly by two contrasting plant communities (U7 grass-heath communities dominated by Nardus stricta and Carex bigelowii, and U10 moss-heath comm...
Published in: | Earth Surface Processes and Landforms |
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Language: | English |
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2008
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Online Access: | https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/footpath-morphology-and-terrain-sensitivity-on-high-plateaux-the-mamore-mountains-western-highlands-of-scotland(dd150b5c-faad-46c6-b165-d1b6c32f7c40).html https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1525 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=38749092228&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/dd150b5c-faad-46c6-b165-d1b6c32f7c40 2024-06-23T07:52:04+00:00 Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland Morrocco, Stefan M. Ballantyne, Colin K. 2008-01 https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/footpath-morphology-and-terrain-sensitivity-on-high-plateaux-the-mamore-mountains-western-highlands-of-scotland(dd150b5c-faad-46c6-b165-d1b6c32f7c40).html https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1525 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=38749092228&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/footpath-morphology-and-terrain-sensitivity-on-high-plateaux-the-mamore-mountains-western-highlands-of-scotland(dd150b5c-faad-46c6-b165-d1b6c32f7c40).html info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Morrocco , S M & Ballantyne , C K 2008 , ' Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland ' , Earth Surface Processes and Landforms , vol. 33 , no. 1 , pp. 40-54 . https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1525 footpath morphology lithology terrain sensitivity shear strength trampling erosion SOIL-EROSION VEGETATION CAIRNGORM DEGRADATION DISTURBANCE PEOPLE PATHS article 2008 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1525 2024-06-13T00:24:00Z Variations in the morphology of a high-level footpath are characterized using a new approach that relates footpath morphology to six terrain units defined jointly by two contrasting plant communities (U7 grass-heath communities dominated by Nardus stricta and Carex bigelowii, and U10 moss-heath communities dominated by Carex bigelowii and Racomitrium lanuginosum) and by the contrasting textural characteristics of underlying mineral soils developed on schist, granite and quartzite. All six terrain units are characterized by distinct footpath morphologies. The most critical factor affecting footpath morphology is the shear strength of the vegetation mat and underlying root zone. Vegetation mat shear strength was measured using a specially constructed shear rake. On all three lithologies, median shear strengths for U7 communities significantly exceed those for U10 communities, so that pathways on the former are significantly narrower and deeper than those developed on the latter. Adjacent zones of damaged or modified vegetation cover are also wider on U10 communities. The role of mineral soil (regolith) texture and thus underlying lithology in controlling footpath morphology is more complex. For soils with abundant fines, granite soils have lower shearing resistance than schist soils, and are associated with wider footpaths. Footpaths are also wide on clast-supported quartzite regolith, which has high shearing resistance: pathways are trapezoidal in cross-section in areas of U7 vegetation cover, but footpaths are very broad and diffuse in areas of U10 cover. Pathway depths are limited by increasing shear and compressive strength with depth. Implications of these findings for further research and management strategies are discussed. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Article in Journal/Newspaper Carex bigelowii University of St Andrews: Research Portal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 33 1 40 54 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
topic |
footpath morphology lithology terrain sensitivity shear strength trampling erosion SOIL-EROSION VEGETATION CAIRNGORM DEGRADATION DISTURBANCE PEOPLE PATHS |
spellingShingle |
footpath morphology lithology terrain sensitivity shear strength trampling erosion SOIL-EROSION VEGETATION CAIRNGORM DEGRADATION DISTURBANCE PEOPLE PATHS Morrocco, Stefan M. Ballantyne, Colin K. Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland |
topic_facet |
footpath morphology lithology terrain sensitivity shear strength trampling erosion SOIL-EROSION VEGETATION CAIRNGORM DEGRADATION DISTURBANCE PEOPLE PATHS |
description |
Variations in the morphology of a high-level footpath are characterized using a new approach that relates footpath morphology to six terrain units defined jointly by two contrasting plant communities (U7 grass-heath communities dominated by Nardus stricta and Carex bigelowii, and U10 moss-heath communities dominated by Carex bigelowii and Racomitrium lanuginosum) and by the contrasting textural characteristics of underlying mineral soils developed on schist, granite and quartzite. All six terrain units are characterized by distinct footpath morphologies. The most critical factor affecting footpath morphology is the shear strength of the vegetation mat and underlying root zone. Vegetation mat shear strength was measured using a specially constructed shear rake. On all three lithologies, median shear strengths for U7 communities significantly exceed those for U10 communities, so that pathways on the former are significantly narrower and deeper than those developed on the latter. Adjacent zones of damaged or modified vegetation cover are also wider on U10 communities. The role of mineral soil (regolith) texture and thus underlying lithology in controlling footpath morphology is more complex. For soils with abundant fines, granite soils have lower shearing resistance than schist soils, and are associated with wider footpaths. Footpaths are also wide on clast-supported quartzite regolith, which has high shearing resistance: pathways are trapezoidal in cross-section in areas of U7 vegetation cover, but footpaths are very broad and diffuse in areas of U10 cover. Pathway depths are limited by increasing shear and compressive strength with depth. Implications of these findings for further research and management strategies are discussed. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Morrocco, Stefan M. Ballantyne, Colin K. |
author_facet |
Morrocco, Stefan M. Ballantyne, Colin K. |
author_sort |
Morrocco, Stefan M. |
title |
Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland |
title_short |
Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland |
title_full |
Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland |
title_fullStr |
Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland |
title_sort |
footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the mamore mountains, western highlands of scotland |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/footpath-morphology-and-terrain-sensitivity-on-high-plateaux-the-mamore-mountains-western-highlands-of-scotland(dd150b5c-faad-46c6-b165-d1b6c32f7c40).html https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1525 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=38749092228&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
genre |
Carex bigelowii |
genre_facet |
Carex bigelowii |
op_source |
Morrocco , S M & Ballantyne , C K 2008 , ' Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland ' , Earth Surface Processes and Landforms , vol. 33 , no. 1 , pp. 40-54 . https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1525 |
op_relation |
https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/researchoutput/footpath-morphology-and-terrain-sensitivity-on-high-plateaux-the-mamore-mountains-western-highlands-of-scotland(dd150b5c-faad-46c6-b165-d1b6c32f7c40).html |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1525 |
container_title |
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms |
container_volume |
33 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
40 |
op_container_end_page |
54 |
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1802643276866519040 |