Footpath morphology and terrain sensitivity on high plateaux: the Mamore Mountains, Western Highlands of Scotland

• Published in: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
• Main Authors: Morrocco, Stefan M., Ballantyne, Colin K.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: footpath morphology; lithology; terrain sensitivity; shear strength; trampling erosion; SOIL-EROSION; VEGETATION; CAIRNGORM; DEGRADATION; DISTURBANCE; PEOPLE; PATHS; Carex bigelowii
• Online Access: https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/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

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.