Tracing Water Movements, using Tritium, in a Peaty Gley Soil under Sitka Spruce

Tritiated water was used as a tracer to investigate the movementof soil water in a peaty gley soil planted with Sitka sprucewhich has reached ‘windthrow’ stage. The effectsof three drainage treatments (different depths and spacingsof ditches) were examined. Downward and lateral movement oftritium was observed in both the surface peaty horizon and inthe mineral subsoil, with no evidence of either an impermeablehorizon or a seepage layer. It was concluded, however, thatat this site drainage treatment had less influence on watermovement than ground topography.