Gormandale (Symbol: Go)

EG240

Geology
Pleistocene aeoliandeposits.

Landform
Dunefield.

No landscape photo available.

Native vegetation
Sand heathland.

Soils
The soils are mainly deep sands, generally with a layer of organic and/or iron cemented sand in the form of coffee rock or concretions in the subsoil. The soil described below is near Stradbroke.

Previous maps and reports
This map unit is included within the Gormandale Land System as described by Aldrick et al (1992). It also includes a number of deep sand soil types described by Poutsma and Turvey (1979)

Land use
Much of the land is under native vegetation and included in the Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park and the Lakes National Park. Some is cleared and grazed and there is some urban development at Loch Sport.

Site EG240

Location: Stradbroke	Geo. Ref.: 0504800E 5764900N
Australian Soil Classification: Melacic, Humosesquic, Aeric PODOSOL	Uniform textured deep sand
General landscape description: Longitudinal dunefield
Geology: Pleistocene aeolian sediments
Site description: 7 % slope to north
Native Vegetation: Sandy heathland
Map unit: Gormandale

A1	0 – 30 cm	Very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2); loamy sand; single grained; very weak consistence, moist; pH 3.8; clear and smooth change to:
A2	30 – 50 cm	Light grey (10YR6/1); sand; single grained; loose when dry; pH 4.2; diffuse and smooth change to
A22	50 – 115 cm	White (10YR8/1); sand; single grained; loose when dry; pH 4.6; sharp and wavy change to:
Subsoil
Bhs	115 – 135 cm	Dark reddish brown (5YR3/3) and yellowish red (5YR5/8); sand; with continuous tongues of weakly cemented and massive ‘coffee rock’ pH 4.2; gradual and smooth transition to:
C	135 – 190 cm	Dark reddish brown (5YR3/3) and yellowish red (5YR5/8);sand; single grained; many ferruginous nodules (less than 60 mm)

• Deep sandy surface horizons.
• Conspicuously bleached, very thick subsurface (A2) horizons.
• Accumulation or iron-organic matter compounds (i.e. ‘coffee rock’) in subsoil.
• The soil profile is extremely acid throughout.
• The levels of coarse sand are high throughout the profile.
• The level of soluble salts is very low throughout the profile.
• The clay content is very low throughout the profile.

	pH	Salinity rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Extremely Acid	Very low	Non-sodic	None
Subsoil (Bhs horizon)	Extremely Acid	Very Low	Non-sodic	None

Horizon	Depth cm	Field texture	pH water	pH CaCl2	EC dS/m	Coarse sand %	Fine sand %	Silt %	Clay %	Field cap. % w/w	Wilt. point % w/w	PAW* water % w/w
A1	0-30		3.8	3.0	<0.05	64	28	1	2.5	7.6	3.7	3.9
A21	30-50		4.2	3.5	<0.05	66	31	0.5	0	2.9	0.9	2.0
A22	50-115		4.6	4.2	<0.05	62	35	0	0.5	2.5	0.6	1.9
Bhs	115-135		4.2	3.8	0.05					5.1	2.6	2.5

Depth

OrgC#

Total N

Free Fe2O3

Exch Al

Exchangeable cations meq/100 g

Ca:Mg

ESP

cm

%

%

% w/w

ppm

Ca

Mg

K

Na

Total

H

CEC

0-30

2.0

0.06

0.15

0.23

0.06

0.07

14

30-50

<0.05

0.06

<0.05

<0.05

1.8

50-115

<0.05

<0.05

<0.05

<0.05

<1

115-135

0.43

<0.05

<0.05

<0.05

<0.05

<0.05

9.3

• Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is very low for sandy soils such as these. The soils are, however, well drained.
• These strongly acidic sandy soils have a very low nutrient holding capacity and are considered infertile – being naturally deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and potassium. Nitrate and sulphate are readily removed by leaching. Deficiencies of trace elements such as copper, zinc and molybdenum are likely to occur. The trace element boron (B) leaches rapidly through acid sandy soils and deficiencies are also likely to occur.