EGC220

Location: Lake Tyers

Australian Soil Classification: Melacic, Humosesquic, Aeric PODOSOL

Map Unit: Stockdale with Munro
Previous Site Name: EG220

General Landscape Description: Rolling low hills.
Site description: Simple mid slope 3% north east.
Native Vegetation: Lowland forest.
Geology: Tertiary sediments.

Soils and lanforms of the Bairnsdale Dargo region - a guide to the major agricultural soils of East Gippsland 2011 - Munro EG220 landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0 – 25 cm	Very dark grey (10YR3/1); sand; apedal, single grain structure; diffuse change to:
A2	25 – 60 cm	Dark grey (10YR4/1); sand; apedal, single grain structure; clear change to:
A3	60 – 75 cm	Greyish brown (10YR5/2); sand; apedal, single grain structure; diffuse change to:
Subsoil
Bhs	75 – 95 cm	Greyish brown (10YR5/2); sand; apedal, single grain structure; with pockets of a mainly very dark brown (10YR3/2) weakly cemented organic pan; clear change to:
C	60 – 90 mm	Light brownish grey (10YR6/2); sand; apedal, single grain structure

Key Profile Features:

Deep sandy surface.
Accumulation of iron-organic matter compounds (coffee rock) in the subsoil.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

-	pH	Salinity	Sodicity
Surface soil (A1 horizon)	Strongly acid	Very low	Non-sodic
Subsurface (A2horizon)	Strongly acid	Very low	Non-sodic
Deeper subsoil (70-95 cm)	Moderately acid	Very low	Non-sodic

Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl₂)	EC dS/m	Exchangeable Aluminium ppm	Exchangeable Acidity meq/100g	Exchangeable Cations
							Ca	Mg	K	Na
							meq/100g
A1	0-25	5.3	4.2	<0.05	<10	7.1	2.2	0.77	0.18	0.1
A2	25-60	5.5	4.3	<0.05	20	4.0	0.76	0.22	<0.05	0.057
A3	60-75	5.9	4.8	<0.05	<10	1.4	0.55	0.38	<0.05	0.077
Bhs	75-95	6.0	5.0	<0.05	<10	4.9	1.1	1.4	<0.05	0.18

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	Oxidisable Organic Carbon %	Total Nitrogen %	Field Capacity pF2.5	Wilting Point pF4.2	Coarse Sand (0.2-2.0 mm) %	Fine Sand (0.02-0.2 mm) %	Silt (0.002-0.02 mm) %	Clay (<0.002 mm) %


A1	0-25	1.8	0.085	10.6	5.4	69	20	1	2
A2	25-60	0.66	<0.05	8.4	1.5	68	24	1	2
A3	60-75	<0.30	<0.05	6.7	1.2	64	27	1	3
Bhs	75-95	0.5	<0.05	9.2	2.4	58	30	4	4

Management Considerations

If the soil was under pasture with an effective rooting depth of 70 cm the plant available water capacity is considered to be low estimated at 52 mm. Because of the low wilting points throughout the profile, plants will be able to use very light rains when the soil is dry. Due to the low water storage capacity of the soil, plants will suffer water stress unless further rains occur.
These strongly acid sandy soils have a low nutrient holding capacity and are considered to be infertile. They are 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.

Profile Described By: Heather Adams, Julieanne Sargant and Ian Sargeant, June 2009.

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