GRES492

Location: Ensay

Australian Soil Classification: Haplic, Eutrophic, Red CHROMOSOL

Map Unit: Timbarra (previously mapped as Dargo, Component 1, but too steep for new unit definition)
Previous Site Name: AL45

General Landscape Description: Steep low hills.
Site description: Lower east facing slope (37% slope)
Land Use: Grazing on annual pasture
Native Vegetation: Open forest
Geology: Palaeozoic granite



Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A11	0-27 cm	Dark brown (7.5YR3/2); sandy loam; apedal; hard consistence, dry; 5% granite fragments up to 8 mm; clear and wavy change to:	Typical shallow soil on granite south of Dargo
A12	27-50 cm	Strong brown (7.5YR5/6); gritty sandy loam; apedal; hard consistence when dry; 15% granite fragments up to 8 mm; clear and wavy change to:
Subsoil
B2	50 -80 cm	Yellowish red (5YR5/6); sandy clay; moderate coarse (25 mm) angular blocky structure; firm consistence moist; 25% quartz and weathering feldspar crystals up to 3 mm and dark mica grains; changes to:
C	80 – 90+ cm	Strong brown (7.5YR5/6); sandy clay loam; moderate medium (20 mm) angular blocky structure; friable consistence moist; passing to weathering granite.

• Bordering on a gradational soil but the slight texture contrast between the surface (A) horizons and the subsoil (B) horizons makes this a borderline texture contrast soil.

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	EC dS/m	Organic Carbon %	Total Nitrogen %	Exchangeable Acididty meq/100g	Exchangeable Cations				Gravel %	Coarse Sand (0.2-2.0 mm) %	Fine Sand (0.02-0.2 mm) %	Silt (0.002-0.02 mm) %	Clay (<0.002 mm) %
							Ca	Mg	K	Na
							meq/100g
A11	0-10	5.9	<0.05	2.2	0.16	8.2	4.0	1.0	0.5	0.05	6	31	43	10	13
A11	10-20		<0.05								12
A12	30-50	6.7	<0.05			2.2	4.4	0.8	0.3	0.08	22	37	42	11	11
B2	60-80	7.0	<0.05			4.3	10.6	2.5	0.5	0.3	18	30	25	15	31
C	80-90	7.1	<0.05			4.8	11.3	2.9	0.5	0.4	5	29	27	14	28

• As the soils are sandy, the plant available water capacity would be very low. However, plants would be able to utilise light rain after the soils are dry.
• Sheet and rill erosion would be high and common where the topsoil is exposed.
• Soil depth in the steep cleared drainage lines is likely to be very shallow with considerable exposed rock.