Your gateway to a wide range of natural resources information and associated maps

Victorian Resources Online

GL167

Australian Soil Classification: Mottled, Eutrophic, Brown CHROMOSOL (confidence level 1)

General Landscape Description: Low hills.
Site Description: Just off crest.
Land Unit: Ararat Granites.
Geology: Ordovician granite.
General Land Unit Description: This land unit consists of granitic hills and rises around Ararat. Granitic tors are common on the crests and at the break of slope in some areas. Landslips are evident on the steeper slopes. This site is situated just off the crest of a low hill. The crest itself has a large amount of large granite tors. The soils are generally shallow (less than 50 cm deep) with a sharp transition to a deep weathered C horizon. Granite floaters may occur at varying depths. The subsoil structure is very prismatic and angular. The dominant soil type is a Grey Sodosol, often found on the lower slopes, (GL168, GL174). Chromosols are more likely to occur on the crests and steeper slopes. Due to the high amounts of rock outcrop at this site, it will have a lower land capability rating than GL168.




Soil pit GL167 landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Horizon
Depth (cm)

A11

0–15
Very dusky red (2.5YR2.5/2); loamy coarse sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very weak consistence; contains many fine gravely subrounded quartz; pH 6.2; gradual change to:Soil pit GL167 profile

A12

15–25
Reddish brown (5YR4/4), with many medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR3/6) mottles; loamy coarse sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; contains many fine subrounded quartz pebbles; pH 5.7; abrupt change to:

B2

25–40
Reddish brown (2.5YR5/3), with, many prominent medium dark yellowish brown (10YR3/6) mottles; medium heavy clay; strong fine prismatic parting to strong medium angular blocky structure; many distinct clay skins present; pH 6.6; clear and wavy change to:
C
40–120+
Weathered granite
Soil Profile Characteristics:


pH
Salinity Rating
Surface
(A11 horizon)
Slightly Acid
Low
Non-sodic
None
Subsoil
(25-40 cm)
Slightly Acid
Low
Non-sodic
None1
1 Compleate dispersion after remoulding.



Soil pit GL167 graphs
Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl
2)
EC
dS/m
Organic Carbon
%
Total
Nitrogen
%
Exchangeable Aluminium
ppm
Exchangeable Acididty
meq/100g
Exchangeable Cations
Coarse Sand
(0.2-2.0 mm)
%
Fine Sand
(0.02-0.2 mm)
%
Silt
(0.002-0.02 mm)
%
Clay
(<0.002 mm)
%
Field Capacity
% w/w
Wilting Point
% w/w
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
A11
0-15
6.2
5.4
0.13
2
0.2
<10
5
2.9
0.91
1.2
0.13
49
31
7
10
12.6
5
A12
15-25
5.7
4.7
0.08
19
5.9
2.2
1.7
1.4
0.19
38
29
7
24
14
7.5
B2
25-40
6.6
5.9
0.15
6.4
4.6
6.6
1.9
0.62
23
21
6
49
25
15.6


Key Profile Features:
  • Shallow soil profile
  • Mottled subsoil
  • Many coarse fragments above B horizon
  • Subsoil dispersive when worked when wet


Profile Described By: David Rees, December 2002.
Page top