GL34

Site: GL34	Land Unit: Follet Dunes and Plains
*Aust. Soil Class.:* Parapanic, Humosesquic, Semiaquic PODOSOL (confidence level 1)

General Land Unit Description:

The majority of this land unit falls south of the Kanawinka fault. This land unit comprises areas with deep sand deposits. The residual landscape is thought to be influenced by the retreat of the Murray Sea which left stranded beach ridges oriented south west–north east. These were subsequently covered by superficial sand sheets in later depositional phases, which formed the landscape seen today.

The major landforms in this land unit are dunes and swales. Podosols and Kurosols or Chromosols are the major soil types found on the dunes and rises. Podosols are soils with a ‘coffee rock’ layer (refer to photograph). The Kurosols or Chromosols tend to have a deep sandy topsoil over the clay. The common soil types on the swales are black cracking clay (Vertosols) or Grey Sodosols. Some Ferric Kurosols or Chromosols can also occur on the swales or lower slopes of the dunes.

Site Description:

Slope: 2%	Geology: Quaternary aeolian
Landform pattern: Dune	Position in landscape: Lower slope
Internal drainage: Imperfectly drained

Soil Profile Morphology

A1	0-30 cm	Very dark grey (2.5Y3/1) loamy sand, apedal structure, loose consistence when dry, pH 6.1; transition to:
A2	30-50 cm	Dark greyish brown (10YR4/2) sand, bleached (10YR6/1) when dry, massive structure, very weak consistence when dry, pH 5.0; transition to:
Subsoil
Bhs	50-70 cm	Black (7.5YR2.5/1) loamy sand, massive structure, strong consistence when dry, pH5.3; transition to:
B21	70-90 cm	Pale brown (10YR6/3) sandy clay, many orange mottles, very firm consistence when moderately moist, some organic staining along root channels, pH6.9; transition to:
B22	90-150 cm	Light grey (10YR7/2), light medium clay, many orange mottles, very firm consistence when moderately moist, pH 7; transition to:
B23	150-170 cm	Light brownish grey (2.5Y6/2) medium clay, many orange and few red mottles, very firm consistence when moderately moist, pH 7; transition to:
BC	170-200 cm	Heavy clay, consistence very firm when moderately moist, pH 7.

Key profile features:

Strongly acidic topsoil
Strongly acidic top of the subsoil
Sandy topsoil
Strong texture contrast between topsoil and subsoil
Mottled subsoil
Sodic subsoil
‘Coffee rock’

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