PVI 10

Site: PVI 10	Land Unit: Buckley Swamp Peats
*Aust. Soil Class.:* Humose (& Vertic), Chromosolic, Redoxic HYDROSOL (confidence level 1)

General Land Unit Description:
Buckley Swamp consists of a valley infilled by an earlier lava flow, with the subsequent blockage of the drainage line resulting in peat accumulation. The area has been drained and burnt at various times in the past, resulting in some decomposition and loss of peat. The dominant soils of the plain are Organosols with massive or well-structured surfaces. The soils of the backplain are commonly Hydrosols with well structured surfaces and peaty horizons. There are also minor occurrences of Vertosols.

Site Description:

Geology: Quaternary Basalt overlain by alluvials	Landform pattern: Flood plain
Position in landscape: Lower slope	Internal drainage: Imperfectly drained

Soil Profile Morphology

A11	0-15 cm	Black (10YR2/1), loam, weak consistence (dry), pH 5.7. Abrupt change to:
A12	15-25 cm	Black (10YR2/1), clay loam (organic), weak consistence (dry), some laminated peat in patches, pH 5.8. Clear change to:
	Subsoil
B21	25-45 cm	Very dark grey (2.5Y3/0), medium heavy clay, moderate very coarse prismatic, parting to strong coarse blocky structure, strong consistence (dry), pH 6.5. Clear change to:
B22	45-100 cm	Grey (10YR5/1) with many (20%) strong brown (7.5YR5/6) mottles, medium clay, moderate coarse prismatic, parting to strong medium to very fine lenticular structure, slickensides present, very firm consistence (moist), pH 7.8. Gradual change to:
B23	100-150 cm	Grey (10YR5/1) with few (10%) strong brown (7.5YR5/6) mottles, light medium clay, strong very fine lenticular structure, very firm consistence (moist), very few (<1%) ferruginous nodules (5-10 mm), pH 8.1. Clear change to:
B3	150+ cm	Greyish brown (2.5Y5/2), light medium clay, weak consistence (moist), pH 8.2.

Key Profile Features

High organic matter content in surface (A) horizons
Strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B21) horizon
Vertic (cracking) properties in deeper subsoil (i.e. lenticular structure and slickensides)

Soil Profile Characteristics

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface soil (A1 horizon)	Moderately Acid	Low-Medium	-	None
Upper subsoil (25-45 cm)	Slightly Acid	Low	Non-Sodic	None
Deeper subsoil (at 100-150 cm)	Moderately Alkaline	High	Sodic	-

Horizon	Horizon Depth	pH (water)	pH CaCl2	EC dS/m	NaCl %	Exchangeable Cations				Ex Al mg/kg	Ex Ac meq/100g	Field pF2.5	Wilting Point pF4.2	Coarse Sand (0.02-0.2mm)	Fine Sand (0.02-0.2mm)	Silt (0.02-0.02mm)	Clay (<0.002mm)
						Ca	Mg	K	Na
						meq/100g
A1	0-15	5.7	5.3	0.29		7.4	5.7	2	0.6	16	27	67.8	35.6	22.1	1	20	21.5
A12	15-25	5.8	5.2	0.22		23	15	1.8	0.95	17	26	55.9	40.2	34.0	7.5	12.0	23.5
B21	25-45	6.5	5.8	0.24		20	19	1.6	0.94		15	66.5	40.7	1.4	2.8	10.5	77.5
B22	45-100	7.8	7.2	0.31	<0.01	15	19	1.7	1.3			63.7	36.9	0.4	6.5	10.5	76.0
B23	100-150	8.1	7.9	1.2	0.05	12	22	1.8	3.6			66.1	37.4	0.4	4.8	10.0	79.0
B3	150+	8.2	8.0	1.5

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