Marong map unit Qbe

Back to: A Land Capability Study of the Rural City of Marong

Map Unit:	Quaternary basalt, gentle slope	Map Unit Symbol:	Qbe
		% of Study Area:	0.2

Land-form diagram for Marong map unit Qbe

General Description:
The gentle outwash slopes of the basalt cone. The soils are shallow red duplex with dark reddish brown clay loam top soils and brownish red, light medium clay subsoils. Detailed site information was not collected because the unit is small and the soil profile is similar to that on the very gentle slopes except shallower. Detailed information was extrapolated from that unit description. Basaltic fragments are abundant in the subsoil and rock outcrop is common.

Site characteristics:

Parent material age:	Quaternary	Depth seasonal watertable:	> 5 m
Lithology:	Basalt	Potential recharge to groundwater:	Moderate
Landform Pattern:	Lava plain	Flooding risk:	Nil
Element:	Gentle slope	Drainage:	Well drained
Slope common:	8 %	Depth to hardrock:	0.5 m
Slope range:	6 - 10 %
Rock outcrop:	2-10 %

Major vegetation: Yellow Box, Grey Box, Buloke, Wallaby Grass, Kangaroo Grass

Present land use: Sheep grazing

Land degradation:	Water erosion		Wind erosion	Salting	Acidification
Land degradation:	Sheet/rill	Gully	Wind erosion	Salting	Acidification
Susceptibility	High	Low	Low	Low	Moderate
Incidence	Moderate	Low	Nil	Nil	Low

Soil profile characteristics:

Permeability (measured - average, range):	-
Permeability (estimated):	Very rapid
Available water capacity:	74 mm H₂O
Linear shrinkage (B horizon):	10 %

Soil profile description:

A	0 - 25 cm	Dark reddish brown (2.5YR 2.5/2) clay loam, moderate structure, smooth fabric, moderate organic matter, pH 5.4. Clear transition to
B	25 - 45 cm	Red brown (2.5YR 2.5/4) light medium clay, moderate structure, smooth fabric, abundant basalt fragments, pH 6.5.
C	45 cm	Rock

Soil classification:

Factual Key (Northcote):	Dr 2.11
Australian Soil Classification:	Haplic, Eutrophic, Red, Chromosol; shallow, medium, clay loamy, non-gravelly
Unified Soil Group:	CL

Interpretation of soil analyses*

Horizon	pH	Gravel %	E.C. (salts)	Nutrient Status	P	K	Al	Organic Matter	Dispersibility
A	5.4**	3.9	VL	L	D	S	T	M	M
B	6.5	1.9	VL	L	D	S	S	L	M

VL : Very Low; L : Low; M : Moderate; H : High; VH : Very High; D : Deficient; S : Satisfactory; T : Toxic; **: Acid * See Appendix 4 for analytical results

Land capability assessment

Land Use	Class	Major limiting feature(s)/ landuse
Agriculture (CTS values)	C₃T₃S₄	Highly susceptible to sheet/rill erosion, shallow depth to hardrock, low available water, low permeability index.
Effluent disposal (septic tanks)	4	Shallow depth to hardrock, very rapid permeability – risk of polluting groundwater
Farm dams (earthen)	4	Shallow depth to hardrock, very low suitability of subsoils, very rapid permeability
Building foundations - slab	4	Shallow depth to hardrock
Building foundations - stumps/footings	4	Shallow depth to hardrock
Secondary roads	4	Shallow depth to hardrock, highly dispersible subsoil
Urban residential	4	Secondary roads, building foundations
Rural residential	5	Farm dams

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