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

Victorian Resources Online

LP83

Location: Frenchmans

Australian Soil Classification: Haplic, Mesotrophic, Red CHROMOSOL

Northcote Factual Key: Dr 2.21

General Landscape Description: Crest of hill (11% slope) on a Hills landform pattern.
Site Description: Grazing.
Geology: Palaeozoic (Cambrian) Warrack Formation: marine sediments (sandstone, siltstone, schist and slate).
Original Vegetation: Includes Red Stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha) and Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon)

Image: LP83 Landscape
LP83 Landscape


Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A10-10 cmDark reddish brown (5YR3/3); sandy loam; firm surface condition with many quartz pebbles and large sandstone boulders laying on the surface weak medium blocky structure; very weak consistence dry; contains many (25%) sandstone fragments (7 mm average diameter); pH 5.7; abrupt change to:Image: LP83 Landscape
LP83 Profile
A210-25 cmReddish brown (5YR4/4); fine sandy clay loam; weak medium blocky, parting to moderate fine polyhedral structure; weak consistence dry; contains many (25%) fine sandstone fragments (10 mm average diameter); pH 6.2; clear change to:
Subsoil
B2125-60 cmYellowish red (5YR4/6); medium clay; moderate medium polyhedral, parting to strong fine polyhedral structure; firm consistence dry; contains very few (< 2%) soft and hard manganiferous segregations (6-8 mm diameter); and many (50%) fine sandstone fragments (up to 100 mm diameter); pH 5.9; gradual change to:
BC60+ cmMainly sandstone (90%). Contains (10%) yellowish red (5YR5/8); medium clay; contains very few (<1%) soft and hard manganiferous segregations (6-8 mm diameter), and very many (90%) fine sandstone fragments.

Key Profile Features:
  • Strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizon and the upper subsoil (B21) horizon.
  • Shallow soil profile.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

pH
Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Moderately Acid
Low
Non-Sodic
None1
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Moderately Acid
Very Low
Non-Sodic
None
1 Slight dispersion with remoulding.
Image: LP83 Graphs
The profile is moderately acid throughout.The salinity rating is low throughout the profile.The profile is non-sodic throughout.The clay percentage increases markedly at the surface / subsoil boundary.

Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl2)
EC
dS/m
Nitrogen
%
Organic Carbon
%
Exchangeable Cations
Ca
Mg
K
Na
Meq/100g
A1
0-10
5.7
4.9
0.11
0.32
3.4
7.7
2.2
0.6
0.1
A2
10-25
6.2
5.3
<0.05
3.5
1.8
0.4
<0.1
B21
25-60
5.9
4.9
0.04
0.6
2.9
0.3
0.1

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
Field Capacity
pF2.5
Wilting Point
pF4.2
Coarse Sand
(0.2-2.0mm)
Fine Sand
(0.02-0.2mm)
Silt
(0.002-0.02mm)
Clay
(<0.002mm)
A1
0-10
36.2
10.3
18
37
29
16
A2
10-25
27.5
7.9
11
41
29
18
B21
25-60
26.8
10.4
13
26
25
32

Management Considerations:

Whole Profile
  • Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is likely to be quite low for soils such as these that are shallow and contain large amounts of coarse fragments.
Surface (A) Horizons
  • Exchangeable calcium levels are relatively high in the moderately acid surface horizon – suggesting that lime has been applied and that natural pH levels have been increased.
  • Organic carbon and total nitrogen levels are reasonably high at this site. This is a good result as organic matter enhances the fertility, aggregate stability and water holding capacity of surface soils.
Subsoil (B) Horizon
  • The subsoil has a low inherent fertility (based on the sum of the exchangeable basic cations).
  • The soil profile will be reasonably well draining and these areas are likely to be significant recharge areas.
Comments from Landholder:
  • Improved pasture with Phalaris and Cocksfoot.
  • Stocked at 11/2 - 2 sheep per acre.
  • Lower in the landscape, this country is susceptible to erosion and salinity.
  • Very deficient in potassium.
  • Molybdenum applied with superphosphate every 7 years.

Profile Described By: Paul Rampant, Sonia Thompson and Ruth Lourey (June 1995).
Page top