Location: Bahgallah
Australian Soil Classification: Melacic, Humic, Aeric PODOSOL (confidence level 3)
General Landscape Description: Dune
Site Description: Crest
Land Unit: Follet Dunes and Plains
Geology: Quaternary aeolian
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.
Soil Profile Morphology
A1 | 0-50 cm | Very dark grey (2.5Y3/1); sand; apedal; pH 4.7; changes to: |
A2 | 50-65 cm | Dark grey (2.5Y4/1), grey (2.5Y6/1d); sand; single grain structure; pH 5.1; changes to: |
Subsoil | ||
B2 | 65-75 cm | Grey (2.5Y5/1); sand; single grain structure; high organic matter content; pH 4.9; changes to: |
Bh | 75-100 cm | Black (5YR2.5/1); sand; massive structure; pH 5.0. |
- | pH | Salinity | ||
Surface Soil (A1 horizon) | Very Strongly Acid | Medium | Sodic | None |
Subsoil (65-75 cm) | Very Strongly Acid | High | Sodic | None |
Deeper Subsoil (75 -100 cm) | Strongly Acid | High | Non-Sodic | None |
Horizon | Horizon Depth (cm) | pH (water) | pH (CaCl2) | 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 | ||||||||||||||||||
A1 | 0-50 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 0.20 | 3.8 | 2 | 36 | 8.1 | 1.2 | 0.54 | 0.24 | 0.76 | 45 | 46 | 5 | 7 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
A2 | 50-65 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 0.14 | 23 | 1.8 | 0.34 | 0.22 | 0.14 | 0.51 | 49 | 45 | 3 | 3 | 3.2 | 2.0 | ||
B2 | 65-75 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 0.24 | 110 | 9.1 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.21 | 0.84 | 47 | 44 | 3 | 4 | 6.3 | 2.4 | ||
Bh | 75-100 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 0.27 | 180 | 14 | 0.8 | 0.50 | 0.20 | 0.04 | 44 | 45 | 2 | 5 | 7.6 | 3.6 |