Land Capability in Victoria

Soil and land are limited resources. They support a range of economic activities under different land uses. Appropriate land use and good management are essential to ensure that these resources are available for future generations. The variable qualities of soil (such as depth, texture, acidity, stoniness) and land (slope, aspect, geology) affect their capability to support different land uses without degradation of the soil resource. Land capability assessment is the term used describe various approaches that have been used since the 1960s (Klingebeil and Montgomery, 1961) to classify soil and land attributes according to the constraints or opportunities for particular land uses. In Victoria the Soil Conservation Authority (SCA) and successive government departments have applied systems of land capability classification for a number of land uses, based on the SCA publication of Rowe et al (1981). More recently the Victorian Government have used GIS modelling that applies the principles of land capability assessment along with a more dynamic evaluation of current and future land use scenarios. (See also LUIM).

References:

Klingebiel AA, Montgomery PH (1961) 'Land Capability Classification. Agriculture Handbook No 210. .' (United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service: Washington, DC).

Regional Land Capability Studies: