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CFTT1

SITE: CFTT 1
Location: Mt Worth EastAust. Soil Class.: Melacic (& Acidic), Dystrophic, Black DERMOSOL.
Great Soil Group: brown podsolicGeneral Landscape Description: Waning upper 10% slope to north-east.
Site Description: Eucalypt plantation.Geology: Cretaceous sediments
Mapping Unit: Strzelecki.


Note: No landscape photo as the site is in the middle of a plantation forest.


Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A10 – 20 cmVery dark brown (10YR2/2) clay loam; strong medium granular structure; very weak consistence moist; pH 4.4; gradual and smooth transition to:
Photo: Site CFTT 1, Soil Profile
CFTT1 Profile
Subsoil
B2120 - 50 cmDark brown (7.5YR3/2) light clay; moderate medium polyhedral structure; very weak consistence moist; pH 4.5; diffuse and smooth transition to:
B2250 – 90 cmDark brown (7.5YR3/2) light clay; moderate medium polyhedral structure; weak consistence moist; pH 4.6; diffuse and smooth transition to:
B2390 – 140 cmDark brown (10YR4/3) light medium clay; moderate coarse polyhedral structure; weak consistence moist; pH 4.6; gradual transition to
B24140-180 cmYellowish brown (10YR5/4) light clay; moderate coarse polyhedral structure; weak consistence moist; pH 4.6.


Key Profile Features:

  • Lack of strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizon and subsoil (B) horizons

Soil Profile Characteristics:

pH
Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Extremely acid
Very low
Non-sodic
none
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Very strongly acid
Very low
Non-sodic
none
Deeper subsoil
(at 1.4 m +)
Very strongly acid
Very low
Non-sodic
none

Graph: Site CFTT 1, pH levels



This profile is strongly acid throughout.
Graph: Site CFTT 1 Exchangeable Aluminium



The aluminium levels are high throughout the profile.
Photo: Site CFTT 1, Salinity Levels



The salinity rating is very low though the whole profile.
Graph: Site CFTT 1, Clay %



The clay content is low in the surface, and sharply increases at the A/B interface.

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
CaCl2
EC
(dS/m)
Exchangeable Cations
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
A1
0-20
4.4
4
0.12
1
0.95
1.3
0.23
B21
20-50
4.5
4.1
0.12
0.41
0.43
1.2
0.3
B22
50-90
4.6
4.1
0.08
0.47
0.39
0.89
0.23
B23
90-140
4.6
3.9
0.07
1.4
1.3
0.46
0.17
B24
140-180
4.6
3.9
0.07
1.8
2.2
0.31
0.24

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
Acidity
meq/100g
Exchangeable Aluminium
mg/kg
Field
Capacity
pF2.5
Wilting
Point
pF4.2
Coarse Sand
(0.2-2.0 mm)
Fine Sand
(0.02-0.2 mm)
Silt
(0.002-0.02 mm)
Clay
(<0.002 mm)
A1
0-20
31
180
48.6
26.7
3
14
28
45
B21
20-50
30
190
47.2
24.9
1
13
26
49
B22
50-90
29
170
42.4
23.5
1
13
28
51
B23
90-140
31
140
38.8
22.4
0.3
14
31
50
B24
140-180
32
120
40.7
20.4
0.2
18
38
42


Management Considerations:
    • The soil pit was excavated to 2 metres depth. No physical impeding layers were evident. The soil profile is friable throughout when moist and should provide good conditions for root movement.
    • The upper soil profile has high levels of exchangeable potassium (K) relative to other basic cations (37% in surface soil and 50% in upper subsoil).
    • The soil profile has high wilting point values. This indicates that plants will be unable to extract soil moisture when levels are low.
    • The surface soil has a high clay content – making it susceptible to compaction from heavy trafficking or overstocking when in a moist to wet condition.
    • Availability of some trace elements (e.g. copper, molybdenum) may be low in very strongly acid soils.
Profile Described By: Ian Sargeant and Justin Wong (June 1999).
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