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SW87

SW87  landscape
Lenticular ped from B21 horizon

    Site Code
SW87

SW87  profile
Epihypersodic-Endocalcareous, Self-Mulching, Black VERTOSOL
    Location
Winchelsea, 2 km north west, near junction of Cressy and Shelford roads
    Landform
Gently undulating plain/rises
    Geology
Quaternary volcanics: basalt
    Element
Gentle simple slope
    Slope
<1%
    Aspect
East
Horizon
Depth (cm)
Description
A1
0-15Very dark grey (10YR3/1 moist and 10YR4/1 dry); light medium clay; thin self-mulching surface; smooth-faced coarse blocky structure below surface; strong consistence, deep cracks to surface; pH 5.7; gradual boundary to:

B21ss
15-50/70 Black (2.5Y2.5/1 moist, dry); heavy clay; strong, coarse (>100 mm) irregular lenticular structure, parting with difficulty to medium (>20 mm) lenticular peds, prominent slickensides increasing in size with depth; pH 8.0; clear and wavy boundary to:

B22k
50/70 +White soft calcium carbonate (CaCO3) with fine olive brown (2.5Y4/3 moist) and dark yellowish brown (10YR4/6 moist) mottles in clay matrix; medium clay to light medium clay; pH 8.3.

Management considerations
The very high wilting point (i.e. 28%) indicates that plants will be unable to fully utilise light rains, when the soil is dry. In moist to wet conditions, excessive tillage, trafficking or over stocking could result in structural damage (i.e. compaction, smearing). The subsoil has high shrink-swell properties, is dense, coarsely structured, strongly sodic and disperses strongly in water. These properties will restrict root growth and drainage when wet. When the soil is dry, heavy rains will run into soil cracks. There are engineering implications (e.g. disturbance to building foundations).

Analytical data
Site SW87
Sample
depth
pH
EC
NaCl
Ex Ca
Ex Mg
Ex K
Ex Na
Ex Al
Ex acidity
FC
(-10kPa)
PWP
(-150kPa)
KS
FS
Z
C
Horizon
cm
H2O
CaCl2
dS/m
%
cmolc/kg
cmolc/kg
cmolc/kg
cmolc/kg
mg/kg
cmolc/kg
%
%
%
%
%
%
A1
0-10
5.7
5
0.24
N/R
16
12
1.4
1.0
<10
16
48.5
28.2
9.2
19.6
14
44
Bss
35-55
8.0
7.3
0.76
0.15
15
15
0.8
5.5
N/R
N/R
54.0
25.6
4.8
19.4
15
55.5
Bk
80-90
8.7
8.3
1.6
0.35
12
16
0.4
7.2
N/R
N/R
44.3
23.1
1.8
12.2
9.0
41

Soils in the local landscape associated with SW87
SW87  image 1
Excavation at the Cressy-Shelford road crossing shows highly calcareous subsoil to depth
SW87  image 2
Excavation to the west of SW87 (very gentle rises) shows shallow soil over fractured rock
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