EGW24

Location: Buchan-Orbost Road

Australian Soil Classification: Haplic, Petrocalcic, Red DERMOSOL (Shallow)

Map Unit: Buchan (Component 1)
Previous Site Name: EG24

General Landscape Description: Rolling hills
Site description: Mid slope of a low hill, Southern aspect 7% slope
Land Use: Grazing
Native Vegetation: Grassy woodland
Geology: Devonian limestone

Soils and landforms of the Buchan and Suggan Buggan region - Buchan EG24 landscape
Photo taken from the site looking south over the Buchan River Valley. This photo shows the harder steeply bedded limestone,
called the Buchan Formation on the left on the far side of the valley and the softer marlstone, called the Murrindal Formation on the right

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface condition:		20% cover of angular limestone boulders (up to 2 m), 20% rock outcrop
Surface soil:
	0 – 0/55 cm	Dark reddish brown (5YR3/3) medium clay; strong medium blocky structure; firm consistence, moist; abundant (50-90%) angular limestone pebbles (up to 60 mm); abrupt and broken change to:
Underlying rock:
R	0/55+ cm	Limestone

Key Profile Features:

Variable depth of soil above the hard rock.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

-	pH	Salinity	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Slightly alkaline	Very low	Non sodic	None

Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl₂)	EC dS/m	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	40-50	7.9	7.3	0.1	22	0.57	0.32	0.15	3	15	15	62	37.0	21.9

Management Considerations

Plant available water is considered to be high, estimated at 105 mm for a soil depth of 55 cm. Because of variability in the depth of soil, plant growth is likely to be uneven.
The soil has a high nutrient holding capacity (based on the sum of the exchangeable basic cations).
As the soil is slightly alkaline, no additional lime is needed.

Profile Described By: David Rees and Grant Boyle, 2000.

Page top