GHF02a

Location: Cavendish

Australian Soil Classification: Fragic, Humic, Aquic, PODOSOL
General Landscape Description: Sand Plain
Site Description: Flat
Land Unit: Grampians Alluvial
Geology: Quaternary alluvial

General Land Unit Description: This land unit consists of the alluvial plains around the Grampians. The soils are commonly poorly drained Grey Sodosols in association with Podosols. Some areas experience months of inundation. These soils are commonly Hydrosols. The vegetation is mainly thick scrubby tea tree on the wetter soils.

This site is near the base of the Grampians, and it appears that water drains onto the alluvial plains from the Grampians. Apparently groundwater closer to the Grampians (about 1 km to the east) is at a depth of 3 m. Currently there exists a 1.5 year old E. globulus plantation on ex-agricultural land.




Soil Profile Morphology

A1	0-30 cm	Dark grey (10YR4/1); loamy sand; single grain structure; loose consistence,moist; pH 4.8; gradual and smooth change to:
A2	30-70 cm	Light grey (10YR7/2); sand; single grain structure; loose consistence, pH 4.9; gradual and smooth change to:
Subsoil
Bh	70-115 cm	Very dark brown (10YR2/2), with few medium distinct pale brown (10YR6/3) mottles; loamy sand; single grain structure; very weak consistence, wet; contains a few medium ferruginous nodules; pH 5.4; gradual and smooth change to:
B2	115-130 cm	Very pale brown (10YR7/4); sand; single grain structure; loose consistence, wet; pH 5.9; sharp and smooth change to:
C	130-150 cm	Light grey (10YR7/1), with many coarse prominent yellow (10YR7/6) mottles; sandy clay; weak coarse polyhedral structure; firm consistence, moist; changes to:
	150-400 cm	Sandy clay to 300 cm, then grey mottled clayey sand mixed with heavy clay and sand; coarse quartz fragments observed below 300 cm.

• Strongly acid topsoil
• Strongly acid subsoil
• Shallow soil
• Many coarse fragments
• Strong texture contrast between topsoil and subsoil
• Mottled subsoil
• Topsoil dispersive when worked when wet
• Mudstone layer does not appear to offer a large water holding capacity