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GHF04b

Location: Bessiebelle

Australian Soil Classification: Bleached-Vertic, Mesotrophic, Brown CHROMOSOL
General Landscape Description: Level Plain
Site Description: Flat
Land Unit: Strathdownie
Geology: Quaternary lacustrine sediments

General Land Unit Description:
This land unit comprises the Quaternary lacustrine geology south of the Glenelg River. The lacustrine deposits include lagoonal, swamp and local colluvial deposits formed in low-lying wetlands and depressions between stranded beach ridges. Parent material in this land unit comprises of sand, silt, sandy clay, peat, marl and freshwater limestone, occurring in relatively unconsolidated forms.

The soils are variable throughout this land unit due to varying depositional environments. A common soil type is a strong texture contrast soil (Chromosol) commonly with a bleached A2 horizon and a mottled subsoil (indicative of impeded internal drainage). The sandy topsoil can be very deep in some soils. Vertosols are also common on the plains and swales in between the dunes. Podosols occur on the flats as well as on the dunes and that may have been mapped as part of this land unit due to restrictions of scale. Many of the soils are poorly drained and exhibit signs of a perched watertable.

This site has a 1.5 year old Eucalyptus globulus plantation on ex-agricultural land. The site is probably a heathland/bog. The trees in this plot have been severely affected by waterlogging.



Soil pit Dys 1-5 landscape


Soil Profile Morphology

Surface

A10-20 cmDark brown (7.5YR3/2) fine sandy loam; weak granular structure (5-10 mm); weak consistence when dry; very few medium ferruginous nodules common very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.1%; many medium roots; clear and smooth transition to:


Soil pit Dys99 2 profile
A220-40 cmPale brown (10YR6/3) fine sandy loam; massive structure; very weak consistence when dry; few medium ferruginous nodules; many very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.8%; few fine roots; clear and smooth transition to:
Subsoil
B140-50 cmLight yellowish brown (10YR6/4), fine sandy clay; weak polyhedral structure (10-20 mm); weak consistence when dry; few medium ferruginous nodules; many very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.6%; few very fine roots; clear and smooth transition to:


B2150-80 cmBrown (10YR5/3), light medium clay; moderate polyhedral structure (20-50 mm) parting to strong granular structure (10-20 mm); weak consistence when moderately moist; few very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.05%; few very fine roots; diffuse and smooth transition to:


B2280-125 cmBrownish yellow (10YR6/6) with few medium faint yellowish red (5YR5/8) mottles, light medium clay; moderate polyhedral structure (50-100 mm) parting to moderate granular structure (5-10 mm); very weak consistence when moderately moist; few very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.05%; few very fine roots; diffuse and smooth transition to:


B23125-150 cmLight grey (10YR7/1) with many coarse distinct brownish yellow (10YR6/8) and red (2.5YR4/6) mottles, medium clay; moderate subangular blocky to lenticular structure (20-50 mm) parting to moderate granular structure (5-10 mm); weak consistence when moist; few very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.01%; no roots observed.
150-300 cmGrey medium to heavy clay (slickensides) with red/yellow mottles of ironstone concretions, some green/blue colouration.


300-380 cmBlue green clays (possibly anaerobic), slickensides, ironstone concretions in mottles, some limestone fragments; few remnant roots to 380 cm.




Soil Profile Characteristics:
-

pH
Salinity
Surface Soil
(A1 horizon)
Very Strongly Acid
Medium
Non-Sodic
None
Subsoil
(B1 Horizon)
Moderately Acid
Very Low
Non-Sodic
None
Deeper Subsoil
(80-125 cm)
Slightly Acid
Low
Slightly Sodic
None




Chemical and Physical Analysis:
Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl
2)
EC
dS/m
Exchangeable Aluminium
ppm
Exchangeable Acididty
meq/100g
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
0-20
4.9
4.4
0.11
47
1.9
0.49
0.26
0.07
37
40
11
7
18.5
6.7
A2
20-40
5.7
4.9
<0.05
<10
1.3
0.39
0.14
0.07
42
40
9
9
11.3
3.4
B1
40-50
6.0
5.3
0.07
<10
4.8
2.7
1.9
0.24
0.28
33
36
11
22
14.6
8.3
B21
50-80
6.0
5.7
0.28
<10
11
4.3
5.4
0.20
0.7
9
10
7.5
74
43.9
28.8
B22
80-125
6.5
6.2
0.37
10
4.4
5.9
0.10
1.4
6
7
13.2
74
48.5
31.1
B23
125-180
7.5
7.0
0.34





Profile Described By: Ian Sargeant and Paul Feikema, 12th December 2000.
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