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GHF14b

Location: Macarthur

Australian Soil Classification: Ferric (and Magnesic), Mottled-Subnatric, Yellow SODOSOL (very thick sandy surface soil)
General Landscape Description: Undulating rises
Site Description: Flat
Land Unit: Byaduk basalts
Geology: Quaternary basalt

General Land Unit Description: This land unit is a complex unit of steep slopes leading to drainage lines and gently undulating plains leading to the slopes, south east of Branxholme. The soils on the slopes leading to the drainage lines tend to be shallower than those on the plains. The soils on the plains commonly have a sandy topsoil with a bleached A2 horizon over a clay subsoil. A co-dominant soil type is a soil type lacking the sandy topsoil and tends to have a gradual increase in clay (Dermosol) similar to this site. These soils are intermixed with Sodosols.


Soil pit Was98 1-2 landscape


Soil Profile Morphology

Surface

A10-20 cmVery dark grey (10YR3/1) loamy sand; single grain structure; loose consistence when moderately moist; many medium roots; clear and smooth transition to:


Soil pit Was98 2 profile
A2120-55 cmDark yellowish brown (10YR4/4) sand; single grain structure; loose consistence when moderately moist; few fine roots; clear and smooth transition to:


Subsoil


B2175-110 cmLight yellowish brown (10YR6/4) with many very coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR5/6) and yellowish red (5YR5/6) mottles, light medium clay; moderate polyhedral structure (20-50 mm) parting to moderate polyhedral structure (5-10 mm); weak consistence when moderately moist; very few coarse ferruginous nodules; common very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.3%; few very fine roots; diffuse and smooth transition to:


B22110-150 cmBrown (10YR7/1) with many very coarse prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR4/8) and yellowish red (5YR5/8) mottles in horizontal bands, light medium clay; weak polyhedral structure (20-50 mm); firm consistence when moderately moist; few very fine macropores; areal porosity 0.05%; few very fine roots.


150-210 cmSimilar to layer above.


210-300 cmSandy clay, few remnant and live roots observed.


300-370 cmGrey clays, iron mottling, extremely compacted, no roots observed. Difficult for backhoe to dig through, and is an impeding layer to root growth.


Soil Profile Characteristics:
-

pH
Salinity
Surface Soil
(A1 horizon)
Very Strongly Acid
Very Low
Non-Sodic
None
Subsoil
(B21 Horizon)
Slightly Acid
Very Low
Sodic
None
Deeper Subsoil
(110-150 cm)
Moderately Acid
Low
Sodic
None




Chemical and Physical Analysis:
Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl
2)
EC
dS/m
Organic Carbon
%
Total
Nitrogen
%
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
4.5
3.9
<0.05
2.7
0.16
28
1.3
0.41
0.07
<0.05
62
24
5
5
9
6
A21
20-55
5
4.5
<0.05
41
0.42
0.15
<0.05
<0.05
61
28
6
5
6
2
A22
55-75
6.1
5.5
<0.05
<10
0.86
0.53
<0.05
0.12
B21
75-110
6.4
6
0.11
<10
7.1
0.79
5.4
0.09
0.99
28
13
5
55
27
23
B22
110-150
5.7
5.4
0.12
7.3
0.32
5.3
0.08
1.2

Profile Described By: Ian Sergeant, Paul Feikema and Martin Clark (October 2000)
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