GL102

Location: Casterton

Australian Soil Classification: Melanic, Subnatric, Brown SODOSOL (confidence level 1)
General Landscape Description: Rolling low hills
Site Description: Crest
Land Unit: Merino Tablelands
Geology: Cainozoic duricrust

General Land Unit Description: In the steeper dissected valleys, where the duricrust has been eroded, weathered parent material becomes exposed. The major soil type occurring on the steeper slopes leading off the flat surface of the Dundas Tablelands is a Brown Chromosol, typically with a ferric horizon above the clay subsoil, similar to this site. The soil is developed over a highly weathered mottled zone. This red and white mottling, sometimes referred to as ‘tiger mottles’ is thought to be the result of fluctuating watertables which occurred mainly in the Tertiary period.




Soil Profile Morphology

A1	0-15 cm	Very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2); loamy sand; weak structure; firm consistence, dry; common small round ferricrete pebbles are present; pH 5.7; changes to:
A3	15-30 cm	Dark brown (10YR3/3); sandy clay loam; apedal structure; firm consistence, dry; contains abundant medium rounded ferruginised nodules; pH 6.0; changes to:
Subsoil
B21	30-50 cm	Yellowish brown (10YR5/6); sandy light clay; weak to apedal structure; pH 6.2.

• Ferruginous nodules are abundant above the clay
• Strong textural contrast between topsoil and subsoil

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl2)	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	0-15	5.7	5.0	0.09	1.4	0.1	13	7.7	2.1	1.4	0.47	0.21	20	51	11	16	24.8	6.7
A3	15-30	6.0	5.3	0.09			10	7.1	1.8	1.6	0.49	0.31					23.4	8.0
B21	30-50	6.2	5.6	0.11			<10	8.1	1.8	4	0.36	0.53	21	29	6	44	30.4	15.7