GL12

Site: GL12	Land Unit: Merino Tablelands
*Aust. Soil Class.:* Vertic, Subnatric, Brown SODOSOL (confidence level 1)

General Land Unit Description:
This unit consists of the Cretaceous non-marine sandstone of the dissected Merino Tablelands. The tablelands were thought to have formed under swamp conditions and a warm climate. As a result, the soils tend to be high in clay and there tends to be carbon rich seams of charcoal deposits at depth in some of the profiles. The main soil type used to represent this land unit is black cracking clays (Vertosols) that can be sodic at depth. This soil type, along with Black Sodosols, Chromosols and Dermosols, are commonly found on the broad crests or drainage lines. The slopes often consist of Brown Chromosols, Sodosols or Dermosols, although black soils can also occur on the slopes. The lower slopes commonly have Grey Vertosols or Sodosols as the major soil type. The reasonably deep sodic soils on short steep slopes tend to be prone to landslips. The grey soils, in particular are prone to water erosion.

Site Description:

Slope: 12%	Geology: Cretaceous non-marine sandstone
Landform pattern: Rolling low hills and rises	Position in landscape: Lower slope
Internal drainage: Imperfectly drained

Soil Profile Morphology

A1	0-5 cm	Very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2) sandy loam, weak subangular blocky structure (5-10 mm), weak consistence when dry, pH 5.4; transition to:
A2	5-35 cm	Dark brownish grey (10YR4/2) fine sandy clay loam, massive structure, very firm consistence when dry, very few ferruginised nodules, pH 5.8; transition to:
Subsoil
B2	35-70 cm	Dark brown (10YR3/3), medium clay, very few faint yellow mottles from oxidised roots, strong lenticular structure, very strong consistence when dry, pH 6.5; transition to:
B3	70-90 cm	Dark brown (10YR3/3), light clay, very strong consistence when dry, organic staining segregations, pH 7.8.

Key profile features:

Acidic topsoil
Sodic subsoil
Top of the subsoil dispersive when worked when wet

Page top