PHO99 (Plot 2)

Site: PHO99 (Plot 2)	Land Unit: Strathdownie
*Aust. Soil Class.:*

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, Sodosol) 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.

1.5 year old Eucalyptus globulus plantation on ex-agricultural land. Remnant roots were observed to 150 cm, the pockets of dark grey sand in the B21 and B22 layers may have arisen due to previous (now remnant) root activity.

Site Description:

Geology: Quaternary lacustrine	Landform pattern: Level plains
Position in landscape: Flat	Internal drainage: Imperfectly drained

Soil Profile Morphology

A1	0-15 cm	Dark grey (10YR4/1) sand; single grain structure; loose consistence when moderately moist; few medium roots; clear and smooth transition to:
A21	15-60 cm	Pinkish grey (7.5YR7/2) sand; single grain structure; loose consistence when moist; few very fine roots; sharp and smooth transition to:
A22	60-110 cm	Pinkish grey (7.5YR7/2) with common coarse faint pale brown (10YR6/3) mottles, sand; single grain structure; loose consistence when wet; no roots observed; sharp and smooth transition to:
	Subsoil
Bh	110-140 cm	Very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2) sand; single grain structure; loose consistence when wet; unable to estimate macroporosity due to single grain structure; no roots observed.
	140-380 cm	Grey sandy clays, and clayer sands, wet.

Sampled by: Ian Sargeant, Paul Feikema and Martin Clark (5 December 2000)

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