Marong map unit Qap

Back to: A Land Capability Study of the Rural City of Marong

Map Unit:	Quaternary alluvium, plain	Map Unit Symbol:	Qap
		% of Study Area:	44.9

Land-form diagram for Marong map unit Qap

General Description:
Extensive Riverine Plain extending across the north of the Rural City. The soils are predominantly red duplex with hardsetting sandy loam top soils, hardsetting and bleached A2 horizons and red clay subsoils which become yellow brown and mottled at depth. These soils overly the remnants of an older soil profile which consists of a reddish brown mottled clay with calcium carbonate nodules. Minor soil variations include yellow subsoils with red mottling in areas of poor drainage, and sporadically bleached A2 horizons or an absence of A2 horizons at sites of higher elevation. Sandy soils associated with prior streams, occur throughout the plain but are too small to map.

Site characteristics:

Parent material age:	Quaternary	Depth seasonal watertable:	2-5 m
Lithology:	Alluvium	Potential recharge to groundwater:	Low
Landform Pattern:	Alluvial Plain	Flooding risk:	Nil
Element:	Flat	Drainage:	Well drained
Slope common:	1%	Depth to hardrock:	> 1.5 m
Slope range:	0-2%
Rock outcrop:	0%

Major vegetation: Grey Box, Yellow Gum, Red Gum, Golden Wattle, Yellow Box, Round-leaf Wattle, Hedge Wattle, Kangaroo Grass, Lightwood, Buloke, Wallaby Grass,Black-anther Flax-lily.

Present land use: Broadacre cropping, grazing (major), residential (minor).

Land degradation:	Water erosion		Wind erosion	Salting	Acidification
Land degradation:	Sheet/rill	Gully	Wind erosion	Salting	Acidification
Susceptibility	Low	Moderate	Low	Low	High
Incidence	Low	Low	Low	Low	Moderate

Soil profile characteristics:

Permeability (measured - average, range):	468, 44-1440 mm/day
Permeability (estimated):	-
Available water capacity:	221 mm H₂O
Linear shrinkage (B horizon):	7.5%

Soil profile description:

A1	0-15 cm	Dark brown (7.5YR3/4) whole coloured sandy loam, weak structure, subangular blocky peds 2-5 mm, rough fabric, very weak consistence, moderate organic matter, pH 5.4. Clear transition to
A2	15-34 cm	Dull brown (7.5YR5/4) hardsetting sandy loam, bleached (7.5YR7/4) when dry, massive, moderately weak consistence, less than 2% quartz fragments, pH 5.3.Clear transition to
B21	34-72 cm	Dull reddish brown (5YR4/3) light clay, moderate structure, subangular blocky peds 10-20 mm, smooth fabric, moderately firm consistence, pH 6.3. Clear transition to
B22	72-90 cm	Dull yellowish brown (10YR5/4) light clay, common faint red mottles, moderate structure, angular blocky peds 10-20 mm, smooth fabric, moderately firm consistence, pH 8.2. Clear transition to
C	90-108 cm	Orange (5YR6/6) sandy clay loam, weak structure, angular blocky peds 10-20 mm, smooth fabric, very firm consistence, less than 2% calcareous nodules, pH 8.7. Clear transition to
2B2	108-150 + cm	Dull reddish brown (2.5YR4/4) medium clay with a few distinct grey mottles, strong angular blocky peds 2-5 mm, smooth fabric, moderately firm consistence, less than 2% calcareous nodules, pH 8.8.

Soil classification:

Factual Key (Northcote):	Dr 2.43 (major), Dy 3.41/2/3, Dr 2.12 (minor)
Australian Soil Classification:	Hypocalcic, Subnatric, Red, Sodosol; very deep, thick, clay loamy, non-gravelly
Unified Soil Group:	CL

Interpretation of soil analyses*

Horizon	pH	Gravel %	E.C. (salts)	Nutrient Status	P	K	Al	Organic Matter	Dispersibility
A1	5.4**	< 1	VL	VL	D	S	T	M	L
A2	5.3**	< 1	Vl	F	S	S	S	VL	L
B21	6.3	< 1	L	L	D	S	S	S	H
B22	8.2	< 1	L	M	D	S	S	S	H
C	8.7	1.8	L	M	D	S	S	S	H
2B2	8.8	5.8	M	H	D	S	S	S	H

VL : Very Low; L : Low; M : Moderate; H : High; VH : Very High; D : Deficient; S : Satisfactory; T : Toxic; **: Acid * See Appendix 4 for analytical results

Land capability assessment

Land Use	Class	Major limiting feature(s)/ landuse
Agriculture (CTS values)	C₃T₂S₃	Moderately susceptible to gully erosion, dispersible top soil poor condition of the A2, climate
Effluent disposal (septic tanks)	2	Nil
Farm dams (earthen)	5	Low suitability of subsoil, highly dispersible subsoil, moderate permeability
Building foundations - slab	2	Nil
Building foundations - stumps/footings	2	Nil
Secondary roads	3	Universal Soil Group
Urban residential	3	Secondary roads
Rural residential	4	Farm dams

The high resolution PDF file provided on this page can be viewed using the free Adobe PDF reader, this software can be installed for free from the Adobe website (external link).

A Land Capability Study of the Rural City of Marong - map unit Qap - (PDF - 45.5 KB)

Page top