Reference soil Australia 14: Luvisol

AU014

Luvisols occur mainly in temperate regions, particularly in areas with a Mediterranean-type of climate.

Characteristics

Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with a distinct higher clay content than the overlying horizon) with a cation exchange capacity equal to or more than 24 cmolc per kg clay throughout.

Distribution of Luvisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil AU014: Luvisols

Classification

WRB 1998
Luvisol
FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988		FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974
Chromic Luvisol		Chromic Luvisol

Local classification:

HAS: Non-calcic Brown Soil, York Series; FK: Dr2.22

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Rhodoxeralf xeric fine-loamy mixed thermic

Profile description

Ah1 0-3 cm	(dark) brown (7.5YR 4/2, dry) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2, moist)loam gravelly,weak crumb,soft very friable,common fine pores,many fine roots,frequent medium and coarse gravel gneiss fragments,clear boundary to,
Ah2 3-15 cm	reddish brown (5YR 4/4, dry) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4, moist)sandy clay loam gravelly,massive,hard,common fine pores,few fine roots,common medium and coarse gravel gneiss fragments,clear boundary to,
Bt 15-40 cm	dark red (2.5YR 3/6, moist)clay slightly gravelly,weak to moderate angular blocky,friable,common fine pores,few fine roots,few medium and coarse gravel gneiss fragments,abrupt boundary to,
40-55 cm	dark red (2.5YR 3/6, moist)clay,massive,very friable,frequent medium and coarse gravel gneiss fragments,diffuse boundary to,
40-55 cm	dominant coarse gravel and stones gneiss fragments

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	acidic gneiss
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	Precambrium gneiss intruded by quartz veins and basic dykes
Soil Depth	90cm
Texture of parent material (second entry)	clayey
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	highly

Main type of irrigation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	no irrigation
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	semi-natural grassland, grazed
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	VEGETATION: savannah woodland of Eucalyptus loxophleba (York gum), Acacia acuminata (jam), with fairly complete grass cover of Danthonia spp., Stipa spp. and some mosses.
Status of vegetation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	primary
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	extremely xeromorphic woodland

Altitude	274m
Physiographic Unit	gentle slope
Physiographic position of the site	upper slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plateau
Slope	4%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	convex
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	imperfect
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-90cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	slow
Estimated run off (class)	medium

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Average size of stone	3
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	no surface slaking/crusting observed
Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	very few stones

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Reference soil Australia 14: Luvisol

Characteristics

Reference soil AU014: Luvisols

Classification