Australian Soil Classification

Author(s):  
R Isbell ◽  

The Australian Soil Classification provides a framework for organising knowledge about Australian soils by allocating soils to classes via a key. Since its publication in 1996, this book has been widely adopted and formally endorsed as the official national system. It has provided a means of communication among scientists and land managers and has proven to be of particular value in land resource survey and research programs, environmental studies and education. Classification is a basic requirement of all science and needs to be periodically revised as knowledge increases. This Second Edition of The Australian Soil Classification includes updates from a working group of the National Committee on Soil and Terrain (NCST), especially in regards to new knowledge about acid sulfate soils (sulfidic materials). Modifications include expanding the classification to incorporate different kinds of sulfidic materials, the introduction of subaqueous soils as well as new Vertosol subgroups, new Hydrosol family criteria and the consistent use of the term reticulate. All soil orders except for Ferrosols and Sodosols are affected by the changes.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Isbell ◽  

The Australian Soil Classification provides a framework for organising knowledge about Australian soils by allocating soils to classes via a key. Since its publication in 1996, this book has been widely adopted and formally endorsed as the official national system. It has provided a means of communication among scientists and land managers and has proven to be of particular value in land resource survey and research programs, environmental studies and education. Classification is a basic requirement of all science and needs to be periodically revised as knowledge increases. This third edition of The Australian Soil Classification includes updates from a working group of the National Committee on Soil and Terrain (NCST). The main change in this edition accommodates new knowledge and understanding of the significance, nature, distribution and refined testing for soils comprising deep sands, leading to the inclusion of a new Order, the Arenosols. The introduction of the Arenosols Order led to a review and changes to Calcarosols, Tenosols and Rudosols. The Australian Soil Classification is Volume 4 in the Australian Soil and Land Survey Handbooks Series.


Soil Research ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 629 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Wilson

The Australian Soil Classification (ASC) suggests that, owing to a lack of data available at the time of publication, modifications may be required for those soils containing sulfidic or sulfuric materials. The soil survey since undertaken for the acid sulfate soil risk maps of coastal NSW has provided sufficient data to suggest changes to the ASC, specifically with reference to horizons overlying sulfidic and sulfuric materials, and deep sulfidic materials. During the risk map survey a database of 308 sulfidic or sulfuric profiles was produced that contains descriptions, classifications, and laboratory data. It is this database that is examined in this paper. While the ASC successfully encompasses most characteristics which are important for land use, many of the risk map profiles contained an acidic, non acid sulfate, near surface layer that is not encompassed by the ASC. Hence, it is suggested here that a Supra acidic subgroup be included in the Hydrosol and Organosol Soil Orders to signify a near surface horizon with a pH <5.5 which is not sulfuric and which does not qualify as a Melacic horizon. The inclusion of an additional class to encompass deep sulfidic materials is also suggested for Hydrosols but, due to lack of data, not for other soil orders.


Author(s):  
Pam Hazelton ◽  
Brian Murphy

Interpreting Soil Test Results is a practical reference for those who need to interpret results from laboratory analysis of soil. It has a comprehensive listing of the soil properties relevant to most environmental and natural land resource issues and investigations. The precursor to this book, What Do All the Numbers Mean?, known as The Numbers Book, was widely used and accepted for interpreting soil test results. This new edition has been completely updated and many sections have been expanded, particularly those on acid sulfate soils and soil salinity. It is a handy and straightforward guide to interpretation of the numbers associated with a wide range of soil tests.


Author(s):  
Raymond Isbell

The Australian Soil Classification provides a framework for organising knowledge about Australian soils. It provides a means of communication among scientists and land managers. It is useful for those involved in environmental studies and for teachers of soil science. Since its publication in 1996, the Australian Soil Classification has been widely adopted and formally endorsed as the official nation system. It has proven to be of particular value in land resource survey and research programs. This revised edition includes some significant changes to the Tenosol soil order and these will substantially improve the utility of the system in southern and western parts of the continent.


Author(s):  

The Australian Soil and Land Survey Field Handbook specifies methods and terminology for soil and land surveys. It has been widely used throughout Australia, providing one reference set of definitions for the characterisation of landform, vegetation, land surface, soil and substrate. The book advocates that a comprehensive suite of land and soil attributes be recorded in a uniform manner. This approach is more useful than the allocation of land or soil to preconceived types or classes. The third edition includes revised chapters on location and vegetation as well as some new landform elements. These updates have been guided by the National Committee on Soil and Terrain, a steering committee comprising representatives from key federal, state and territory land resource assessment agencies. Essential reading for all professionals involved in land resource surveys, this book will also be of value to students and educators in soil science, geography, ecology, agriculture, forestry, resource management, planning, landscape architecture and engineering.


1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 821-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. DE KIMPE ◽  
M. R. LAVERDIÈRE ◽  
R. W. BARIL

When drained and cultivated, acid sulfate soils developed on coastal marsh sediments lose some of their specific properties because large amounts of lime are applied before cultivation and sulfate ions are leached out of the profiles. However, these soils still contrast strongly with other Gleysolic soils and their special characteristics should be given more emphasis in the soil classification system, especially for the benefit of soil fertility specialists. Key words: de l'Anse soils, jarosite, Gleysolic soils, sulfur


2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Akhmad Mustafa ◽  
Rachmansyah Rachmansyah ◽  
Dody Dharmawan Trijuno ◽  
Ruslaini Ruslaini

Rumput laut (Gracilaria verrucosa) telah dibudidayakan di tambak tanah sulfat masam dengan kualitas dan kuantitas produksi yang relatif tinggi. Oleh karena itu, dilakukan penelitian yang bertujuan untuk mengetahui peubah kualitas air yang mempengaruhi laju pertumbuhan rumput laut di tambak tanah sulfat masam Kecamatan Angkona Kabupaten Luwu Timur Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan. Pemeliharaan rumput laut dilakukan di 30 petak tambak  terpilih selama 6 minggu. Bibit rumput laut dengan bobot 100 g basah ditebar dalam hapa berukuran 1,0 m x 1,0 m x 1,2 m. Peubah tidak bebas yang diamati adalah laju pertumbuhan relatif, sedangkan peubah bebas adalah peubah kualitas air yang meliputi: intensitas cahaya, salinitas, suhu, pH, karbondioksida, nitrat, amonium, fosfat, dan besi. Analisis regresi berganda digunakan untuk menentukan peubah bebas yang dapat digunakan untuk memprediksi peubah tidak bebas. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa laju pertumbuhan relatif rumput laut di tambak tanah sulfat masam berkisar antara 1,52% dan 3,63%/hari dengan rata-rata 2,88% ± 0,56%/hari. Di antara 9 peubah kualitas air yang diamati ternyata hanya 5 peubah kualitas air yaitu: nitrat, salinitas, amonium, besi, dan fosfat yang mempengaruhi pertumbuhan rumput laut secara nyata. Untuk meningkatkan pertumbuhan rumput laut di tambak tanah sulfat masam Kecamatan Angkona Kabupaten Luwu Timur dapat dilakukan dengan pemberian pupuk yang mengandung nitrogen untuk meningkatkan kandungan amonium dan nitrat serta pemberian pupuk yang mengandung fosfor untuk meningkatkan kandungan fosfat sampai pada nilai tertentu, melakukan remediasi untuk menurunkan kandungan besi serta memelihara rumput laut pada salinitas air yang lebih tinggi, tetapi tidak melebihi 30 ppt.Seaweed (Gracilaria verrucosa) has been cultivated in acid sulfate soil-affected ponds with relatively high quality and quantity of seaweed production. A research has been conducted to study water quality variables that influence the growth of seaweed in acid sulfate soil-affected ponds of Angkona Sub-district East Luwu Regency South Sulawesi Province. Cultivation of seaweed was done for six weeks in 30 selected brackishwater ponds. Seeds of seaweed with weight of 100 g were stocked in hapa sized 1.0 m x 1.0 m x 1.2 m. Dependent variable that was observed was specific growth rate, whereas independent variables were water quality variables including light intensity, salinity, temperature, pH, carbondioxide, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, and iron. Analyses of multiple regressions were used to determine the independent variables which could be used to predict the dependent variable. Research result indicated that relative growth rate of seaweed in acid sulfate soils-affected brackishwater ponds ranged from 1.52% to 3.63%/day with 2.88% ± 0.56%/day in average. Among nine observed water quality variables, only five variables namely: nitrate, salinity, ammonium, phosphate and iron influence significantly on the growth of seaweed in acid sulfate soils-affected brackishwater ponds. The growth of seaweed in acid sulfate soils-affected brackishwater ponds of Angkona District East Luwu Regency, can be improved by using nitrogen-based fertilizers to increase ammonium and nitrate contents and also fertilizers which contain phosphorus to improve phosphate content to a certain level. Pond remediation to decrease iron content and also rearing seaweed at higher salinity (but less than 30 ppt) can also be alternatives to increase the growth of seaweed.


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