Soil

Ind

icat

ors

of Q

uee

nsla

nd W

etla

nds Diamantina Overflow

Swamps

Study Area

The Diamantina overflow swamps are located approximately 100 km east of Birdsville along the BirdsvilleDevelopmental Road South-West Queensland.

This area is comprised of swamps and anastomising stream channels on an active floodplain.

This study area is an example of an arid floodplain swamp in the Channel Country Bioregion.

Climate1

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecMonth

Rai

nfal

l-Eva

pora

tion

(mm

)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Tem

pera

ture

(Deg

.C)

Rain Evap

Temp (min) Temp (max)

The study area is situated within an arid climatic region with no distinct wet or dry season. Evaporation exceeds rainfall in every month. The average annual rainfall for the area is 150 mm.

Landform and Inundation

Swamp on floodplain consisting of numerous braided streams that are seasonally floodedPeriodically inundated freshwater swamp from overland flow

Soils2 Hydrosols and Vertosols

Vegetation3 Muehlenbeckia florulenta open shrubland on swamps (RE 5.3.13)5.3.13)

Geology4 Clay silt and gravel

Disturbance No effective disturbance except grazing by hoofed animals

Soil

In

dic

ator

s of

Q

ue

ensl

and

W

etla

nd

s Location

GDA94 • MGA Coordinates : 425048 E, 7161188 N, Zone 54 • Lat/Long : -25.6651� S, 140.25�17 E

Landscape Diagram

Saturated zone

Tall isolated clump of shrubsMuehlenbeckia florulenta

Site 181

Transition zone

Sparse shrublandMuehlenbeckia florulenta

Site 182

300 m

Soil ProfilesSite 181 Site 182

0.02 mA1

0.15 m

0.� m

0.6 m

0.95 m

A3j

B21

B22

1.2 m

B23

B24

0.15 mA1

0.25 m

0.5 m

0.7 m

1.0 m

B21

B22

B23

1D

1.2 m

2D

Mottling, low chroma values and maganiferous segregations indicate a periodically inundated

environment

Mottling, low chroma values, maganiferous laminae and ferruginous root channel

linings indicate a periodically inundated environment

Soil

In

dic

ator

s of

Q

ue

ensl

and

W

etla

nd

s Soil Indicators Present (within 0.3 m of surface)

Indicator5 Site 181 Site 182Organic materials and organic carbon (OC)*

No organic materialsOC: 0.48%

No organic materials OC: 0.�7%

Matrix colour Greyish brown Brownish grey

Chroma (thickness of layer)**

Present (0.� m� Present (0.� m�

Mottles and Segregations Common <5 mm faint brown mottlesCommon <5 mm distinct brown mottlesFew 2-6 mm manganiferous soft segregations

Common 5-15 mm faint orange mottles Few <5 mm faint orange mottlesCommon 5-15 mm distinct orange mottlesCommon 2-6 mm manganiferous laminaeFew <2 mm manganiferous laminae

Depth to groundwater Not present Not present

Ferruginous root channel and pore linings

Not present Present

pH*6 Slightly acid Slightly acid

Texture Medium clay to medium heavy clay Light clay, fine sandy

Acid sulfate material Not present Not present

Electrical Conductivity (EC)6

Non saline Non saline

*Organic carbon % (Dumas method) and pH taken from surface (0-0.1 m) **Chroma value is less than or equal to 2

Summary of Field Observations

Faint and distinct mottling to depth suggests water fluctuation throughout both soil profiles

Manganiferous soft segregations and ferruginous root channel linings indicative of periodic inundation

Muehlenbeckia florulenta species indicative of an area which is periodically inundated

Leached soil profiles at both sites with salt accumulating at depth

References

1. Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water (2008). SILO [online]. Available at http://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/ [accessed 5/11/2007].

2. Isbell RF (2002). The Australian Soil Classification. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria, revised edition.

3. EPA (2008) Regional Ecosystems. [online]. Available at http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/biodiversity/regional_ecosystems/ [accessed 28/06/08].

4. Bureau of Mineral Resources (1966). Betoota: Australia 1:250,000 Geological Series, Bureau of Mineral Resources, Canberra.

5. Bryant KB, Wilson PR, Biggs AJW, Brough DM and Burgess JW (2008). Soil Indicators of Queensland Wetlands: State-wide assessment and methodology. Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water. Brisbane.

6. Hazelton P and Murphy B (2007). Interpreting Soil Test Results: What do all the numbers mean?. [2nd ed]. CSIRO publishing. Collingwood Victoria

•

•

•

•

Soil Indicators of Queensland WetlandsSo

il M

orph

olog

y

Site

181

Clas

sifi

cati

on

Aust

ralia

n So

il Cl

assi

fica

tion

Ep

isod

ic-E

pica

lcar

eous

, Cr

usty

, G

rey

Vert

osol

Land

form

Ele

men

t Sw

amp

Mor

phol

ogic

al T

ype

Flat

Hor

izon

Dep

th (

m)

Boun

dary

Text

ure

Colo

urM

ottl

esCo

arse

Fr

agm

ents

Stru

ctur

eSe

greg

atio

nsCo

nsis

tenc

e

A10

to .

02c

lear

to

med

ium

he

avy

clay

grey

ish

brow

n (1

0YR5

2�

com

mon

(10

-20%

� fin

e (<

5 m

m�

fain

t br

own

mot

tles

none

-no

neve

ry s

tron

g dr

y

A3j

.02

to .1

5 g

radu

al t

om

ediu

m

heav

y cl

aygr

eyis

h br

own

(10Y

R52�

co

mm

on (

10-2

0%�

fine

(<5

mm

� di

stin

ct b

row

n m

ottl

es

none

mod

erat

e20

-50

mm

ang

ular

bl

ocky

few

(2-

10%�

m

ediu

m (

2-6

mm

� m

anga

nife

rous

so

ft s

egre

gati

ons

stro

ng d

ry

B21

.15

to .

� g

radu

al t

om

ediu

m

clay

grey

ish

brow

n (2

.5Y5

2�

com

mon

(10

-20%

� fin

e (<

5 m

m�

dist

inct

bro

wn

mot

tles

none

mod

erat

e10

-20

mm

ang

ular

bl

ocky

very

few

(<2

%�

med

ium

(2-

6 m

m�

man

gani

fero

us

soft

seg

rega

tion

s

stro

ng d

ry

B22

.� t

o .6

dif

fuse

to

med

ium

cl

aylig

ht b

row

nish

gr

ey (

2.5Y

62�

com

mon

(10

-20%

� m

ediu

m

(5-1

5 m

m�

dist

inct

bro

wn

mot

tles

none

mod

erat

e10

-20

mm

ang

ular

bl

ocky

very

few

(<2

%�

med

ium

(2-

6 m

m�

man

gani

fero

us

soft

seg

rega

tion

s,

very

few

(<2

%�

med

ium

(2-

6 m

m�

calc

areo

us s

oft

segr

egat

ions

very

firm

m

oder

atel

y m

oist

B23

.6 t

o .9

5 d

iffu

se t

olig

ht

med

ium

cl

ay

light

bro

wni

sh

grey

(2.

5Y62

� fe

w (

2-10

%� fi

ne

(<5

mm

� fa

int

brow

n m

ottl

es

none

mod

erat

e5-

10 m

m

lent

icul

ar

very

few

(<2

%�

med

ium

(2-

6 m

m�

man

gani

fero

us

soft

seg

rega

tion

s

very

firm

m

oder

atel

y m

oist

B24

.95

to 1

.2fin

e sa

ndy

light

cla

ylig

ht y

ello

wis

h br

own

(2.5

Y64�

m

any

(20-

50%�

m

ediu

m

(5-1

5 m

m�

fain

t gr

ey m

ottl

es,

few

(2-

10%�

fine

(<

5 m

m�

dist

inct

ye

llow

mot

tles

none

mod

erat

e2-

5 m

m le

ntic

ular

very

few

(<2

%�

med

ium

(2-

6 m

m�

man

gani

fero

us

soft

seg

rega

tion

s,

few

(2-

10%�

fine

(<

2 m

m�

gyps

eous

cr

ysta

ls,

very

few

(<2

%�

fine

(<2

mm

� ca

lcar

eous

sof

t se

greg

atio

ns

firm

moi

st

Soil Indicators of Queensland WetlandsSi

te 1

82Cl

assi

fica

tion

Au

stra

lian

Soil

Clas

sifi

cati

on

Eutr

ophi

c, D

erm

osol

ic,

Redo

xic

Hyd

roso

lLa

ndfo

rm E

lem

ent

Swam

p M

orph

olog

ical

Typ

e Lo

wer

slo

peH

oriz

onD

epth

(m

)Bo

unda

ryTe

xtur

eCo

lour

Mot

tles

Coar

se

Frag

men

tsSt

ruct

ure

Segr

egat

ions

Cons

iste

nce

A10

to .1

5-

light

cla

y fin

e sa

ndy

grey

ish

brow

n (1

0YR5

2�

com

mon

(10

-20%

� m

ediu

m (

5-15

mm

� fa

int

oran

ge m

ottl

es

none

stro

ng 5

0-10

0 m

m

angu

lar

bloc

kyfe

w (

2-10

%� fi

ne

(<2

mm

� fe

rrug

inou

s ro

ot li

ning

s

-

B21

.15

to .

25-

light

cla

y fin

e sa

ndy

light

bro

wni

sh

grey

(2.

5Y62

� fe

w (

2-10

%� fi

ne

(<5

mm

� fa

int

oran

ge

mot

tles

none

stro

ng 2

0-50

mm

an

gula

r bl

ocky

, m

oder

ate

5-10

mm

ang

ular

bl

ocky

none

-

B22

.25

to .

5-

light

cla

y fin

e sa

ndy

light

bro

wni

sh

grey

(2.

5Y62

� co

mm

on (

10-2

0%�

med

ium

(5-

15 m

m�

dist

inct

ora

nge

mot

tles

none

mod

erat

e5-

10 m

m a

ngul

ar

bloc

ky

com

mon

(10

-20%

� m

ediu

m (

2-6

mm

� m

anga

nife

rous

la

min

ae,

few

(2

-10%

� fin

e (<

2 m

m�

man

gani

fero

us la

min

ae

-

B23

.5 t

o .7

-lig

ht c

lay

fine

sand

y lig

ht b

row

nish

gr

ey (

2.5Y

6��

few

(2-

10%�

med

ium

(5

-15

mm

� fa

int

dark

m

ottl

es

none

mas

sive

none

-

1D.7

to

1-

heav

y fin

e sa

ndy

clay

lo

am

pale

yel

low

(2

.5Y7

��

few

(2-

10%�

med

ium

(5

-15

mm

� fa

int

dark

m

ottl

es

none

mas

sive

none

-

2D1

to 1

.2-

clay

ey fi

ne

sand

pale

yel

low

(2

.5Y7

4�

none

none

mas

sive

very

few

(<2

%� fi

ne

(<2

mm

� fe

rrug

inou

s ro

ot li

ning

s

-

Soil

Chem

sitr

y

Site

Dep

th (

m)

pH*

EC (

dS/m

)Cl

(m

g/kg

)N

O3-

N (

mg/

kg)

TC (

%)*

*TN

(%

)**

181

0.00

-0.1

06.

50.

29�2

74

0.48

0.06

0.20

-0.�

08.

�1.

0812

90<1

0.08

<0.0

�

0.40

-0.5

08.

11.

6821

20<1

0.06

<0.0

�

182

0.00

-0.1

06.

50.

2220

410

0.�7

0.04

0.20

-0.�

08.

10.

6156

43

- -

0.40

-0.5

08.

51.

5214

70<1

- -

*Aqu

eous

1:5

**To

tal c

arbo

n an

d to

tal n

itro

gen

93

11

66

21

80

64

3