Soils - Overview - NSW

Summary of New South Wales Soil Landscape and Land System Mapping Information

Scales and spatial resolution

In the NSW soils mapping framework, land systems have been mapped in the Western Division at 1:250,000 and Soil landscapes are being mapped within the central and eastern divisions at 1:100,000 and 1:250,000. Minimum map unit at 1:100,000 scale is nominally 40 hectares and can be less than 20 hectares

Maps at both scales are based on the standard map sheet series.

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Continuity and extent of soils data

The extent of coverage is shown on the attached map. Within these areas all land tenures have been mapped and field sampled. All areas are targeted for completion in 2010, however it is expected that reconnaissance coverage will be available prior to 2010. Further, on progress for individual map sheets are available at http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/soil/ssu/region.htm web site address.

In general all maps within a series and scale edge match (that is there are no edge mismatches). Edge mismatches occur across maps of different scales. Most map attributes match across map sheets. Second edition GIS maps are being prepared where more detailed map polygons are completed within the perimeter of the broader scale maps.

Map themes

Land systems	Large (usually more than 50 km² in area) areas of land with a recognisable and repeating pattern of topography, geology, soils and vegetation. Land Systems are published on 1:250,000 map sheets for the Western Division Walker (1991). Information on each land system has been entered onto an Access database.
Soil landscapes	Areas of land (typically 0.5 to 50 km² in area) with recognisable topographic features and a limited range of soil types. Each soil landscape includes information on type location, topography, parent material/geology, vegetation, land use and land degradation as well as information on soil types, their distribution and properties. An example of a soil landscape map and report can be found at http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/soil/ssu/pubstat/dungog/index.html. A feature of soil landscapes is the use of soil materials to help present stratigraphic and spatial relationships of soil horizons and layers within a soil landscape.
Soil landscape variants	Areas of land which share most but not all of the attributes of the parent soil landscape.
Reconnaissance Soil Landscapes	Soil Landscapes which have been mapped using reconnaissance methods, typically for regional assessment work. Less detailed soils information is collected. Typically no laboratory test results are included with these data sets.
Facets	Areas of land typically less than 5 km² with which form unmapped subsets of soil landscapes and land systems. Facets are often identified by particular land form elements, position in the soil landscape, particular parent materials or native vegetation communities. Facets are described and their proportions given to provide details on soil and landscape variability within map units.
Other map series	NSW has a long history of land resource assessment. Many other soils and related land resources maps have been completed in NSW over the last few decades. The Soil Landscape mapping series is designed to replace these. Notable exceptions include the NSW Acid Sulfate Soil Risk Map series and the NSW Acid Sulfate Soils Planning Map series.
Land Degradation	was mapped in NSW in 1987/1988 and is available on http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/soil/landdeg/contents.pdf.

Primary data

The NSW Soil and Land Information System SALIS as of July 2001 holds approximately 50,000 publicly available site records of geolocated soil profile morphology and land surface descriptions. Many sites have also been photographed. Soil profile data has been provided to SALIS by many individuals with soil survey contributing over half the records. Type profiles represent the major soils which have been identified for soil landscape facets. Samples have been taken for most type profiles for soil testing. There are currently (May 2001) 3360 type profiles identified in SALIS. Over 35,500 soil horizons have been sampled and tested for soil chemistry and physical parameters. More details concerning methods of survey and data collected can be found by examining metadata (data about the data) at http://www.canri.nsw.gov.au/nrdd.

Digitally available data

Digital polygon maps are available from the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation. Map unit descriptions are available in book report format and have not yet been entered to database. There are no attributes currently attached to the polygons.

As a rule each soil landscape has been assessed for a large number of qualities and limitations. The details for each of these is available from http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/soil/ssu/quals1.htm.

Soil landscape index map pale green colours indicate published and available data. Pale blue colours indicate draft digital data is available.

Custom outputs and Derivative Maps

The data collected can be interpreted in many ways and maps produced showing various combinations of soils and landscape properties. These maps include assessment of land capability, land suitability, hazard and risk assessment and also for scenario modelling. To date over 100 types of derivative maps have been produced. The most commonly derivative maps are produced using three to five classes following United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation limiting factor criteria as described in Soil survey and land evaluation (Dent and Young, 1981). Derivative maps can be ordered through soils@dlwc.nsw.gov.au.

Attribute/Data Set	1:100,000 Soil Landscapes	1:250,000 Soil Landscapes	1:250,000 Land Systems of Western Division	1:100,000 North East and Southern CRA Soil Landscapes	Acid Sulfate Soil Risk Maps
Soil Qualities and Limitations	Acidity/Alkalinity, Available Water Holding Capacity Soil Erodibility, Fertility, Hardsetting Surfaces, Low Wet Bearing Strength, Non Cohesive Soil, Organic content, Permeability, Plasticity, Potential Acid Sulfate Soils Shrink-Swell potential, Sodicity/Dispersion, Stoniness, Salinity, Water Repellance	Topsoil and Subsoil Erodibility, Surface Condition, Permeability, Avialable Water-holding capacity, Topsoil pH, Chemical Fertility, Salinity, Structural Degradation Hazard, Subsoil USCS, Shrink swell potential,	Principle profile forms by facet	Soil depth, rooting depth, plant available water capacity, soil fertility	High or low probability of potential acid sulfate soil occurrence
Landscape Qualities and Limitations	Complex soils, Complex terrain, Dieback, Drainage, Engineering Hazards, Flood Hazards Groundwater Pollution Hazards Mass Movement and Rockfall Hazard, Rock Outcrop, Run-on, Seasonal and permanent waterlogging, Shallow Soils, Sheet Erosion Risk, Soil Fire Hazard, Steep Slopes, Wind Erosion Hazard and Woody Weeds	Mass Movement Hazard, Drainage, Soil Depth, Flood Hazard	Land system vulnerability assessment included with database	Landform pattern and landform elements. Drainage. Major landscape qualities. Soil regolith stability class (Southern)	depth to acid sulfate soil materials, Elevation class, Dominant soil forming process, presence of scalding, and presence of pliestocene sediments, location of soil profile sites
Capability	Urban Capability Capability for cultivation, Capability for Grazing, Land Management Recommendations	Rural Land Capability		Not included	Not included
For each map unit Descriptive Text Includes	Location, Type location and significance, Geology and Regolith Features, Land form patterns, land form elements, slope and elevation configurations and drainage. Vegetation clearing, vegetation communities, common vegetation species. Land use and land degradation Included map units	Associated Soil Landscapes, Landform, elevation, slope lengths, local relief, drainage. Native vegetation community and common species. Geology, parent rock and parent material, land use, soil erosion	General map unit description, Notes on Geomorphology Notes on vegetation, soils and vegetation by facet	Data base entry for :geology/parent material formation and classification Slope range, factors effecting soil distribution. Facet percentage of landscape	Description of method and explanation of map codes
For each Map Unit Descriptive Soil Text includes		Soil distribution patterns, soil classifications,soil material descriptions, type profile descriptions Diagram of soil distribution	Soil Classification by facet, soil material/profile descriptions.Soil distribution diagram	Soil Classification by facet	Australian Soil Classification Great Soil Group. Type profiles
Laboratory Testing	Available Phosphorus Phosphorus Sorption, Cation Exchange Capacity and Exchangable Cations, Dispersion Percentage, Electrical Conductivity Emerson Aggregate Test, Organic Carbon, Particle Size Analysis, pH, USCS classification, Volume Expansion Plant Available Water Capacity. Some linear shrinkage, Some free iron, some water repellance	Summary of known soil test data. Recent maps include soils information. Same tests as 1:100,000 Soil Landscapes	None	None	Electrical conductivity, pH in 1:5 soil:water, pH in 1:20 soil:30%H202, Total Actual Acidity, Total Potential Acidity

Standard outputs

Land system maps and reports.
Land system digital maps.
Land Systems attribute MSAccess DataBase.

Soil Landscape maps and accompanying Soil Landscape Reports.
Digital Soil Landscape Maps. (Reports are not yet electronically available)

Soil profile descriptions for standard reports can be viewed at http://spade.dlwc.nsw.gov.au.

Customized outputs

One of the main advantages of GIS based mapping is the capacity to provide non-standard or customized products for individual clients. Generally, more than one data set is used to generate such products. Data sets which are commonly used in combination with soil landscape attribute data are rainfall, groundwater resources, native vegetation, roads and cadastre, land use and specific use areas.

Accessing data and information

Information can be obtained by contacting soils@dlwc.nsw.gov.au.

Primary data can be made available in electronic format at cost of transfer. Interpreted or customized information is provided at cost for purposes which promote sustainable natural resource management. Information required for commercial purposes is charged at commercial rates.