Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
9
CHAPTER
Demands on Soil Classification in Australia
R.W. Fitzpatrick, B. Powell, N.J. McKenzie, D.J. Maschmedt, N. Schoknecht,
and D.W. Jacquier
CONTENTS
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................77
Needs of End-users ................................................................................................................79
Appraisal of Soil ClassiÝcation Systems in Australia ....................................................................79
The Early Systems of Soil ClassiÝcation ..............................................................................79
The Australian Soil ClassiÝcation System.............................................................................80
Application and Future Improvements ......................................................................80
General-purpose Soil ClassiÝcation Systems ..................................................................................82
Improved Communication Through a CD-based Interactive Key.........................................82
Improved Communication Through Use of Soil ProÝle Class and Soil Group
Taxonomic ClassiÝcations ...................................................................................................83
Soil Groups and Classes of South Australia..........................................................................83
Soil Supergroups and Groups of Western Australia ..............................................................86
Special-purpose Soil ClassiÝcation Systems...................................................................................87
Engineering Applications: Optical Fiber Cables ...................................................................87
Minesoils.................................................................................................................................88
Saline Soils .............................................................................................................................90
Viticultural Soils .....................................................................................................................92
Coastal Acid Sulfate Soils......................................................................................................93
Future Directions..............................................................................................................................94
Summary ..........................................................................................................................................95
Dedication ........................................................................................................................................96
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................96
References ........................................................................................................................................96
INTRODUCTION
Soil classiÝcation in Australia has had a checkered history with one of several contrasting
systems acting as the national scheme at various times. Sometimes the use of these systems has
been concurrent (see Ñ the Early Systems of ClassiÝcation) and also used alongside Soil Taxonomy
