Soil Indicators of Queensland Wetlands of months.average The annual rainfall for thearea is 1643mm. exa fi of Fraser Island and has so withinswales. dune Itis thelargest dune a d a number of lakes and palu The wetlands The inthis areacomprise of a Northern Queensland. Northern Bioregion. swalein the York Cape Peninsula approximatelyof 55 Cooktown, north km grass, sedge, swamp herb within adune coastal and sub-coastal non- Climate FlatteryCape Lakes Dune arelocated Study Area Swamp Cape Flattery The study The areais situated withintropical/equatorial a climatic regionwith This study areais anexa D Geology Vegetation Soils and Landform Inundation eldthe east on coastof Au isturbance Rainfall-Evaporation (mm) nct wet and dry seawet istinct and dry 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 mples oflakes dune inAu 0 3 a e a p a u u u e c o Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 5 2 4 overland flow dune Freshwater periodically inundated areas from groundwater and No effectiveNo disturbance sand dune younger Quaternary Perennial lakes sed with and TeHydrosols swamp Coastal dune fi elds (RE 3 mpleof a rine wetlands strine son. Evaporationexceeds rainfall inthe majority me ofme the best stralia north fl stralia oodplain Temp (min) Temp (max) Temp (min) Temp .2.27)3 .2.27) nosols 1 . Rain Month lands on margins. Lakes in margins.coast east on Lakes gelands Evap 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Temperature (Deg. C) Soil Indicators of Queensland Wetlands GDA94 Coordinates •MGA :30 Location Soil Profiles Landscape Diagram depth (0

remains permanently saturated 0.1 m higher organic carbon content Streaked organic materials, and dry season water season and dry table Saturated zone . 1 m Site 50 Site 50 ) indicates this area 3 501 E, 8 Site 51 Presence of mottling and ahigh dry season water season dry table depth 60 m Transition zone (0 33 . A21e 5 m A22e A1 0 4545 N, Zone 55 •Lat/Long :-15 0 seasonally inundated 0 . .3 m . 05 m 05 6 m ) suggests this area is Site 51 Site 49 high water mark debris indicatesdebris Water carried 0 0 A22e A12 A1 A21e . 0 1 . 15 m 4 m . .7 m 0 m . 05 7 09 S,09 145 Outer zone Site 49 . 1 72 that the area inundated at site suggests No wetlandNo some stagesome mottling at 01 E indicators than faint has been has been debris atdebris present carried carried Water depth other Soil Indicators of Queensland Wetlands Soil Indicators Present (within 0.3 mof surface) CSIRO publishing. Collingwood Victoria 7. Hazelton B(2007). Murphy Pand Interpreting Soil Test Results: all What do the mean?. numbers [2nd ed]. State-wide assessment methodology. and Queensland Department of Natural Resources Water. and Brisbane. KB,6. Wilson Bryant PR, Biggs AJW, Brough Burgess JW DM (2008). and Soil Indicators of Queensland Wetlands: Resources, Canberra. 5. Bureau of Mineral Resources (1966). Cooktown: Australia 1:250,000 Geological Series, Bureau of Mineral biodiversity/regional_ecosystems/ [accessed 28/06/08]. 4. EPA (2008) Regional Ecosystems. [online]. Available at http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/ 3. Isbell (2002). RF The Australian Soil Classification. CSIROPublishing, Collingwood, Victoria, revised edition. longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/ [accessed 5/11/2007]. 2. Queensland Department of Natural Resources Water and (2008). SILO [online]. Available at http://www. publications/environmental/wetlands/database/ [accessed 21/08/08] 1. (2008). DEWHA Australian Wetlands Database. [online]. Available at http://www.environment.gov.au/water/ References total nitrogen and **Total carbon 1:5*Aqueous Soil Chemistry a wetland soil regardless of saturation, therefore there is areliance identifying on organic accumulations to identify • profile • not inundated be for asufficient time becometo reduced • • reduced environment • Summary of Field Observations value**Chroma to is less 2 equal or than taken method) pH from and %(Dumas carbon surface*Organic (0-0.1 m) Electrical Conductivity (EC) Conductivity Electrical sulfateAcid material Texture pH* linings pore and channel root Ferruginous groundwater to Depth Segregations and Mottles layer)** (thicknessChroma of colour Matrix (OC)* carbon organic and materials Organic Indicator 51 50 49 Site Sandier soils may have inadequate amounts/quantities of iron to present significant redox features Faint mottling present at depth in the transition zone indicates water fluctuation throughout the in theFlood debris outer carried zone indicate that water reaches this site, the area however may Dark soil surface colours are present in the saturated zone where there is organic accumulation Streaked organic materials and high organic carboncontent in the saturated zone are indicative of a 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (m)Depth 0 .2 . . .2 . . .2 . . 40-0 40-0 40-0 00-0 00-0 00-0 6 0-0 0-0 0-0 .3 .3 .3 ...... 10 10 10 50 50 50 0 0 0 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.2 4 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.1 pH* 7 Non salineNon present Not to loamySand sand stronglyVery acid present Not present Not present Not Present (0 Grey OC: 0 organicNo materials Site 49 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 EC (dS/m) <0 ...... 01 0 01 01 0 01 01 01 . 01 2 2 . 64% .3 m ) < < 23 < < < < < < Cl (mg/kg) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Non salineNon present Not clay to sandy Sand loam stronglyVery acid present Not 0 present Not Present (0 Black to grey OC: 3.2 0 0 Organic materials layer Site 50 . .3 mof soil the surface . 1 m 05 mthick05 within <1 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 3 NO3-N (mg/kg) % .3 m ) <0 0 0 0 0 3.2 0 0 0 TC%** . .22 . . . .2 . 1

64 06 05 08 . 7 4 05 Non salineNon present Not to loamySand sand stronglyVery acid present Not 0 present Not Present (0 Grey OC: 0 organicNo materials Site 51 . 5 m .22 % .3 m <0 <0 <0 <0 <0 0 <0 <0 <0 TN%** . 09 ...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Soil Indicators of Queensland Wetlands Soil Morphology A A A1 Horizon Site 51 A A A1 Horizon Site 50 A A A1 A11 Site 49 Horizon 22 2 22 2 22 2 2 1e 1e 1e e e e .3 to .6 . 0 to . (m)Depth .15 to .5 0 to . . Depth (m)Depth .7 to 1 . .15 to .4 Depth (m)Depth 0 to . 05 to05 .3 4 to .7 05 to05 . 15 05 05 15 - - - Boundary Classification - gradual to clear to gradual to Boundary Classification - - Boundary Classification sand sand sand loamy sand Texture sand sand - Texture sand sand loam claysandy Texture white (5Y81 light grey (5Y grey (10YR61 grey (10YR51 Colour TypeMorphological ElementLandform Australian Soil Classification white (5Y81 light grey (5Y grey (5Y51 Colour TypeMorphological ElementLandform Australian Soil Classification grey (10YR61 grey (10YR51 black (10YR Colour TypeMorphological ElementLandform Australian Soil Classification ) ) ) 2 ) ) ) ) 1 7 7 ) 1 1 ) ) mottles (<5 mm few (