Australian Soil and Land Survey Field Handbook

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.

Contents

• Purpose and use of handbook (J.G. Speight and R.F. Isbell)
• The site concept (J.G. Speight and R.C. McDonald)
• Location (L.J. Gregory, R.C. McDonald and R.F. Isbell)
• General (R.C. McDonald and R.F. Isbell)
• Landform (J.G. Speight)
• Vegetation (R.J. Hnatiuk, R. Thackway and J. Walker)
• Land surface (R.C. McDonald, R.F. Isbell and J.G. Speight)
• Soil profile (R.C. McDonald and R.F. Isbell)
• Substrate (J.G. Speight and R.F. Isbell)
• Appendix 1: Soil taxonomic units (R.F. Isbell and R.C. McDonald)