7. Red gradational or uniform soils/Dissected Uplands: Low Plateaux on Cainozoic sediments

This soil has developed on mainly Cainozoic (generally gravels and associated unconsolidated material) in the Western Uplands. A minor soil type often on upper slopes, sitting on cemented gravel deposits. This soil is acidic, becoming increasingly acidic with depth.

The surface soil is usually a dark to strong brown sandy loam with no structure (massive) and contains variable amounts of coarse quartz fragments. There is a gradual change to a yellowish red sandy clay loam which is weakly structured (medium to fine sized peds), contains abundant fine and medium quartz gravels and grades into lighter textured weathered gravel material. The depth is about 90 cm or more with variable depths of the surface horizons, generally 30-50 cm for the surface.

Notable features include:

• Gradual texture change with depth.
• High gravel and coarse fraction component of the soil with low nutrient capacity and low water holding capacity, though well drained.
• Reduced nutrient holding capacity with increasing acidity.
• These features make these soils vulnerable to erosion, particularly on sloping terrain with lighter surface materials.