A spatial map layer of soil type (Australian Soil Classification) for Victoria. The harmonised map consists of 3,300 land units (totaling about 225,000 polygons) derived from around 100 soil and land surveys carried out in Victoria over the past 70 years. The land units have been attributed according to the Australian Soil Classification (Order and Suborder levels of the classification scheme) based on their likely dominant soil type. Particular attention was given to harmonising land units across survey boundaries. A reliability index has been assigned to each land unit based on the quality and relevance of the originating survey, providing a qualitative reliability measure to support interpretation and data use.
Soil site data contained in the Victorian Soil Information System (VSIS), and information on the Victorian Resources Online (VRO) website and original study reports have been combined with landscape knowledge to develop the new maps. Data from approximately 10,000 existing sites recorded, mostly recorded in the VSIS have been used.
The soil type is based on land mapping conducted at different times, at variable scale, and for different purposes. Land units are therefore of variable scale and quality in relation to the soil they are representing. Many units will be comprised of multiple soil types and a range of soil properties, and local variability (e.g. at paddock scale level) can also sometimes be high. The mapping, therefore, is intended to represent the dominant, or most prevalent, broad soil type within the map unit. It is therefore adequate for regional or state-wide overviews but may not often be accurate enough for localised or within-farm assessments. For more detailed soil and land information, users are advised to refer to the original land study for any given map unit (e.g. via Victorian Resources Online website).