Lecture 9.

Brown Soils

Widespread throughout NZ
Rainfall greater than 1000mm: relatively even distribution
(except for Sandy Brown and Stony Brown Soils)
Moisture deficit in summer not pronounced
151 Brown Soils

Brown Soils

Formerly known as yellow brown earths

or brown earths (Molloy)
Parent materials commonly loess, colluvium, alluvium, gravels
Parent rocks usually greywacke-argillite, schist, granite,
mudstone, sandstone
Quartzo-feldspathic minerals (quartz, feldspar and rock
fragments).
Common on river and marine terraces, hill country and
steepland.

151 Brown Soils

Brown Soils
Photo 9.2

Levin and Lake Horowhenua

Photo 9.1

151 Brown Soils

Brown Soils
physical properties
Simple brown appearance
Crumb, granule and nut structures
Well-moderately well drained
Horizon sequence Ap/ABw/Bw1/Bw2
Moderate dry bulk density:
- Topsoils 0.9 1.2 t m-3
- Subsoil 1.1 1.4 t m-3
Moderate macroporosity (8-15 %)
RAWC high in topsoils, moderate in subsoils
TAWC moderate - high (15-25 %)
Moderate hydraulic conductivity

151 Brown Soils

Ashhurst stony
silt loam

Brown Soils

Photo 1.2

Photo 9.3

Otaki River and

Hautere Plains

151 Brown Soils

Photo 9.4

Brown Soils
Chemical Properties

pH and BS% decrease as rainfall increases

(leaching)
pH and BS% decrease down the profile (contrast
with Pallic Soils)
P and K reserves vary with parent material.

151 Brown Soils

Brown Soils
Chemical Properties

Photo 2.1

Photo 2.2

Rakaia Valley

Hurunui soil

CEC varies with weathering:

- High country: weak weathering; chlorite and illite clay; 15%
clay; low CEC.

151 Brown Soils

Brown Soils
Chemical Properties

Photo 9.5 NZSSS

Waikiwi silt loam

Southland, near Gore

- Southern SI: weak- moderate weathering; illite and

vermiculite clay; 20 % clay; high CEC
151 Brown Soils

Photo 9.6 NZSSS

Brown Soils
Chemical Properties
Photo 9.7 NZSSS

NE of Porirua, Wellington

Photo 9.8
NZSSS

Belmont silt loam

- Central NZ: Moderate weathering; vermiculite clay; 30% clay;

high CEC
151 Brown Soils

Photo 9.9 NZSSS

Brown Soils
Chemical Properties
Whangaripo silty clay loam

Puhoi District, Northland.

Photo 9.10
NZSSS

- Northern NI: Strong weathering: kandite clays; 50-80 % clay;

low CEC.
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Brown Soils
Land use

Southland: intensive heavy lamb production; dairying but

environmental problems emerging; cropping; cut flowers and
bulbs.
High Country: extensive pastoralism, but widespread
degradation and problems with pastoral leases
Central NZ: Sheep and beef, dairying and some horticulture
Northern NI: Dairy, sheep and beef on fertile sites, forestry on
weathered soils.
Hill and steepland: Breeding and trading sheep and beef,
forestry.
Please Read Molloy Chapter 13 p193203 and p137

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