Sixty one soils (soil types) represent the range of soils found across South Australia’s agricultural lands. Mapping shows the most common soil within each map unit, while more detailed proportion data are supplied for calculating respective areas of each soil type (spatial data statistics).

Land Types define the broad soil grouping and dominant geologic and topographic setting of Soil Landscape Map Units. There are 29 Land Types within 14 geomorphic groups which have been described across southern South Australia. Each Soil Landscape Unit has an assigned Land Type, indicating the dominant nature of the map unit.

Soil Characterisation Site dataset contains over 1,100 representative sites across South Australia, where descriptions by soil scientists have been made of morphology, chemical and physical properties, and landscape features of a range of soils. At these sites, backhoe or excavator pits were dug to depths of 150-200 cm. Profiles were photographed and described. This information is available in Soil Characterisation Site Data Sheets.

Land Systems (based upon groupings of Soil Landscape Map Units) are broad and readily recognisable landscape areas defined by particular and distinctive patterns of land use, geology, topography, soils and vegetation within a limited climatic range. A Land System Report is available for each Land System.

The South Australian Land Cover Layers 1987- 2015 spatial land cover datasets for 6 time periods (1987-1990, 1990-1995, 1995-2000, 2000-2005, 2005-2010 and 2010-2015). This dataset can be used to inform spatial and temporal (5 year) summaries of the described land cover types for SA. The capture method and general nature of the classes are most useful for landscape and regional scale assessment.

Biophysical Regions represent the largest grouping of Soil Landscape Map Units within the SA soil and land mapping hierarchy. These cover broad geographical areas, recognisable at the state-scale (i.e. Eyre peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Northern, Central, Murray Mallee, Kangaroo Island, South East). Biophysical Regions are differentiated by the general nature of soils, landscapes, geology, native vegetation, climate and land use.

We measured the spectra of 4606 surface soil samples from across Australia using a vis-NIR spectrometer. These spectra provide an integrative measure that provides information on the fundamental characteristics and composition of the soil, including colour, iron oxide, clay and carbonate mineralogy, organic matter content and composition, the amount of water present and particle size. This soil information content of the spectra was summarised using a principal component analysis (PCA). We used model trees to derive statistical relationships between the scores of the PCA and 31 predictors that were readily available and we thought might best represent the factors of soil formation (climate, organisms, relief, parent material, time and the soil itself). The models were validated and subsequently used to produce digital maps of the information content of the spectra, as summarised by the PCA, with estimates of prediction error at 3-arc seconds (around 90 m) pixel resolution. The maps might be useful in situations requiring high-resolution, quantitative soil information e.g. in agricultural, environmental and ecologic modelling and for soil mapping and classification. Attributes: Units of measurement: 1. Principal component 1; 2. Principal component 3; 3. Principal component 3. For interpretations please see Viscarra Rossel & Chen (2011). Data Type: Float Grid. Map Projection: Geographic. Datum: GDA94. Map units: Decimal degrees. Resolution: 0.00083333333 degrees. File Header Information: ncols 48874; nrows 40373; xllcorner 112.91246795654; yllcorner -43.642475129116; cellsize 0.00083333333333333; NODATA_value -9999; byteorder LSBFIRST.

The Upland Heath Swamps Plot Network Soil Properties Data Package contains detailed soil analysis from 60 established swamp monitoring sites in upland swamps scattered throughout the study area (Keith and Myerscough 1993). Each site is sampled in nine combinations of moisture-by-vegetation structure strata. The Upland Heath Swamps Plot Network research plots commenced in 1983 and have been revisited in 2004, 2009 and again in 2014. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Upland Heath Swamps Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/upland-heath-swamps.

The Upland Heath Swamps Plot Network Soil Properties Data Package contains detailed soil analysis from 60 established swamp monitoring sites in upland swamps scattered throughout the study area (Keith and Myerscough 1993). Each site is sampled in nine combinations of moisture-by-vegetation structure strata. The Upland Heath Swamps Plot Network research plots commenced in 1983 and have been revisited in 2004, 2009 and again in 2014. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Upland Heath Swamps Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/upland-heath-swamps.