Soil organic matter is protected by its inclusion within
soil aggregates. Even though working on the soil to a fine
tilth provides an excellent seedbed, the breaking up of
aggregates exposes small pockets of protected soil organic
matter to the air. Thus organic decomposition occurs rapidly
with the release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and loss
of carbon from the soil. However, given time under pasture
or a cover crop, the soils are likely to recover their good
structure. The time to recover a strong soil structure needs to
be further researched.
Vertic Melanic Soils around Oamaru are locally known as
‘tarry soils’ because of their black colour and sticky consistence. When wet, the soils can be a challenge to plough as
clods will adhere strongly to the plough sheer and tractor tyres,
thus more care than usual needs to be taken to ensure tillage is
undertaken at suitable soil moisture contents. Perch-gley
Melanic Soils are regularly wet and so it is particularly
important to protect them from sustained high impacts of stock
trampling, wheel traffic, or cultivation when the soils are wet.
The strong shrink-swell capacity of the Melanic Soils
needs to be considered when undertaking foundation works.
The soils will shrink and crack when dry, then swell when
wet. The capacity for shrink and swell with wetting and
drying can sometimes be used to advantage—the Waikari is
known to cricketers because of its use for constructing cricket
wickets: the highly compacted hard playing surface or pitch
provides a fast bounce for cricket balls when dry, and the
pitch maintains a smooth surface if it has to absorb moisture.
Rendzic Melanic Soils are usually shallow and on slopes, so
are not suited to arable cropping. They may be used for pasture,
trees, or perennial crops that do not require mechanised operations. Truffle cultivation is a possibility. The shallow soil
depth means they dry out readily in summer and can lack
available soil water. The Mafic Melanic Soils are developed in
dark, base-rich igneous rocks or derivative sediments. Mafic
Melanic Soils generally have higher levels of iron oxides than
in other Melanic soil groups which may impart higher soil
structural stability than other Melanic soil groups.
Further Reading
Campbell IB (1977) Soils of Waikouaiti County, Otago. In: Soil Bureau
Bulletin 37. DSIR Soil Bureau, 59p
Churchman GJ, Velde B (2019) Soil clays—linking geology, biology,
agriculture, and the environment. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 250p
Coombs DS, Landis CA, Norris RJ et al (1976) The Dun Mountain
Ophiolite Belt, New Zealand, its tectonic setting, constitution, and
origin, with special reference to the southern portion. Am J Sci
276:562–603
Isbell RF and National Committee on Soil and Terrain (2016) The
Australian soil classification, 2nd edn. CSIRO Publishing, Clayton
South, Vic, 141p
Kear BS, Gibbs HS, Miller RB (1967) Soils of the Downs and Plains,
Canterbury and North Otago, New Zealand. In: New Zealand Soil
Bureau Bulletin 14. Government Printer, Wellington, 92p
Lee WG (1992) New Zealand ultramafics. In: Roberts BA, Proctor J
(eds) The ecology of areas with serpentinized rocks. A world view.
Kluwer, The Netherlands, pp 375–418
Lee WG, Hewitt AE (1982) Soil changes associated with development
of vegetation on an ultramafic scree, northwest Otago, New
Zealand. J R Soc N Z 12:229–242
McIntosh PD, Lee WG (1986) Soil-vegetation relationships on the Dun
Mountain Ophiolite Belt at West Dome, Southland, New Zealand.
J R Soc N Z 16:363–379
Renowden G (2005) The truffle book. Limestone Hills Publishing,
Amberley
Robinson BH, Brooks RR, Kirkman JH et al (1996) Plant-available
elements in soils and their influence on the vegetation over
ultramafic (“serpentine”) rocks in New Zealand. J R Soc N Z
26:457–468
Scott JM (2020) An updated catalogue of New Zealand’s mantle
peridotite and serpentinite. NZJ Geol Geophys 63:428–449
Soil Survey Staff (2014) Keys to Soil Taxonomy twelfth edition. USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, 360p. http://www.nrcs.
usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=
stelprdb1252094&ext=pdf. Accessed 10 March 2020
Sparling GP, Schipper LA, Hewitt AE et al (2000) Resistance to
cropping pressure of two New Zealand soils with contrasting
mineralogy. Aust J Soil Res 38(1):85–100
Tomlinson PR, Leslie DM (1978) Soils of Dunedin City and environs,
New Zealand. N.Z. Soil Survey Report 37. DSIR, Wellington, New
Zealand, 70 pp. ISSN:0110–2079
Tonkin PJ, Webb T, Almond P et al (2015) Geology, landforms and
soils of the Waipara and Waikari regions of North Canterbury with
an emphasis on lands used for viticulture. Lincoln University and
Landcare Research, 220p
Trangmar BB, Cutler EJB (1983) Soils and erosion of the Sumner
region of the Port Hills, Canterbury, New Zealand. Part 1
Environment and soils, Part 2 Erosion and its implications for
urban use. NZ Soil Survey report 70. NZ Soil Bureau, DSIR, Lower
Hutt
Webb TH (2008) Soils. In: Winterbourn M, Knox G, Burrows C et al
(eds) The natural history of Canterbury. Canterbury University
Press, Christchurch, New Zealand, pp 89–118
Wardle P (1991) Vegetation of New Zealand. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, p 672p
Wilson JB, Lee WG, Mark AF (1990) Species diversity in relation to
ultramafic substrate and to altitude in southwestern New Zealand.
Vegetation 86:15–20
World Reference Base (2015 update). http://www.fao.org/3/i3794en/
I3794en.pdf. Accessed 11 March 2020
7.7 Use and Management of Melanic Soils
111
soil aggregates. Even though working on the soil to a fine
tilth provides an excellent seedbed, the breaking up of
aggregates exposes small pockets of protected soil organic
matter to the air. Thus organic decomposition occurs rapidly
with the release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and loss
of carbon from the soil. However, given time under pasture
or a cover crop, the soils are likely to recover their good
structure. The time to recover a strong soil structure needs to
be further researched.
Vertic Melanic Soils around Oamaru are locally known as
‘tarry soils’ because of their black colour and sticky consistence. When wet, the soils can be a challenge to plough as
clods will adhere strongly to the plough sheer and tractor tyres,
thus more care than usual needs to be taken to ensure tillage is
undertaken at suitable soil moisture contents. Perch-gley
Melanic Soils are regularly wet and so it is particularly
important to protect them from sustained high impacts of stock
trampling, wheel traffic, or cultivation when the soils are wet.
The strong shrink-swell capacity of the Melanic Soils
needs to be considered when undertaking foundation works.
The soils will shrink and crack when dry, then swell when
wet. The capacity for shrink and swell with wetting and
drying can sometimes be used to advantage—the Waikari is
known to cricketers because of its use for constructing cricket
wickets: the highly compacted hard playing surface or pitch
provides a fast bounce for cricket balls when dry, and the
pitch maintains a smooth surface if it has to absorb moisture.
Rendzic Melanic Soils are usually shallow and on slopes, so
are not suited to arable cropping. They may be used for pasture,
trees, or perennial crops that do not require mechanised operations. Truffle cultivation is a possibility. The shallow soil
depth means they dry out readily in summer and can lack
available soil water. The Mafic Melanic Soils are developed in
dark, base-rich igneous rocks or derivative sediments. Mafic
Melanic Soils generally have higher levels of iron oxides than
in other Melanic soil groups which may impart higher soil
structural stability than other Melanic soil groups.
Further Reading
Campbell IB (1977) Soils of Waikouaiti County, Otago. In: Soil Bureau
Bulletin 37. DSIR Soil Bureau, 59p
Churchman GJ, Velde B (2019) Soil clays—linking geology, biology,
agriculture, and the environment. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 250p
Coombs DS, Landis CA, Norris RJ et al (1976) The Dun Mountain
Ophiolite Belt, New Zealand, its tectonic setting, constitution, and
origin, with special reference to the southern portion. Am J Sci
276:562–603
Isbell RF and National Committee on Soil and Terrain (2016) The
Australian soil classification, 2nd edn. CSIRO Publishing, Clayton
South, Vic, 141p
Kear BS, Gibbs HS, Miller RB (1967) Soils of the Downs and Plains,
Canterbury and North Otago, New Zealand. In: New Zealand Soil
Bureau Bulletin 14. Government Printer, Wellington, 92p
Lee WG (1992) New Zealand ultramafics. In: Roberts BA, Proctor J
(eds) The ecology of areas with serpentinized rocks. A world view.
Kluwer, The Netherlands, pp 375–418
Lee WG, Hewitt AE (1982) Soil changes associated with development
of vegetation on an ultramafic scree, northwest Otago, New
Zealand. J R Soc N Z 12:229–242
McIntosh PD, Lee WG (1986) Soil-vegetation relationships on the Dun
Mountain Ophiolite Belt at West Dome, Southland, New Zealand.
J R Soc N Z 16:363–379
Renowden G (2005) The truffle book. Limestone Hills Publishing,
Amberley
Robinson BH, Brooks RR, Kirkman JH et al (1996) Plant-available
elements in soils and their influence on the vegetation over
ultramafic (“serpentine”) rocks in New Zealand. J R Soc N Z
26:457–468
Scott JM (2020) An updated catalogue of New Zealand’s mantle
peridotite and serpentinite. NZJ Geol Geophys 63:428–449
Soil Survey Staff (2014) Keys to Soil Taxonomy twelfth edition. USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, 360p. http://www.nrcs.
usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=
stelprdb1252094&ext=pdf. Accessed 10 March 2020
Sparling GP, Schipper LA, Hewitt AE et al (2000) Resistance to
cropping pressure of two New Zealand soils with contrasting
mineralogy. Aust J Soil Res 38(1):85–100
Tomlinson PR, Leslie DM (1978) Soils of Dunedin City and environs,
New Zealand. N.Z. Soil Survey Report 37. DSIR, Wellington, New
Zealand, 70 pp. ISSN:0110–2079
Tonkin PJ, Webb T, Almond P et al (2015) Geology, landforms and
soils of the Waipara and Waikari regions of North Canterbury with
an emphasis on lands used for viticulture. Lincoln University and
Landcare Research, 220p
Trangmar BB, Cutler EJB (1983) Soils and erosion of the Sumner
region of the Port Hills, Canterbury, New Zealand. Part 1
Environment and soils, Part 2 Erosion and its implications for
urban use. NZ Soil Survey report 70. NZ Soil Bureau, DSIR, Lower
Hutt
Webb TH (2008) Soils. In: Winterbourn M, Knox G, Burrows C et al
(eds) The natural history of Canterbury. Canterbury University
Press, Christchurch, New Zealand, pp 89–118
Wardle P (1991) Vegetation of New Zealand. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, p 672p
Wilson JB, Lee WG, Mark AF (1990) Species diversity in relation to
ultramafic substrate and to altitude in southwestern New Zealand.
Vegetation 86:15–20
World Reference Base (2015 update). http://www.fao.org/3/i3794en/
I3794en.pdf. Accessed 11 March 2020
7.7 Use and Management of Melanic Soils
111