The mapping and pedologic interpretations of the soils of Woodville district

Abstract

The area mapped covers about 70 square miles extending from Woodville township for about 10 miles northeastward along the Dannevirke Highway. It is bordered to the west by the crest of the Ruahine Range and to the south and southeast by the flood plain of the Manawatu River. Detailed Mapping of the soils was done, mapping units being based mainly on the lithology of the parent materials and topography. Four broad groups of soils are recognised: soils of the steeplands between 400 and 3,000 feet formed from strongly dissected Mesozoic greywacke; soils of steeplands and hills between 400 and 1,000 feet formed from less dissected, weakly consolidated Upper Tertiary and Lower Quaternary sediments; soils of the terraces and gently rolling hills formed from loess deposits on river terraces between 300 to 1,000 feet and soils formed from recent alluvium associated with local streams. Within these broad groups, the soils are further differentiated according to climatic differences or variations of lithologies.