AUSTRALIAN NATURAL HISTORY
Third Edition, 2009 (“First edition 1984; second edition 1990”)

 This handbook specifies methods, standards and terminology used in soil and land survey investigations related to practical problems of land use and the scientific study of land and soil. It has been widely used and adopted as a standard throughout Australia, providing one reference set of definitions for the characterisation of landform and vegetation and for the description of soils. The handbook advocates that a comprehensive suite of land and soil attributes be recorded in a uniform manner. This approach is held to be more useful than the allocation of land or soil to preconceived types or classes. Its usefulness is enhanced where computer facilities are available. This revised edition contains significant changes to the Vegetation chapter and revisions to the Location chapter bringing it up-to-date with the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and changes to the Substrate chapter relating to the regolith. This title allows for systematic recording of field observations. It lists attributes necessary to describe site and soil conditions. It’s definitions of attributes, terms and categories are internationally consistent but particular emphasis is given to Australian conditions. It suggests coding for attributes, terms and categories to allow concise recording systems to be developed for field use.

• xvii, 246 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. #110224
• Landforms — Australia — Classification — Handbooks, manuals, etc
• Soil surveys — Australia — Handbooks, manuals, etc
• Land use surveys — Australia — Handbooks, manuals, etc
• Vegetation classification — Australia — Handbooks, manuals, etc