Agriculture

Danni Doughty - Soil Surveyor

Danni is a soil surveyor employed by the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation. She is one of approximately 15 soil surveyors across the state whose main purpose is to map and describe the soil landscapes of NSW.

A soil landscape map provides an inventory of the soil and landscape features of an area. It identifies major soil and landscape problems that will impact on both rural and urban land use. The Department uses this information to assist in planning and development of an area.

To gain data for the mapping, Danni looks at aerial photos and takes soil samples at various sites. At each site Danni collects a number of small samples, usually near a creek or river. The samples are returned to a laboratory to determine such things as structure, pH, sodicity and salt content.

The two areas where Danni has done most of her work are Holbrook (southern NSW) and Penrith (western Sydney). The land management issues in these two areas are very different.

Around Holbrook the issues were mostly rural-based. The landscape map highlighted areas of soil acidity, soil sodicity, high erodibility, soil structure decline, low soil fertility, steep unstable slopes, waterlogging and dryland salinity.

In the Penrith area, the issues are more urban-based, although also affecting some rural enterprises. The soil landscape map highlighted areas of soil acidity, steep unstable slopes, soils posing a foundation hazard, acid sulphate soils, waterlogging and urban salinity.

For more details see the Department of Primary Industries web site.

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