Australian Alps education kit
Australian Alps Liaison Committee, November 2005
Soils of the Australian Alps
The Australian Alps are ‘mountains with soil’ as distinct from many ranges overseas which are ‘rock mountains’. Mountains on other continents are generally younger and steeper, and have been more heavily glaciated, all factors that contribute to the absence of soil. Glaciation, which has led to the removal of soil by snow, ice, water and wind, has been restricted to a small area at the highest elevations in New South Wales.
Soil is an essential part of any landbased ecosystem. Soil provides an anchor for plants to grow, it provides nutrients and water for plants and it also provides a habitat for micro-organisms and invertebrates. These plants and animals then become the food source for many other animals, providing the biological support base of all other organisms in the ecosystem. Plants also protect the soil from erosion by providing ground cover. The stability of Australian mountain ecosystems therefore, depends primarily on good vegetation cover maintaining the health of the soils.
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