Chapple Vale Land System

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Low woodlands of Eucalyptus nitida with understoreys of Leptospermum juniperinum, L. myrsinoides and Xanthorrhoea australis characterise these hills on the western periphery of the Otway Range. The soils are mainly deep, infertile and excessively drained sands, which contrast sharply with the adjacent gradational profiles of the Lower Cretaceous outcrops. Thus, although rainfall is high, moisture stress and soil infertility severely restrict plant growth.

Some attempts have been made to clear tracts of this land and establish pastures for cattle grazing. Trial plots of pine species have also been established. Given sufficient fertilizer and soil ameliorants such as lime, pastures or even intensive crops could be successfully grown. However, the rates of such chemicals needed to achieve satisfactory production are high and most of the land remains in its natural state. The main activity has been the opening up of numerous soil and gravel extraction pits, most of which have failed to regenerate naturally and now remain as scars on the landscape.

A Study of land in the catchments of the Otway Range and adjacent plains - chapple vale

The components of this land system are well demarcated
by the structure and species composition of the native vegetation.

Area: 115 km²	Component and its proportion of land system
Area: 115 km²	1 15%	2 15%	3 55%	4 10%	5 5%
CLIMATE Rainfall, mm	Annual: 1,000 – 1,350, lowest January (45), highest August (130)
Temperature, 0^oC	Annual: 12, lowest July (7), highest February (18)
	Temperature: less than 10^oC (av.) June - September
	Precipitation: less than potential evapotranspiration mid November – late March
GEOLOGY Age, lithology	Paleocene unconsolidated sand and gravel
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Dissected hills in the western part of the Otway Range
Elevation, m	30 - 270
Local relief, m	60
Drainage pattern	Dendritic with some radial areas
Drainage density, km/km²	4.0
Land form	Hill				Valley floor
Land form element	Crest, slope	Broad, slightly depressed areas of impeded drainage	Crest, slope	Steep lower slope	-
Slope (and range), %	25 (10-35)	15 (5-20)	20 (5-45)	40 (25-50)	8 (2-12)
Slope shape	Convex	Linear	Convex	Linear	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Structure	Tall shrubland	Closed heath	Low woodland	Woodland	Closed scrub
Dominant species	E. nitida, Acacia suaveolens, E. baxteri, Leptospermum juniperinum	Casuarina littoralis, Xanthorrhoea australis, Leptospermum juniperinum, Leptospermum myrsinoides, Melaleuca squarrosa, Aotus ericoides, Dillwynia glaberrina, Epacris impressa, Epacris lanuginosa	E. nitida, E. radiata, E. baxteri, E. viminalis close to valley floor	E. baxteri, E. radiata, E. nitida	Melaleuca squarrosa, Leptospermum juniperinum, Casuarina littoralis, Gleichenia circinnata, Bauera rubioides, Sprengelia incarnata
SOIL Parent material	Quartz sand and gravel	Quartz sand	Quartz sand	Quartz sand	Alluvial sand, plant remains
Description	White sand soils, uniform texture	Grey sand soils with hardpans, uniform texture	Grey sand soils, uniform texture	Yellow sand soils, uniform texture	Black sand soils, uniform texture
Surface texture	Coarse sand	Sandy loam	Loamy sand	Loamy sand	Silty loam
Permeability	Very high	Very low	Very high	Very high	Low
Depth, m	>2	0.6	>2	>2	>2
LAND USE	Uncleared areas: Gravel and sand extraction; nature conservation; water supply; active and passive recreation.
SOIL DETERIORATION HAZARD Critical land features, processes, forms	Very low inherent fertility and high permeability leads to leaching of nutrients. Steeper slopes with compacted soils are prone to sheet, rill and scour gully erosion.	Hardpans restrict drainage leading to seasonal waterlogging. Very low inherent fertility with leaching of permeable acidic surface horizons leads to nutrient decline.	Very low inherent fertility and high permeability lead to nutrient decline. Steeper slopes with compacted soils are prone to sheet, rill and scour gully erosion.	Steeper slopes with weakly structured soils of low water-holding capacity are prone to sheet erosion. Low inherent fertility and high permeability lead to nutrient decline.	High water tables lead to waterlogging and soil compaction. Rapid run-off from adjacent hills leads to flooding and siltation.

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