Lorne Land System

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From Cinema Point to Moonlight Head, much of the coastline consists of steep slopes, coastal cliffs and rocky shore platforms. These coastal margins of the Range have a milder maritime climate than those areas further inland, and receive a lower rainfall. Inland from the coast the topography consists of steeply dissected spurs and ridges with cliffs and waterfalls.

The steepest slopes have shallow stony soils with areas of rock outcrop. Most slopes, however, have moderately deep duplex soils. On inland slopes with a southerly aspect, no strong profile differentiation has occurred and profiles are gradational. Tall open forests, with understorey species such as Bedfordia salicina, Olearia spp. and Pomaderis spp., occupy these sites. On the duplex soils the trees are lower with a more open understorey.

Large tracts of this land system have been cleared and dairy farming is a major land use. The steep slopes and deep valleys create severe management problems. The coastal areas between Cinema Point and Apollo Bay have been popular for residential development. Landslips are very common and sheet erosion has been widespread.

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

Siting of roads, fences and access tracks in this rugged terrain
creates many problems, and management is difficult

Area: 220 km²	Component and its proportion of land system
Area: 220 km²	1 7%	2 8%	3 35%	4 5%	5 35%	6 10%
CLIMATE Rainfall, mm	Annual: 850 – 1,200, lowest January (45), highest August (120)
Temperature, 0^oC	Annual: 13, lowest July (9), highest February (17)
	Temperature: less than 10^oC (av.) July
	Precipitation: less than potential evapotranspiration mid November – mid March
GEOLOGY Age, lithology	Lower Cretaceous feldspathic sandstone and mudstone
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Deeply dissected hills of the Otway Range
Elevation, m	0 – 400
Local relief, m	150
Drainage pattern	Dendritic with some radial areas
Drainage density, km/km²	4.0
Land form	Coastal cliff		Hill
Land form element	Steep lower slope	Upper gentler slope	North- and west-facing slopes, upper slope	Lower slop, drainage line	South- and east-facing slopes	Steepest slope
Slope (and range), %	60 (30-75)	30 (15-45)	45 (5-55)	20 (1-35)	45 (5-65)	60 (20-70)
Slope shape	Linear	Convex	Linear	Concave	Linear	Linear
NATIVE VEGETATION Structure	Open scrub	Woodland	Open forest	Tall open forest	Tall open forest	Woodland
Dominant species	Casuarina stricta, Cassinia aculeata, E. obliqua, Alyxia buxifolia, Leucopogon parviflorus	E. obliqua, E. globulus, E. radiata	E. obliqua, E. sideroxylon, E. radiata, E. cypellocarpa, E. globulus	E. ovata, E. globulus, E. cypellocarpa, Acacia melanoxylon	E. cypellocarpa, E. globulus, E. obliqua, E. ovata	E. radiata, E. sideroxylon, E. cypellocarpa occasionally E. viminalis, E. globulus
SOIL Parent material	Colluvium	In-situ weathered rock	In-situ weathered rock	Alluvium	In-situ weathered rock	Colluvium
Description	Stony brown gradational soils	Brown duplex soils	Brown duplex soils	Brown gradational soils, weak structure	Brown gradational soils	Stony brown gradational soils
Surface texture	Fine sandy loam	Fine sandy clay loam	Fine sandy clay loam	Silty loam	Fine sandy clay loam	Fine sandy loam
Permeability	Very high	Moderate	Moderate	High	High	Very high
Depth, m	0.3	0.9	0.9	>2	0.9	0.5
LAND USE	Uncleared areas: Hardwood forestry for sawlogs, posts and poles; softwood plantations; nature conservation; active and passive recreation; landscape conservation; water supply. Minor cleared areas: Dairy farming and beef cattle grazing on mainly unimproved pastures; residential.
SOIL DETERIORATION HAZARD Critical land features, processes, forms	Native vegetation is sensitive to salt pruning and disturbance. Dispersible soils on steep slopes are prone to sheet erosion. Marine under-cutting and saturation of soils lead to landslips.	Native vegetation is sensitive to disturbance and to salt pruning. Dispersible soils on moderate slopes are prone to sheet erosion. Periodic saturation of dispersible clay subsoils leads to landslips and slumping of road batters.	Dry aspect, steep slopes and weakly structured surfaces lead to sheet erosion. Clay subsoils on steep slopes subject to periodic saturation are prone to landslips.	Weakly structured soils receiving run-off are prone to scour gullying, siltation, flooding, and compaction of surface structure.	Steep slopes and weakly structured surfaces lead to sheet erosion. Clay subsoils on steep slopes subject to periodic saturation are prone to landslips.	Stony shallow soils of weak structure, and low water-holding capacity on steep slopes are prone to sheet erosion and landslides.

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