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Mooleric Land System

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The stony rises between Mount Gellibrand and the Baron River were among the first areas grazed in this part of Victoria. The stony rises are both interconnected and solitary and they slope southwards away from Mount Gellibrand. The major areas is found north of the Princes Highway, but occasional vents or old cones also occur further south.

The nature of the native vegetation is difficult to determine. Many early reports describe the area as a treeless plain, but there are occasional specimens of Acacia melanoxylon, A. implexa and even Eucalyptus viminalis in roadside reserves. Thus, there may have originally been a low open woodland prior to settlement, which has disappeared following grazing and burning. Stony rise landscapes in other parts of Victoria possess woodland or low woodland communities.

Soil nutrient levels are high on these basalt outcrops, especially in the less weathered soils. The abundance of rock floaters and outcrops makes cultivation difficult even on infilled swamps between the rises. Thus grazing, often on unimproved pastures, is the main land use.
A Study of land in the catchments of the Otway Range and adjacent plains - mooleric

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

Depressions between the stony rises are infilled with basaltic clay
and organic clay, both of which have low permeability,
leading to waterlogging.
A Study of land in the catchments of the Otway Range and adjacent plains - mooleric


Area: 45 km
2
Component and its proportion of land system
1
5%
2
9%
3
7%
4
45%
5
25%
6
5%
7
4%
CLIMATE
Rainfall, mm

Annual
: 550 – 600, lowest January (25), highest August (60)
Temperature, 0oC
Annual: 13, lowest July (8), highest February (19)
Temperature: less than 10oC (av.) June - August
Precipitation: less than potential evapotranspiration late September – April
GEOLOGY
Age, lithology

Pleistocene basalt, scoria and tuff
TOPOGRAPHY
Landscape

Stony rise, undulating plain with occasional steep hills (volcanic cones)
Elevation, m
120 – 250
Local relief, m
5
Drainage pattern
Dendritic
Drainage density, km/km2
0.2
Land form
Stony rise
Plain
Cone
Land form element
Broad crest
Steep slopes, narrow crest
Apron
Gentle slope
Depression
Bank
-
Slope (and range), %
2 (0-3)
10 (3-15)
5 (3-9)
1 (0-3)
0 (0-3)
1 (0-2)
10 (1-25)
Slope shape
Linear
Convex
Concave
Linear
Concave
Convex
Linear
NATIVE VEGETATION
Structure

Possibly low woodland

Possibly sedgeland

Possibly low woodland
Dominant species
Acacia melanoxylon, A. implexa, E. viminalis
Juncus spp., Ranunculus spp., Carex spp., Scirpus calocarpus, Schoenus apogon
Acacia melanoxylon, A. implexa,
E. viminalis
SOIL
Parent material

Basalt

Freshly weathering rock

Colluvium, mainly clay

Basalt

Alluvium, plant remains

Basalt

Scoria, tuff, basalt
Description
Grey calcareous sodic duplex soils, coarse structure
Stony red-brown gradational soils
Black calcareous clay soils, uniform texture
Grey calcareous sodic duplex soils, coarse structure
Grey calcareous sodic clay soils, uniform texture
Grey calcareous sodic duplex soils, coarse structure
Stony red-brown gradational soils
Surface texture
Clay loam
Loam
Clay
Fine sandy loam
Clay
Fine sandy loam
Clay loam
Permeability
Very low
High
Very low
Very low
Very low
Very low
High
Depth, m
0.2
0.2
1.2
1.9
>2
>2
0.9
LAND USE
Cleared areas: Sheep and beef cattle grazing; some minor cropping between stony rises.
SOIL DETERIORATION HAZARD
Critical land features, processes, forms
Soils of low permeability are prone to waterlogging.
Stony shallow soils with low water-holding capacity, over rock layers on steep slopes, are prone to sheet erosion.
Soils of low permeability are prone to water logging.
Sodic clay subsoils of low permeability with seasonally high water tables are prone to soil salting.
Soils of low permeability and with sodic clay subsoils are prone to waterlogging, soil compaction and soil salting.
Minor hazards.
Stony shallow soils with low water-holding capacity, over rock layers on steep slopes, are prone to sheet erosion.
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