Mount Sabine Land System

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Disconnected remnants of an undulating plain are found on the high parts of the Otway Range from near the Parker river to Gentle Annie Hill. The wettest and most extensive part of this undulating plain comprises the Beech Forest land system. All other areas receive an annual rainfall of 1,700 mm or less and the tall open forests, although they reach impressive heights, do not approach the 100 m stands reported for the Beech Forest land system prior to clearing.

Most slopes and crests have moderate deep and fertile soils. The occurrence of extremely deep and friable soils in some areas seems to be related to a change in the nature of the Cretaceous beds. The depth to weathering parent material is often in excess of 2 m in these profiles.

The remote nature of most of these plateau remnants has hindered their development for agriculture. Many of the areas originally cleared by early settlers have reverted to dense scrub while others have been regenerated to Eucalyptus regnans or other hardwood species. Landslips and loss of soil nutrients in such a wet climate are the main hazards to land use.

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

Only small areas of farmland sill remain, the remoteness from
areas of substantial settlements being one of the major problems.

Area: 95 km²	Component and its proportion of land system
Area: 95 km²	1 25%	2 70%	3 5%
CLIMATE Rainfall, mm	Annual: 1,200 – 1,700, lowest February (65), highest June (170)
Temperature, 0^oC	Annual: 10, lowest July (6), highest February (15)
	Temperature: less than 10^oC (av.) May – October
	Precipitation: less than potential evapotranspiration early December - February
GEOLOGY Age, lithology	Lower Cretaceous feldspathic sandstone and mudstone
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Rolling hills along the top of the Otway Range
Elevation, m	400 – 670
Local relief, m	60
Drainage pattern	Dendritic pattern with some radial areas
Drainage density, km/km²	3.6
Land form	Hill
Land form element	Upper slope	General slope	Lower slope
Slope (and range), %	15 (1-25)	15 (1-25)	9 (1-12)
Slope shape	Convex	Convex	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Structure	Tall open forest	Tall open forest	Tall open forest
Dominant species	E. obliqua, Acacia melanoxylon, E. regnans, E. cypellocarpa	E. obliqua, E. cypellocarpa, E. regnans, Acacia melanoxylon, occasional E. ovata	E. regnans, E. cypellocarpa, E. obliqua, Acacia melanoxylon
SOIL Parent material	In-site deeply weathered rock	In-situ weathered rock	Colluvium
Description	Brown friable gradational soils	Brown gradational soils	Dark brown gradational soils
Surface texture	Loam	Clay loam	Loam
Permeability	High	High	High
Depth, m	1.8	1.3	>2
LAND USE	Uncleared areas: Hardwood forestry for sawlogs and pulpwood; softwood plantations; nature conservation; passive recreation; water supply. Minor cleared areas: Some beef cattle grazing on unimproved pastures; most reverting to native forest or converted to pine plantations.
SOIL DETERIORATION HAZARD Critical land features, processes, forms	High rainfall and high permeability lead to leaching of nutrients and losses in organic matter and soil structure. Steeper slopes may be subsequently prone to sheet erosion.	High rainfall and moderate permeability lead to leaching of nutrients and losses in organic matter and soil structure. Steeper slopes are subsequently prone to sheet erosion. Clay subsoils on steeper slopes subject to frequent saturation are prone to landslips.	High seasonal water table leads to waterlogging and soil compaction.

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