Soil/Landform Unit 102

This near face of this eruption point at Anakie East is being used for road base and other engineering purposes as the scoria is extracted from the south-eastern face of the cone.

Area:

157 ha

0.01% of CMA region

The steep low cone south-east of Anakie belongs to a suite of eruption points across the Western Plains. With steep slopes, the cone has little remnant vegetation remaining (less than 0.5%) with the major vegetation class being Scoria Cone Woodland. These remnants occur mainly as reserves on upper slopes and crests, and footslopes. These cones have highly fertile side slopes and footslopes that have been used for cereal production, horticulture and as a source of scoria for road construction. The basaltic rock and scoria support shallow

friable

red texture contrast and gradational soils on the relatively steeper middle and upper slopes. The gentler lower slopes contain patches of shallow black

self-mulching

clay. Overland flow is likely on the steeper slopes. Nutrient

leaching

and decline are possible due to the shallow and permeable nature of gradational soils.

Looking east across the basalt plains near Anakie towards volcanic cone
	The main land use activity on the lower basalt slopes is grazing

Component	1	2	3	4
Proportion of soil-landform unit	60%	37%	2%	1%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 580
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 9, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	September-April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Quaternary scoria and basalt
Geomorphology	6.1.1 Eruption points of the Volcanic Western Plains
LANDUSE	Uncleared: Nature conservation; passive recreation; water supply Cleared: Beef cattle and sheep grazing; water supply; cropping (cereal); horitculture (including potatoes); extraction pit - scoria
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Steep low cones
Elevation range (m)	148-283
Local relief (m)	60
Drainage pattern	Radial and shut flow (poorly developed channels
Drainage density (km/km²)	-
Landform	Volcanic cone	Dissected plain and lower slopes
Landform element	Slope and crest	Long gentle upper slopes	Depressions	Stony rises
Slope and range (%)	25 (5-40)	1 (1-3)	1 (1-2)	3 (2-5)
Slope shape	Straight	Straight	Straight	Convex
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Scoria Cone Woodland (0.4%)
Dominant species	E. ovata, E. viminalis, E. rubida, E. obliqua
SOIL Parent material	In situ weathered basalt and scaoria	In situ weathered basalt	Alluvium	In situ weathered basalt
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Stony red gradational soil (40)	Mottled brown, yellow or grey sodic texture contrast soil, coarse structure (35)	Black cracking clay soil, coarse structure (31)	Red shallow, stony gradational soil (40)
Soil type sites	BD5, SW96, SW26	SW86, SW90, CLRA52	SW37, MM5060, CLRA15	BD5, SW96, SW26
Surface texture	Clay loam	Clay loam	Clay	Clay loam
Permeability	High	Moderate to low	Moderate	High
Depth (m)	1	1.5	1.5	0.5
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Steep slopes causing overland flow is likely to cause sheet and rill erosion. Nutrient decline is possible due to shallow and pemeable soils.	Hardsetting surfaces and low permeability leads to overland flow. This flow often creates sheet and rill erosion with major rainfall events. Gully erosion and leaching of salts also occur. Surface compaction can benefit from controlled traffic.	Clay soils are prone to waterloggin. Sheet and rill erosion can occur with excessive rains and inadequate ground coverage.	Overland flow is likely to cause sheet and rill erosion. Nutrient decline is possible due to shallow and permeable soils.

Page top