Soil/Landform Unit 115

The undulating low basalt hill of Mount Duneed has stony upper slopes, with black self-mulching soils supporting cropping on the lower slopes

Area:

449 ha

0.03% of CMA region

The undulating low basalt hills south-east of Skipton, and Mount Duneed are part of sequence of volcanic landforms within the dissected plains of the Western Plains. These low hills are characterised by steep middle and upper slopes with more gentle lower slopes. The low hills support the vegetation class Plains Grassland. The upper slopes and crests have minor occurrences of

friable

red gradational soils where there are many surface stones. The mid and upper slopes provide red texture contrast soils with hard or friable surfaces while the lower slopes have black

self-mulching

soils. Agricultural land use is composed of beef cattle and sheep grazing, and cropping. Erosion hazards are minimal. Areas with shallow stony gradational soils are susceptible to

leaching

of nutrients, and

compaction

is a problem on the lower slopes and depressions. Waterlogging on the lower slopes may be due to the low relief and sometimes

hardsetting

surfaces of these soils.

Lower slopes leading to roundabout on the Surfcoast Highway at Mount Duneed
	Western slopes of Mount Duneed

Component	1	2	3
Proportion of soil-landform unit	25%	30%	45%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 640
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 8, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-March
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Quaternary basalt and minor Neogene fluvial sand
Geomorphology	6.1.3 Volcanic Western Plains with poorly developed drainage
LANDUSE	Uncleared areas: Nature conservation Cleared areas: Sheep and beef cattle grazing; cropping (cereal)
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Low basalt hills
Elevation range (m)	44-337
Local relief (m)	70
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.2
Landform	Low hill
Landform element	Crest, gentle upper slopes	Steeper mid and upper slopes	Lower slopes
Slope and range (%)	3 (1-7)	6 (3-15)	3 (1-8)
Slope shape	Convex	Concavo-Convex	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Plains Grassland (0.8%)
SOIL Parent material	In situ weathered basalt	In situ weathered basalt	In situ weathered basalt
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Friable red texture contrast soils (38); minor friable red gradational soils (40)	Friable red texture contrst soils (38); minor friable red gradational soils (40)	Shallow black self-mulching soils (39)
Soil type sites	MM5075, BD5, SW96	MM5075, BD5, SW96	SW102, SW101, SW89
Surface texture	Loams	Loams	Clays
Permeability	High	High	Very low
Depth (m)	<0.7	<1	<1
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Texture contrast soils tend to have low water holding capacity, moderate nutrient holding capacity in upper soil, high in subsoil. Gradational soils, low to moderate water holding capacity, moderate to high nutrient holding capacity. Shallow to moderately deep, friable, often stony. Moderately rapid site drainage. Slight susceptibility to sheet erosion.	Texture contrast soils tend to have low water holding capacity, moderate nutrient holding capacity in upper soil, high in subsoil. Gradational soils, low to moderate water holding capacity, moderate to high nutrient holding capacity. Shallow to moderately deep, friable, often stony. Moderately rapid site drainage. Slight susceptibility to sheet erosion.	Uniform expansive clay soils, high water holding capacity, very high nutrient holding capacity. Shallow to moderate deep, friable and self-mulching, often stony. Moderate site drainage. Slight suceptibility to sheet and rill erosion.

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