Soil/Landform Unit 120

Gently undulating rises south-east of Colac. Soils are quite productive where well drained

Area:

504 ha

0.04% of CMA region

The gently undulating rises around the base of Mounts Meningorot, Koang and Kurweeton has variable amounts of surface stones that have yielded good crops where surface stones are few. This single unit is adjacent to other volcanic units to the southeast of Camperdown and is close to the boundary with the Neogene sedimentary terrain to the south-west. As part of the volcanic Western Plains, the rises are characterised by broad gentle crests and slopes that graduate towards defined drainage lines. The rises have little remnant vegetation with less than 1% Plains Grassy Woodland remaining. The slopes and broad crests have shallow red and black

friable

loams, while the drainage depressions are found to have loams and

mottled

black texture contrast soils. Land use is mainly grazing (dairy and beef cattle mainly) with some cropping. This cropping is also limited by seasonal waterlogging of the lower slopes and depressions.

Gentle rises with well grassed slopes are mainly used for grazing and cropping

Component	1	2	3
Proportion of soil-landform unit	25%	72%	3%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 760
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 9, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-March
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Quaternary basalt and minor scoria, Recent clay, sand and gravel
Geomorphology	6.1.3 Volcanic Western Plains with poorly developed drainage
LANDUSE	Uncleared: Nature conservation Cleared: Cropping; beef cattle and sheep grazing; dairy
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Gently undulating rises
Elevation range (m)	125-164
Local relief (m)	20
Drainage pattern	Radial
Drainage density (km/km²)	1.9
Landform	Undulating rises and plains		Drainage depressions
Landform element	Broad gentle crests and upper slopes	Long gentle slopes and plains	Drainage depressions
Slope and range (%)	1 (0-4)	1 (0-3)	2 (1-5)
Slope shape	Convex	Straight	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Plains Grassy Woodland (0.9%)
SOIL Parent material	Scoria, ash, basalt	Scoria, ash, basalt	Scoria, ash, basalt and colluvium
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Shallow red and black friable loams (40)	Shallow red and black friable loams (40)	Shallow red and black friable loams (4) and mottled black texture contrast soils (37)
Soil type sites	SW26, SW96, BD5	SW26, SW96, BD5	SW26, SW25, BD5
Surface texture	Clay loam	Clay loam	Clay loam, light clay
Permeability	High	High	Low to moderate
Depth (m)	<0.7	<1	<1.5
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Uniform loam, low to moderate water holding capacity and high nutrient holding capacity. Friable, but often stony. Highly permeable, especially shallower profiles.	Uniform loam, low to moderate water holding capacity and high nutrient holding capacity. Friable, but often stony. Highly permeable, especially shallower profiles.	Uniform loam and some texture contrast, low to moderate water holding capacity and nutrient holding capacity in upper soil, higher in subsoil. Friable, but often stony. Higher permeability on shallower profiles. some compaction and nutrient decline possible in upper part of texture contrast soil.

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