Soil/Landform Unit 128

Gently undulating plain on granite to the east of Bannockburn

Area:

1028 ha

0.08% of CMA region

The undulating granitic rises south of Anakie are part of the granitic landscapes within the dissected Western Plains. The gentle to undulating slopes graduate into prominent footslopes and drainage depressions. Remnant vegetation on the granite is sparse with the Grassy Woodland being the major vegetation class. The soils consist of

mottled

texture contrast soils with

sodic

medium to heavy clay subsoils. Land use is restricted to grazing and cropping due to the low available water holding capacity and ready

leaching

of nutrients from these soils. Gully erosion occurs to a minor extent with sheet and rill erosion. Salting can also be expressed at the surface as evidenced by the presence of spiny rush.

Granite boulders outcropping in the valley of the Moorabool River
	The loose sandy topsoil of the granites is particularly prone to sheet and rill as well as gully and tunnel erosion.

Component	1	2
Proportion of soil-landform unit	60%	40%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 560
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 9, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Devonian granite, Quaternary basalt and alluvium and Neogene fluvio-marine sand
Geomorphology	6.1.3 Volcanic Western Plains with poorly developed drainage
LANDUSE	Uncleared: Nature conservation Cleared: Sheep grazing; limited cropping (cereal)
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Undulating rises
Elevation range (m)	12-169
Local relief (m)	35
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	1.0
Landform	Plains	Rises with tors on crest
Landform element	Lower slopes	Upper slopes
Slope and range (%)	1-3	3-10
Slope shape	Straight	Convex
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Grassy Woodland (4.1%)
Dominant species	Eucalyptus leucoxylon
SOIL Parent material	In situ weathered basalt	In situ weathered granite
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Mottled brown texture contrast soils (37)	Shallow mottled brown texture contrast soils (1)
Soil type sites	SW104, MM5102	BD7, MM436, MM237
Surface texture	Sandy loam	Sandy loam
Permeability	Moderate	Moderate
Depth (m)	1.0-2.0	0.3-1.0
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Slope position and surface runoff may result in minor sheet erosion.	Slopes, hardsetting surfaces and overland flow may cause moderate sheet and rill erosion.

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