Soil/Landform Unit 14

These gently undulating sedimentary plains support grazing with minor cropping

Area:

1978 ha

0.15% of CMA region

North of Meredith are gently undulating rises that are derived from many geological sources including Neogene sands,

basalt and alluvium, and Ordovician marine shale and sandstone. These gentle rises comprise long gentle slopes, drainage depressions and broad ridges/crests. As part of the Western Uplands, basalt plains to the north and west, and entrenched valley slopes and floors to the east surround this unit. Vegetation of these gentle rises is scarce with less than 0.5% Plains Grassy Woodland as the only major vegetation class. The land supports cropping and grazing as its principal land uses. The main hazards to agricultural land use are sheet and rill erosion, gully erosion, low inherent fertility and low water holding capacity and leaching of nutrients.

The gently undulating rises have gentle slopes with broad drainage depressions. Nearly all of this land has been cleared.
	Gently undulating plain leads to a low rise in the distance

Component	1	2	3	4	5	6
Proportion of soil-landform unit	33%	20%	25%	3%	14%	5%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 680
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 7, Maximum 18
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-March
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Neogene marine sand, Quaternary basalt and alluvium, Ordovician marine shale and sandstone
Geomorphology	2.1.1 Dissected Western Uplands associated with Palaeozoic sedimentary and metamorphic rocks
LANDUSE	Uncleared: Nature conservation Cleared: Sheep and beef cattle grazing; cropping (cereal)
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Undulating hills and ridges
Elevation range (m)	318-383
Local relief (m)	30
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	1.2
Landform	Undulating plain	Depressions	Hills		Rolling plain	Rolling plain
Landform element	Well-drained non-sandy areas	Long gentle upper slopes	Slopes with shallow soil	Crest and steep slopes	Long gentle slope and crest	Drainage line
Slope and range (%)	1 (1-3)	1 (1-3)	15 (5-30)	9 (5-20)	4 (3-9)	1 (1-3)
Slope shape	Convex	Straight	Straight	Convex	Straight	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Plains Grassy Woodland (0.4%)
Dominant species	Callitris columellaris, E. viminalis, E. obliqua, E. radiata, E. rubida, E. ovata, E. pauciflors	E. ovata, E. viminalis, E. rubida, E. obliqua	E. obliqua, E. viminalis, E. radiata, E. rubida, E. dives	E. obliqua, E. dives, E. radiata, E. rubida	E. obliqua, E. viminalis	E. ovata, E. obliqua
SOIL Parent material	Unconsolidated gravel, sand and clay	In situ weathered basalt	In situ weathered sandstone and shale	In situ weathered sandstone and shale	In situ weathered sandstone and shale	Alluvium-clay, silt, sand and gravel
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Red mottled, brown, grey or yellow texture contrast soil, fine structure (13)	Mottled brown, yellow or grey sodic texture contrast soil, coarse structure (36)	Yellow brown or grey texture contrast and yellow gradational soils (25)	Shallow stony brown gradational soils (25)	Red mottled yellow texture contrast soils (25)	Mottled yellow and red gradational soil (17, 34)
Soil type sites	CLRA3, MM358, MM363	SFS6, MM5015, CLRA47	BD10, CLRA58, CLRA53	CLRA53, CLRA57, BD10	BD10, CLRA58	SW37, OTR741, SW39
Surface texture	Sandy clay loam to loamy sand	Caly loam	Fine sandy loam to clay loam	Gravelly loam	Loamy clay	Clay loam
Permeability	Moderate	Moderate to low	Moderate to high	High	Moderate to low	Low to moderate
Depth (m)	2	1.5	1	0.5	1	2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Hardsetting surface soils lead to overland flow and sheet, rill and gully erosion. Dispersive soils and leaching of salts are also features of this soil type.	Hardsetting surfacce soils lead to compaction and are subject to overland flow and sheet erosion. Low permeability leads to seasonal waterlogging.	Overland flow and sheet and rill erosion occurs over steep slopes. Leaching and nutrient decline are often features of this soil type.	Overland flow and sheet and rill erosion occurs over steep slopes. Leaching and nutrient decline are other features of this soil type.	Hardsetting surface soils lead to compaction and are subject to overland flow and gully, sheet and rill erosion. Leaching of salts is another feature of this soil type.	Modeately dispersible and poorly drained soils lead to discharge sites for salinity with accumulation of salts occurring. Hardsetting surface soils may lead to gully erosion.

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