Soil/Landform Unit 199

Coastal dunefield at Queenscliff

Area:

1226 ha

0.09% of CMA region

This dunefield unit has small occurrences on the Bellarine Peninsula either as dunefields around Indented Head or as coastal plains (with sandsheets) west of Queenscliff. These occurrences are adjacent to the coast with other coastal units adjoining them (Units

and

197

). Unit components comprise dunes and depressions. The soils are sands (

Tenosols

Podosols

) or sands over clay (texture contrast

Sodosols

). The dunes are very rapidly drained but susceptible to wind and sheet erosion, particularly where vegetation cover is removed. Nutrient decline (retention) is a land degradation susceptibility issue also. The lower terrain and depressions are susceptible to waterlogging. Land use is grazing (sheep and beef), minor cropping, recreation and mineral extraction.

Calcareous dune deposit at Point Lonsdale
	Queenscliff-Sorrento Ferry about to mourn at Queenscliff

Component	1	2
Proportion of soil-landform unit	80%	20%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 610
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 10, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Recent clay, sand and gravel, Neogene fluvio-marine sand and Cretaceous fluvio-volcanic sandstone and conglomerate
Geomorphology	6.2.5 Alluvium, alluvial terraces, floodplains and coastal plains of the Sedimentary Western Plains
LANDUSE	Uncleared: Nature conservation; passive recreation Cleared: Sheep and beef cattle grazing, residential, mineral extraction
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Dunefield; undulating plains and rises
Elevation range (m)	2–72
Local relief (m)	2–20
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.7
Landform	Dunefields
Landform element	Dune and sandsheet	Depression
Slope and range (%)	6 (0–25)	2 (0–8)
Slope shape	Convex	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Calcarenite Dune Woodland (6.1%), Grassy Woodland (0.6%), Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland (0.5%), Other (0.7%)
SOIL Parent material	Sand, silt and clay	Sand, silt and clay
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Calcareous sands and sodic brown often mottled texture contrast soils (12)	Calcareous sands and sodic brown often mottled texture contrast soils (12)
Soil type sites	CLRA41, CLRA44, CLRA42	CLPR44, CLRA41, CLRA42
Surface texture	Loamy sand	Loamy sand
Permeability	Very high	High to very high
Depth (m)	> 2	> 2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Deep sands or sands over clay. Often unconsolidated material with low water and nutrient holding capacity in sands. Susceptible to sheet and wind erosion.	Deep sands or sands over clay or texture contrast. Often unconsolidated material with low water and nutrient holding capacity in sands or lighter upper soil. Susceptible to sheet and wind erosion.

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