Soil/Landform Unit 30

Mount Anakie with steep southern slopes

Area:

511 ha

0.04% of CMA region

Mount Anakie is a steep high cone located at the southern extremity of the Midlands. This cone represents one of a suite of eruption points across the Western Uplands. With steep slopes and gentler lower slopes, this cones has little (approximately 5%) remnant vegetation with the major vegetation classes being Herb-rich Woodland, Plains Grassy Woodland and Scoria Cone Woodland. These remnants occur mainly as reserves on upper slopes and crests, and footslopes. These cones have highly fertile side slopes and footslopes that have been used for cereal production and grazing. The basaltic rock and scoria support shallow

friable

red

duplex

and gradational soils on the relatively steeper middle and upper slopes. The gentler lower slopes contain patches of shallow black

self-mulching

clay. Overland flow is likely on the steeper slopes. Nutrient leaching and decline are possible due to the shallow and permeable nature of gradational soils.

Steep slopes of Mount Anakie are mainly used for grazing due to high level of surface stone
	Looking towards Mount Anakie over teh neighbouring basalt plains

Component	1	2	3	4
Proportion of soil-landform unit	10%	18%	27%	45%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 640
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 8, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Quaternary basalt and scoria
Geomorphology	2.1.4 Dissected Western Uplands associated with volcanic landforms
LANDUSE	Uncleared: Nature conservation; water supply Cleared: Cropping (cereal); sheep and beef cattle grazing
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Steep, high cone of Mount Anakie
Elevation range (m)	190-389
Local relief (m)	200
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.6
Landform	Cone hill
Landform element	Crest	Steep upper slope	Steep mid slope	Gentle lower slope
Slope and range (%)	3 (1-8)	14 (5-25)	10 (5-15)	5 (3-12)
Slope shape	Convex	Convex	Convex	Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Hills Herb-rich Woodland (2%), Plains Grassy Woodland (1.4%), Scoria Cone Woodland (1.4%)
SOIL Parent material	In situ basalt and scoria	In situ basalt and scoria	In situ basalt and scoria	In situ basalt and scoria
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Shallow, friable red texture contrast and gradational soils (38/40)	Shallow, friable red texture contrast and gradational soils (38/40)	Shallow, friable red texture contrast and gradational soils (38/40)	Shallow, friable red texture contrast and gradtional soils (38/40) and shallow black self-mulching clay (39)
Soil type sites	MM5075, BD5, SW96	MM5075, BD5, SW26	MM5075, BD5, SW96	MM5075, SW26, SW101
Surface texture	Loam	Loam	Clay loam	Clay loam, light clay
Permeability	High	High to very high	High	Moderate to high
Depth (m)	<0.6	<0.7	<1	<1
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Shallow, friable, texture contrast or gradational soils with moderate to high nutrient holding capacity, low to moderate water holding capacity. Highly permeable resulting in rapid site drainage.	Shallow, friable, texture contrast or gradational; moderate to high nutrient holding capacity, low to moderate water holding capacity. High permeable. High permeable resulting in rapid site drainage. Rolling slopes are prone to slight sheet erosion.	Shallow to moderately deep, friable, texture contrast or gradational soils, moderate to high nutrient holding capacity, moerate water holding capacity. Highly permeable resulting in rapid site drainage. Rolling slopes are prone to slight sheet erosion.	Shallow to moderately deep, friable, texture contrast or gradational soils, moderate to high nutrient holding capacity, moderate water holding capacity. Moderately to highly permeable resulting in moderately rapid site drainage. Undulating slopes may be prone to slight sheet and rill erosion.

Page top