Soil/Landform Unit 34

Mount Egerton

Area:

130 ha

0.01% of CMA region

The steep low cone of Mount Egerton belongs to a suite of eruption points across the Western Uplands. With steep slopes, the cones have little remnant vegetation (less than 4%) with the major vegetation classes including Plains Grassy Woodland and Herbrich Foothill Forest. 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 horticulture. The basaltic rock and scoria support shallow

friable

red texture contrast 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.

Stony lower slopes of these cones have some surface stone and are prone to waterlogging

Component	1	2	3	4
Proportion of soil-landform unit	60%	37%	2%	1%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 710
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 7, Maximum 17
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October-March
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Quaternary scoria and basalt
Geomorphology	2.1.4 Dissected Weatern Uplands associated with volcanic landforms
LANDUSE	Uncleared; Nature conservation; passive recreation; water supply; forest grazing Cleared: Beef cattle and sheep grazing; water supply; cropping (cereal); horticulture (including potatoes)
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Steep low cones
Elevation range (m)	507-590
Local relief (m)	60
Drainage pattern	Radial and shut flow (poorly developed channels)
Drainage density (km/km²)	-
Landform	Volcanic cone		Dissected plain and lower slopes
Landform element	Slope and crest	Long gentle upper slopes	Depressions	Stony rises
Slope and range (%)	25 (5-40)	2 (1-3)	1 (1-2)	3 (2-5)
Slope shape	Straight	Straight	Straight	Convex
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Plains Grassy Woodland (3.3%), Herb-rich Foothill Forest (0.4%)
Dominant species	E. ovata, E. viminalis, E. rubida, E. obliqua
SOIL Parent material	In situ weathered basalt and scoria	In situ weathered basalt	Alluvium	In situ weathered basalt
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Stony red gradational soils (40)	Mottled brown, yellow or grey sodic texture contrast soil, coarse structure (35)	Black cracking clay soil, coarse structure (31)	Red shallow, stony gradational soil (40)
Soil type sites	BD5, SW96, SW26	SW86, SW90, CLRA52	SW37, MM5060, CLRA15	BD5, SW96, SW26
Surface texture	Clay loam	Clay loam	Clay	Clay loam
Permeability	High	Moderate to low	Moderate	High
Depth (m)	1	1.5	1.5	0.5
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Steep slopes causing overland flow is likely to cause sheet and rill erosion. Nutrient decline is possible due to shallow and permeable soils.	Hardsetting surfaces and low permeability leads to overland flow. This flow often creates sheet and rill erosion with major rainfall events. Gully erosion and leaching of salts also occur. Surface compaction can benefit from controlled traffic.	Clay soils beside creeks are prone to waterlogging. Streambank undercutting and streambank erosion can occur with excessive rains and inadequate ground coverage.	Overland flow is likely to cause sheet and rill erosion. Nutrient decline is possible due to shallow and permeable soils.

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