Morass (Ms)

	Area: 216 sq. km (1.1%) All small water bodies and major swamps on the lowlands are included in Morass land system where mapping scale permits. The great inherent variability is difficult to express in terms of land components which must cater for swampy areas in fluviatile, aeolian, lacustrine, littoral and paludal situations. The swamps may be permanent or ephemeral, with fresh or brackish water. Soil parent materials probably range from sand to clay. All areas are poorly drained and some may be permanently inundated. Soil development in the permanently inundated areas is almost negligible. Elsewhere the formation of organic-rich mineral horizons at the surface has usually occurred. The frequent sedimentation generally preventing the development of peats. Subsoils have undergone little alteration beyond the development of grey and olive yellow colours, and mottling. In areas with saline water, the reaction generally is alkaline but in other places the soils are often highly acidic. The erosion hazard is usually negligible except along shorelines and river banks which may be threatened by wave erosion or undercutting by flowing water.	A swampy plain with a sedgeland community adjoining a large lagoon, typical of Morass land system.
Vegetation varies with degree of inundation and salinity. Swamps typically have a zonation of vegetation with herbfields and sedgelands in the centre, grading into closed scrub bordered by open forest I or II. Lagoon margins also usually have open sedgelands, closed scrub and open forests. Tall grassland of Phragmites communis sometimes occurs as well.

CLIMATE Rainfall, mean (mm) Temperature, mean (°C) Seasonal growth limitations	Annual 500 - 800: lowest July (30 - 50), highest October (50 - 80) Annual 12 - 14; lowest July (9 - 10). highest February (19 - 20) Temperature <10°C (av.): No months Rainfall < potential evapotranspiration: November – March
GEOLOGY Age, lithology	Holocene fluviatile, aeolian, lacustrine and littoral deposits of sands, silts and clays, now in paludal environments
PHYSIOGRAPHY Landscape Elevation range (m) Relative relief (m) Drainage pattern Drainage density (km/km²)	Swampy plains and water bodies 0 - 100 0 - 20 Undeveloped 0.2
PRESENT LAND USE	Mostly uncleared: mainly in Lake Coleman, Dowd Morass, The Heart Morass. Clydebank Morass, McLeod Morass, Blond Bay and Jones Bay State Game Reserves, Sale Common State Game Refuge, The Lakes National Park and Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park: grazing on private land (limited)

A study of the land in the Catchment of Gippsland Lakes - Vol 2 - land system Morass- cs

A study of the land in the Catchment of Gippsland Lakes - Vol 2 - land system Morass- graph

LAND COMPONENT Percentage of land system Diagnostic features	1 40 Freshwater swampy plains, sandy soils	2 20 Brackish swampy plains, sandy soils	3 20	4 20 Lagoons and marginal reed-swamps
PHYSIOGRAPHY Slope %,typical and (range) Slope shape	<1, (0-2) Straight or slightly concave	<1, (0-2) Straight or slightly concave	<1, (0-2) Straight or slightly concave	0, (-) Concave
SOIL
Parent material	Sand, silt and clay of fluviatile, aeolian, lacustrine and littoral origin
Description	Limited observations – black organic sandy loam topsoil grading into grey, olive yellow and brownish yellow mottled sandy subsoil; often more clayey substrata within a depth of 2 m		Dark sandy loam to silty clay loam topsoil, sometimes peaty subsoil; subsoil often stratified and including peat	No observations – thin brown topsoil of variable texture over grey stratified and variably textured sediments; no soils in permanently inundated areas
Classification	Humic Gleys Uc1.22, Uc1.44		Humic Gleys, some Acid Peats Variable; Um1.21, Um1.43; O	-
Surface texture	Sandy loam		Sandy loam to silty clay loam	Variable texture
Surface consistence	Friable when moist		Plastic when wet	-
Depth (m)	>2.0		>2.0	>2.0
Nutrient status	Low to moderate		Moderate	Moderate
Available soil water capacity	Moderate to high		Moderate to high	Not applicable
Perviousness to water	Rapid		Slow to moderate	Slow
Drainage	Very poor to poor		Very poor to poor	Very poor to permanently waterlogged
Exposed stone (%)	0		0	0
Sampled profile number	-		-	-
NATIVE VEGETATION Structure of vegetation and characteristic species of dominant stratum (+ Predominant species)	Zonation of vegetation with, from centre of swamps to drier ground.			The lagoon margins have open sedgelands of hydrophytes, closed scrub of Melaleuca spp., or, on drier fringes, open forest of E. ovata. Reed-swaps with tall grassland of phragmites communis
	Closed sedgeland: Cyperaceae (often Eleocharis sphacelata), Juncaceae Closed scrub: Melaleuca ericifolia or M. squarrosa Open forest I or II: E. ovata, E. tereticornis (drier areas)	Mainly herbfield: Salicornia spp. Sedgeland: Juncus maritimus or Ghania spp. Closed scrub: M. ericifolia	Structure and species as for component 1

Disturbance	Affected process and trend	Primary resultant deterioration			Casual activities	Primary off-site process
Disturbance	Affected process and trend	Form	Susceptibility of components	Incidence with components	Casual activities	Primary off-site process
Alteration of vegetation: — reduction in leaf area, rooting depth and/or perenniality	Reduced transpiration, resulting in raised groundwater table	Waterlogging	1,2.3: low	Common	Reduced plant-water use in the catchment	Raised groundwater table
Increased exposure of surface soil	Increased soil detachment	Wave erosion	4: low	Uncommon	Loss or damage of marginal reed community	Increased lake turbidity
Increased physical pressure on soil	Increased compaction With Reduced infiltration	Structure decline Ponding of water	12: low 3; moderate 3: moderate	Uncommon Common	Increased trafficking and cultivation, overgrazing, export of organic matter Increased trafficking and cultivation, overgrazing, export of organic matter	- -
Increased soil disruption	Increased soil break-up	Wave erosion	4: low	Uncommon	As for wave erosion above	Increased lake turbidity
Comments: Wave erosion along the shores of the lagoons is conceivable as a result of damage to the reed swamps, but the shallowness of the lagoons probably limits the force of the waves

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