Soil/Landform Unit - Dooen eroded plain

Cleared low rises at Dooen used for pastoral runs and cropping

Area: 5760 ha

0.25% of CMA region

Eroded plains in the central east of the region are some of the most productive cropping landscapes of the region. The plains at Dooen are part of the clay plains with subdued ridges of the North Western Dunefields and Plains (5.4). This unit has a sequence of very gentle rise crests and slopes with lower plains and drainage lines. Soils are typically either cracking clay soils (

Vertosols

) and/or sodic red texture contrast soils (

Sodosols

). While land use is dominated by dryland cereal cropping, surface condition can be quite variable depending upon soil type. The red

sodic

texture contrast soils have

hardsetting

surfaces that are prone to

compaction

while the cracking clay soils tend to have

self-mulching

surfaces that have a higher resilience to cultivation. Vegetation communities include Floodplain Riparian Woodland, Low Rises Woodland, Riverine Chenopod Woodland, Plains Grassland, Red Gum Wetland, Plains Woodland and Plains Savannah.

Looking towards crest of low gentle rise across plain
	Cleared plain with little remnant vegetation in distance

Component	1	2	3	4
Proportion of soil-landform unit	5%	10%	10%	75%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 440
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 440
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 8, Maximum 21
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	September–April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Neogene marine sand and silt (Parilla Sand); Quaternary alluvium, gravel, sand and silt
GEOLOGY Age and lithology
Geomorphology	5.4 Clay plains with subdued ridges of the North Western Dunefields and Plains
LANDUSE	Uncleared areas: Nature conservation Cleared areas: Dryland cropping; sheep grazing
LANDUSE
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Eroded plain
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Eroded plain
Elevation range (m)	124–146
Local relief (m)	5
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.6
Landform	Low rises		Plains
Landform element	Rise crest	Low rise slope	Drainage line	Plain
Slope and range (%)	3 (2-6)	2 (1-5)	1 (0-3)	3 (0-5)
Slope shape	Convex	Linear	Concave	Straight
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Plains Woodland (47.3%), Plains Savannah (41.0%), Other (8.4%)
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class
SOIL Parent material	Marine sand and silt	Marine sand and silt	Alluvial gravel, sand and silt	Alluvial silt and clay
SOIL Parent material	Marine sand and silt	Marine sand and silt	Alluvial gravel, sand and silt	Alluvial silt and clay
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Sodic red texture contrast soils (39)	Cracking clay soils (34) and sodic red texture contrast soils (39)	Cracking clay soils (34)	Cracking clay soils (34)
Soil type sites	NA174	WIA6, WIA9, NA174	WIA6, WIA9, WIA5	WIA6, WIA9, WIA5
Surface texture	Sandy loam to clay loam	Light clay	Medium clay	Medium clay
Permeability	Moderate	Moderate	Slow	Moderate to slow
Depth (m)	> 1.2	> 3	> 3	> 3
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS Critical land features, processes, forms	Hardsetting upper soil susceptible to sheet and rill erosion where topsoils are weakly structure. Compaction of upper soil variable depending on soil depth and moisture content. Upper soil is slightly susceptible to acidification.	Surface condition is variable from self-mulching (cracking clays) to hardsetting (texture contrast soils). High clay content soils have variable site drainage which can be due to micro relief (gilgai). Surface soils are friable and only slightly susceptible to wind erosion due to self-mulching nature.	High clay content results in restricted soil drainage. Surface soils are generally friable and only slightly susceptible to wind erosion due to self-mulching and massive nature. Soils may be susceptible at critical moisture contents and have variable resilience to compaction.	High clay content soils with variable site drainage which can be variable due to micro relief (gilgai). Surface soils are friable and only slightly susceptible to wind erosion due to self-mulching nature. Soils may be susceptible at critical moisture contents and have variable resilience to compaction.

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