Soil/Landform Unit - Kanawinka sandsheets and dunes

WLRA Landform Kanawinka sand sheets and dunes

Seasonally wet soils with heath woodlands of manna, swamp, yellow or pink gums

Area: 385 ha

0.02% of CMA region

Sandsheets and plains in the south-west corner of the Wimmera CMA region consist of sand dunes with gentle slopes and crests as well as sandsheets on plains with scattered swamps. As the only unit in the region to be part of the Western Plains, land use includes grazing by sheep and cattle along with irrigated agriculture where sandy surface soils are used as part of centre pivot systems. Soil profiles are sandy throughout except in swamps where cracking clays occur and on plains where deep sand overlies heavier subsoils as

Sodosols

. Remnant vegetation is largely either Plains Grassy Woodland or Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland/Plains Swampy Woodland/Aquatic Herbland Mosaic vegetation community. The main form of land degradation is wind erosion where sandy surfaces lack sufficient ground cover.

Stringybarks with heath understorey
	Treeless heaths with sandy surface soils

Component	1	2	3	4	5
Proportion of soil-landform unit	10%	30%	30%	10%	20%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual:
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual:
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 8, Maximum 20
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October–April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Neogene marine sand and silt (Parilla Sand); Quaternary aeolian dune sand, paludal silt and clay
GEOLOGY Age and lithology
Geomorphology	6.2.1 Plains with ridges of the Western Sedimentary Plains
LANDUSE	Uncleared areas: nature conservation Cleared areas: dryland cropping; sheep and cattle grazing; irrigated horticulture; softwood plantations
LANDUSE
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Sandsheets and dunes
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Sandsheets and dunes
Elevation range (m)	126–139
Local relief (m)	5
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.3
Landform	Low lying regular dunes		Plains and swamps
Landform element	Gentle dune crest	Dune slope	Plains and gentle slope	Swamp bed	Sandsheet
Slope and range (%)	2 (0-8)	3 (1-15)	3 (1-7)	0 (0-1)	2 (1-5)
Slope shape	Convex	Concave	Straight	Concave	Straight
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Plains Grassy Woodland (33.3%), Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland/Plains Swampy Woodland/Aquatic Herbland Mosaic (33.3%)
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class
SOIL Parent material	Aeolian sand and silt	Aeolian sand and silt	Paludal silt and clay	Paludal silt and clay	Aeolian sand and silt
SOIL Parent material	Aeolian sand and silt	Aeolian sand and silt	Paludal silt and clay	Paludal silt and clay	Aeolian sand and silt
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Sandy soils with and without pans (31)	Sandy soils with and without pans (31) and sodic brown, yellow and grey texture contrast soils (38)	Sodic brown, yellow and grey texture contrast soils (38)	Grey and brown cracking clay soils (37)	Sodic brown, yellow and grey texture contrast soils (38)
Soil type sites	WLRA74, WLRA85	WLRA74, WLRA85, LSWW11	LSWW11, LSWW17, LSWW13	LS3, LSWW9, LSWW5	LSWW11, LSWW17, LSWW13
Surface texture	Sand	Loamy sand	Loamy sand	Medium clay	Loamy sand
Permeability	High	High	Moderate	Slow	Moderate
Depth (m)	> 1.5	> 1.5	1.3	> 2	1.3
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS Critical land features, processes, forms	Soils with low organic matter levels can be susceptible to wind and sheet erosion where exposed. Low inherent soil fertility.	Soils with low organic matter levels can be susceptible to wind and sheet erosion where exposed. Low inherent soil fertility.	Susceptible to wind and sheet erosion where exposed and surfaces with little organic matter. Susceptible to compaction where hardsetting and restricted drainage. Upper soil is susceptible to acidification.	Susceptible to seasonal inundation and waterlogging. Slightly susceptible to surface sheet erosion where soils are exposed. Surface soils friable and only slightly susceptible to wind erosion. Soils susceptible to compaction at critical moisture contents.	Susceptible to wind and sheet erosion where exposed and surfaces with little organic matter. Susceptible to compaction where hardsetting and restricted drainage. Upper soil is susceptible to acidification.

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