Soil/Landform Unit - Quantong dunes and swales

Sand plains and dunes surrounding Mount Talbot

Area: 25 345 ha

1.08% of CMA region

Sand dunes and swales south and north of Quantong form part of the undulating

dunefields of the North West Dunfields and Plains. These broad and isolated dunefields with linear dunes occur south-west of Horsham, flanking the Wimmera River units (Drung, St Helens) as well as an area south to the western Black Range on a older plain (Glencoe). Dunefield slopes and swales are the prominent landform components of this unit. Drainage is indistinguishable and restricted to localised swales. Soils are mainly yellow and brown sodic texture contrast soils (

Sodosols

) with deep sandy topsoils or deep sandy soils (

Tenosols

) generally without pans, occasionally pans are found.

Sodic

, yellow and brown texture contrast soils also occur in the swales. Sheet and rill erosion with wind erosion on the windward side are land degradation threats. Land cover is important for land stability especially where surfaces have little organic matter. These units are used for grazing or remain under native vegetation given their low fertility. Vegetation is dominated by a number of woodland communities (including Shallow Sands Woodland, Plains Woodland, Lateritic Woodland), heathlands (including Sand Heathland), wetlands and meadows.

Mixed annual perennial pasture west of Mount Talbot
	Sandplains and dunes west of Mount Talbot

Component	1	2
Proportion of soil-landform unit	90%	10%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 520

Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 8, Maximum 21
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	October–April
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Quaternary marine and non-marine aeolian dune sand; Neogene sand and silt (Parilla Sand)

Geomorphology	5.2.2 Linear dunes of the Siliceous North West Dunefields and Plains
LANDUSE	Uncleared areas: nature conservation Cleared areas: dryland cropping; sheep and beef cattle grazing; dairy farming; irrigated horticulture

TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Dunes and swales

Elevation range (m)	105–252
Local relief (m)	10
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	0.6
Landform	Dunefields
Landform element	Dune slope	Swale
Slope and range (%)	4 (1-10)	2 (0-4)
Slope shape	Straight	Convex
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Shallow Sands Woodland (30.3%), Plains Woodland (19.5%), Heathy Woodland (10.1%), Plains Sedgy Woodland (8.6%), Other (30.9%)

SOIL Parent material	Aeolian sand	Alluvial and paludal sand, silt and clay

Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Sodic yellow and grey texture contrast soils (32) and sandy soils with and without pans (31)	Sodic yellow and grey texture contrast soils (32)
Soil type sites	LSWW8, LSWW7, WLRA74	LSWW8, LSWW7, WIA24, WIA31
Surface texture	Sand to loamy sand	Loamy sand
Permeability	High	Slow
Depth (m)	> 1.5	> 1.5
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.	Susceptible to wind and sheet erosion where exposed. Low inherent fertility but well drained to pans or subsoil. Susceptible to compaction where hardsetting and poor drainage occurs.

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