Ferguson's Hill Landsystem (PDF - 171 KB)
Ferguson's Hill Landsystem (DOC - 278 KB)
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Gently dissected hills and ridges developed on outcrops of mainly finer sediments of Paleocene Age have been grouped into the Fergusons Hill land system. The soil and vegetative association have much in common with the Mt. Mackenzie land system but the topography is more subdued, and as a result management of this area presents fewer problems.
The land system is comprised of two major areas – those at Fergusons Hill and along the ridge of Pipeline Road, and several other small areas on ridges through the study area. The geomorphic history of these areas is generally similar in that they are areas of Paleocene marine sands, clays and silts of the Wangerrip Group that have scaped the deep dissection of the Mt. Mackenzie land system. The geological beds are somewhat variable and the coarseness of the material outcropping at the surface is a strong determinant of the soil that has formed on each part of the landscape. The geology has been complicated by various subsequent marine transgressions leaving variable beds of sand and clay in adjacent land systems and also occur occasionally as remnants in this land system. The absence of fossils makes interpretation of exact geological ages somewhat tentative but it is probable that some of the sands of component 3 and the clays of component 1 belong to more recent marine transgressions than the bulk of the material in the land system.
While having landscape and general land capability features in common, the separate mapped areas of the land system do exhibit different combinations and extent of the separate components. At Fergusons Hill itself component 6 dominates the landscape with components 2 and 3 being common and component 1 occupying most of the land around the periphery of the hill. Component 6 soils are members of the group of relict soils belonging to former humid and possibly warmer climates discussed elsewhere. The appearance and properties are similar to the dominant soils of the nearby Simpson land system, but only rarely are they underlain by lateritic ironstone. Thus it appears probable that at one stage these fine structured red and yellow mottled soils covered most of this landscape (except the areas where parent material is mainly sand) and subsequent geological erosion has only left remnants on the gentler parts of the landscape. The indigenous vegetation on these soils is an open forest of messmate and brown stringybark with widespread hybridisation between these two species. Bushy needlewood seems to be a strong indicator species of these soils in the understorey. Similar fertility problems are encountered here as are found in the nearby Simpson land system.
On steeper slopes coming away from these areas of component 6, younger and sandier yellow gradational soils are encountered. These are equivalent to the dominant soils of the Mt. Mackenzie land system but are found on less severe slopes in this land system. Due to the weak structure and light texture they are prone to deterioration by sheet and rill erosion and require more careful management than the previous soils. The vegetation is similar to that found in the often adjacent component 6 but brown stringybark becomes more dominant and there is frequent encroachment of peppermint species into the association.
Component | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
Proportion % | 15 | 20 | 25 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 10 | 2 |
Climate | ||||||||
Rainfall mm | Annual 1000-1100 mm Monthly Range 40 mm (Jan) - 130 mm (Aug) | |||||||
Temperature oC | Annual 13.0 Monthly Range 7.5 July - 19 Feb | |||||||
Period when average monthly temperature < 10oC June - August Period when precipitation < Potential Evapotranspiration: mid November - March | ||||||||
Geology | ||||||||
Age Lithology | Marine sand, clays & silts of Paleocene age. Some small areas of Pleistocene lateritic ironstone. | |||||||
Topography | ||||||||
Landscape | Undulating hills & ridges | |||||||
Elevation M | 30 – 230 | |||||||
Local Relief M | 40 | |||||||
Topography | Dendritic | |||||||
Drainage Density | 2.4 km/km2 | |||||||
Landform | Undulating hills | Scarps | ||||||
Position | Lower slope | Slopes | Crests | Midslopes | Swales | Crest upper slope | Crests | |
Average Slope (Range) | 4% (1% - 7%) | 14%(5%-37%) | 5% (2% - 9%) | 11% | 4% (2%-9%) | 4% (0% - 11%) | 4% ( 0% - 7%) | 29% (25- 37%) |
Slope Shape | Straight | Straight | Convex | Straight | Concave | Convex | Straight | Concave |
Native Vegetation | ||||||||
Structure Dominant Stratum | Open forest | Open forest | Low woodland | Open forest | Open forest. | Open forest | Tall woodland | Open forest |
Species | Messmate, Swamp Gum | Brown Strin- Gybark Shin-Ing Peppermi-Nt Messmate | Shining Peppermint, Brown Stringybark | Stringybark Narrow Leav-Ed Peppermint Grey Gum Messmate | Messmate, Brown Stringy- Bark | Brown Stringybark, Messmate | Brown Stringy- Bark Messmate | Messmate, Stringybark Swamp Gum Blackwood |
Other Common Species | Red Fruit Saw Sedge, Prickly Tea Tree, Prickly Moses | Scented Paperbark Wiry Bauera Pouched Coral Fern Prickly Tea Tree S Aw Sedge, Heath Bush Pea Blackboy | Narrow Leaved Wattle, Prickly Moses, Prickly Tea Tree | Myrtle Wattle, Banksia, Bushy Needlewood, Prickly Moses, Furze Hakea, Mountain Correa, Tea Tree | Myrtle Wattle, Silver Banksia, Dusty Miller Bushy Needlewood | Prickly Moses, Dogwood, Narrow Leaved Wattle, Blanket Leaf | ||
Soil | ||||||||
Parent Material | Unconsolidated clays & silts | Unconsolidated clays silts & sands | Unconsolidated sand | Unconsolidated sand silt & clay | Alluvial sand silt & clay | Unconsolidated clay & soil | Unconsolidated clay & silt | Colluvial lateritic ironstone |
Group | Greyish brown grad. Soils | Yellow grad. soils, weak structure | Grey sand soil with hardpan uniform text. | Red sandy loam soils uniform text. | Grey gradational soils | Mottled yellow red grad. Soil fine structure | Red grad. soil weak structure | Stony red gradational soil |
Surface Texture | Fine sandy loam | Sandy loam | Loamy sand | Sandy loam | Peaty sandy loam | Sandy loam | Sandy loam | Gravelly loamy sand |
Permeability | Moderate | Rapid | Very slow | Rapid | Slow | Moderate | Rapid | Rapid |
Av. Depth M | > 2 | > 2 | > 2 | > 2 | > 2 | > 2 | 0.9 | > 2 |
Northcote Class | Gn 4.64 | Uc 3.32 | Uc 5.21 | Gn 3.84 | Gn 2.11 | Gn 2.41 | ||
Land Use | Uncleared areas: hardwood forestry production, domestic water supply protection, nature conservation, gravel extraction. Cleared areas: beef cattle grazing, dairy farming, domestic water supply protection | |||||||
Hazards Of Soil Deterioration | Low hazard of erosion | Moderate hazard of sheet erosion | Low haz. gully erosion soil pugging | Low hazard of erosion | Mod. Hazard of erosion | |||
Management Practices For Soil Conservation | Maintenance of adequate ground cover at all times of the year. Wintering of stock away from badly drained areas when waterlogged. Replacement of surface soil over disused extraction sites & revegetation with indigenous vegetation. |