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Soil/Landform Unit 104

Landform Unit Description

Unit 104 image a
Cropping on the slopes of Mount Pollock where few surface stones occur has provide quite productive with high yields. The advent of raised bed cropping in this area provides further advantage with respect to reducing impacts of waterlogged soils.
      Area: 436 ha
      0.03% of CMA region

      The moderately inclined low cone of Mount Pollock is part of the first areas to be grazed in this part of Victoria. This volcanic eruption point on the Western Plains is located south of Inverleigh at Gnarwarre. Standing at 185 m in elevation, the cone has little remnant vegetation (less than 0.5%) with the major vegetation classes including Plains Grassland and Plains Grassy Woodland. These remnants occur mainly as roadside reserves. The cone has highly fertile side slopes and footslopes that have been used for cereal production. The basaltic rock and scoria support neutral shallow black cracking clays, though basalt floaters and outcrops make cultivation difficult on certain slopes. Grazing and cropping are the main land uses with raised bed farming more prevalent today in order to overcome seasonal soil waterlogging. A large free-range piggery also has developed on the north-east slopes.
Unit 104 geomorphology

Unit 104 image b
The moderately inclined cone of Mount Pollock
Unit 104 cross section

Unit 104 graph

Unit 104 image c
Look across Lake Modewarre towards Mount Pollock

Component
1
2
3
Proportion of soil-landform unit
15%
30%
55%
CLIMATE
Rainfall (mm)

Annual: 610
Temperature (oC)
Minimum 9, Maximum 19
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration
October-April
GEOLOGY
Age and lithology

Quaternary basalt and alluvial
Geomorphology
LANDUSE
Uncleared: Nature conservation
Cleared: Sheep and cattle grazing; cropping (including raised bed farming)
TOPOGRAPHY
Landscape
Moderately incline low cone
Elevation range (m)
105-184
Local relief (m)
90
Drainage pattern
Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km2)
<0.1
Landform
Cone
Landform element
Broad crest of cone
Side slope
Lower footslope
Slope and range (%)
3 (1-5)
8 (5-15)
4 (1-10)
Slope shape
Convex
Convex
Concave
NATIVE VEGETATION
Ecological Vegetation Class

Plains Grassland (0.3%), Plains Grassy Woodland (0.2%)
SOIL
Parent material

Basaltic rock and scoria

Baslatic rock and scoria

Basaltic rock, scoria and colluvium
Description
(Corangamite Soil Group)
Neutral shallow black cracking clays (39)
Neutral shallow black cracking clays (39)
Neutral shallow black cracking clays (39)
Soil type sites
SW89, SW101, MM5035
SW89, SW101, SFS2, MM5035
SFS2, SFS4, CLRA46
Surface texture
Light clay
Light clay
Light clay
Permeability
Moderate to high
Moderate
Moderate to low
Depth (m)
<1
<1.5
<2
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS
Expansive clay soil, but shallow and stony. Rapid site drainage. High nutrient holding capacity and moderate water holding capacity.
Expansive clay soil, but moderate depth and stony. Rapid site drainage. High nutrient holding capacity and water holding capacity.
Expansive clay soil, but moderately deep to deep with some stone. Moderate site drainage. High nutrient holding capacity and water holding capacity. Swelling of subsoil more likely (topographic position and thicker clay solum).
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