Soil/Landform Unit 41

Undulating rises on this southern side of Mount Bininyong have red friable gradational soils. This area is becoming increasingly popular and pressures for subdivision increase as residential development expands around Buninyong

Area:

133 ha

0.01% of CMA region

The undulating basaltic rises associated with Mount Buninyong form part of sequence of volcanic landforms within the Midlands of the Western Uplands. These rises are characterised by plains and slopes that lie on the southern margin of Mount Buninyong. The rises support the vegetation classes Valley Grassy Forest, Plains Grassy Woodland and Grassy Dry Forest with the dominant species being manna gum (

E. viminalis

), narrow leaf peppermint (

E. radiata

) and messmate stringybark (

E. obliqua

). This unit is an intricate mixture of plains and slopes. The slopes provide dark red gradational soils while the lower slopes with unconsolidated sediments have a mixture of

sodic

texture contrast soils. Some of the footslopes of Mount Buninyong also occur in this unit. Agricultural land use is quite diverse and includes beef cattle and sheep grazing, hardwood forestry and water supply. Pressures from residential development may see this become the primary land use in future years. Erosion hazards are minimal. Areas with shallow stony gradational soils are susceptible to leaching of nutrients, and

compaction

is a problem on the lower slopes and depressions.

The undulating rises are mainly used for grazing but potentially can be used for a suite of land uses

Component	1	2	3	4
Proportion of soil-landform unit	22%	22%	22%	34%
CLIMATE Rainfall (mm)	Annual: 830
Temperature (^oC)	Minimum 7, Maximum 17
Precipitation less than potential evapotranspiration	November-March
GEOLOGY Age and lithology	Pleistocene basalt, scoria tuff, Orodivican marine sandstone and shale and minor Quaternary alluvium
Geomorphology	2.1.4 Dissected Western Uplands associated with volcanic landforms
LANDUSE	Uncleared: Nature conservation; passive and active recreation, water supply, hardwood forestry Cleared: Beef cattle and sheep grazing, cropping, residential development
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Undulating rises
Elevation range (m)	482-553
Local relief (m)	180
Drainage pattern	Dendritic
Drainage density (km/km²)	2.6
Landform	Undulating plains and rise			Volcanic cone
Landform element	Crest and upper slope	Mid slope	Lower slopes	Slope and crest
Slope and range (%)	3 (1-6)	4 (2-7)	1 (1-2)	25 (5-40)
Slope shape	Convex	Straight	Concave	Straight
NATIVE VEGETATION Ecological Vegetation Class	Valley Grassy Forest (2.3%); Plains Grassy Woodland (2.2%); Grassy Dry Forest (1.1%)
Dominant species	E. viminalis, E. radiata, E. obliqua			E. viminalis, E. radiata
SOIL Parent material	In situ weathered basalt	In situ weathered basalt	In situ weathered basalt	In situ weathered basalt
Description (Corangamite Soil Group)	Red gradationa soil, fine structure (40)	Dark red gradational soil, fine structure (40)	Mottled brown, grey or yellow sodic texture contrast soil, coarse structure (32)	Stony red gradational soil (40)
Soil type sites	BD5, SW96, SW26	BD5, SW96, SW26	SW88, SW95, CLRA4	BD5, SW96, SW26
Surface texture	Clay loam	Loam	Clay loam	Clay loam
Permeability	High	High	Moderate to low	High
Depth (m)	2	1.5	1.5	1
LAND CHARACTERISTICS, POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS	Slope exposure, leaching, overland flow, sheet erosion and nutrient decline are very minor. These soils have a high agricultural versatility.	Slope exposure, leaching, overland flow, sheet erosion and nutrient decline are very minor. These soils have a high agricultural versatility.	Low permeability subsoils combined with hardsetting sufaces often result in waterlogging and soil compaction.	Steep slopes, overland flow, sheet erosion and nutrient decline are very minor. These soils have a high agricultural versatility

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