Anglesea Land System

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Stretching inland from the coast between Bells Beach and Moggs Creek lies a dissected plain on Tertiary sediments. Long straight slopes emanate from spurs and ridges. The coastal margins are retreating an often abut the sea in steep cliffs or massive landslips and earthflows.

The parent material is very variable, ranging from lateritized sediments on the ridges to relatively unweathered alluvium in the drainage lines. Thus the soils are particularly variable.

In general, plant nutrient levels are low and surface horizons are weakly structured. Plant communities are mainly open forests les than 15 m in height; the height decreases towards the coast under the influence of salt-bearing winds. The area is highly regarded for its diversity of flora. Some parts have been cleared for agriculture. The main hazards to land use are gully erosion and sheet erosion.

A Study of land in the catchments of the Otway Range and adjacent plains - anglesea

Exposed coastal sites carry salt-pruned open scrubs that are
sensitive to disturbance, and revegetation
of eroded areas is difficult.

Area: 74 km²	Component and its proportion of land system
Area: 74 km²	1 25%	2 5%	3 10%	4 30%	5 25%	6 2%	7 3%
CLIMATE Rainfall, mm	Annual: 600 –800, lowest January (35), highest August (80)
Temperature, 0^oC	Annual: 14, lowest July (9), highest February (17)
	Temperature: less than 10^oC (av.) July
	Precipitation: less than potential evapotranspiration mid October – early April
GEOLOGY Age, lithology	Highly variable Eocene sediment consisting mainly of unconsolidated clayey silt, sand
TOPOGRAPHY Landscape	Moderately dissected hills lying below and on the seaward side of the lateritic plateaux
Elevation, m	0 - 195
Local relief, m	50
Drainage pattern	Rectangular
Drainage density, km/km²	1.6
Land form	Hill
Land form element	Exposed coastal slope	Slope, crest	Lower slop, drainage line	Middle slop	Upper slope, crest	Steep slop	Landslip
Slope (and range), %	20 (5-45)	2 (5-15)	8 (1-15)	15 (5-35)	10(1-20)	45 (25-55)	(5-90)
Slope shape	Linear/irregular	Linear	Concave	Convex	Convex	Linear	Irregular
NATIVE VEGETATION Structure	Open scrub	Woodland	Open forest	Open forest	Open forest	Open forest	Low woodland
Dominant species	E. obliqua, Casuarina stricta, E. sideroxylon	E. viminalis, E. radiata, E. baxteri	E. sideroxylon E. obliqua	E. sideroxylon E. obliqua	E. obliqua E. sideroxylon, E. baxteri	E. obliqua, E. baxteri, E. sideroxylon	E. sideroxylon E. obliqua Melaleuca lanceolata, Casuarina stricta
SOIL Parent material	Calcareous sand, clay silt, sand and gravel	Sand and gravel	Clay, silt and sand	Slay, silt and sand, sandstone	Deeply weathered clay, silt and sand	Lateritic ironstone, sandstone	Clay, silt and sand; some aeolian sand
Description	Variable sodic duplex soils	Grey sand soils, uniform texture	Yellow-brown sodic duplex soils, coarse structure	Yellow-brown duplex soils, coarse structure	Mottled yellow and red duplex soils	Stony red gradational soils	Variable sodic duplex soils
Surface texture	Sandy loam	Loamy sand	Fine sandy loam	Fine sandy loam	Sandy loam	Sandy loam	Sandy loam
Permeability	Moderate	Very high	Very low	Very low	Moderate	Very high	Moderate
Depth, m	>2	>2	>2	>2	>2	0.2	>2
LAND USE	Uncleared areas: Nature conservation; active and passive recreation; landscape conservation; gravel extraction Cleared areas: Beef cattle grazing on mainly unimproved pastures; residential; active recreation
SOIL DETERIORATION HAZARD Critical land features, processes, forms	Native vegetation is sensitive to salt pruning and disturbance. Highly dispersible soils on steep slopes are prone to sheet erosion, gully erosion and tunnel erosion	Very low inherent fertility and high permeability lead to nutrient decline.	Sodic, highly dispersible subsoils are prone to gully and tunnel erosion.	Highly dispersible soils are prone to gully and tunnel erosion. Weakly structured surface soils over slowly permeable subsoils on steep slopes are prone to sheet erosion.	Low inherent fertility, phosphorus fixation and leaching of permeable A horizons lead to nutrient decline.	Stony shallow soils with low organic content, weak structure and low water-holding capacity on steep slopes are prone to sheet erosion.	Native vegetation is sensitive to salt pruning and disturbance. Marine under-cutting of highly dispersible soils maintains active landslips and earth flows.