australia’s native vegetation€¦ · australia has been cleared of native vegetation—mostly in...
TRANSCRIPT
AUSTRALIA’S NATIVE VEGETATION
A summary of Australia’s Major Vegetation Groups, 2007
Water Resources
ii
Australia’s Native Vegetation: A summary of Australia’s Major Vegetation Groups, 2007.
© Commonwealth of Australia (2007).
ISBN: 0642552940
This report and the accompanying disk have been produced by the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources, using data from the National Vegetation Information System which is a collaborative initiative involving all states and territories.
For bibliographic purposes this report may be cited as: Department of the Environment and Water Resources (2007), Australia’s Native Vegetation: A summary of Australia’s Major Vegetation Groups, 2007. Australian Government, Canberra, ACT.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Australian Government, available from the Department of the Environment and Water Resources. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to:
Assistant Secretary Biodiversity Conservation Branch Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources GPO Box 787 Canberra ACT 2601
The Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources has collated and edited this publication, drawing on the resources of the National Vegetation Information System. The National Vegetation Information System compiles vegetation data from state and territory governments and Australian Government agencies. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Australian Government does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.
Copies of this report are available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/erin/nvis/publications or in hard copy from:
Community Information Unit Department of the Environment and Water Resources John Gorton Building PO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone 1800 803 772 Facsimile (02) 6274 1970
Cover photo: Hummock Grasslands, Kimberley Ranges, WA. © Murray Fagg, Australian National Botanic Gardens.
CONTENTS
DIVERSITY IN OUR NATIVE VEGETATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
DEVELOPING A NATIONAL VIEW OF NATIVE VEGETATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
THE NATIONAL VIEW OF NATIVE VEGETATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
MORE ABOUT AUSTRALIA’S MAJOR VEGETATION GROUPS (MVGS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Rainforests and Vine Thickets (MVG 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Eucalypt Tall Open Forests (MVG 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Eucalypt Open Forests (MVG 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Eucalypt Low Open Forests (MVG 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Eucalypt Woodlands (MVG 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Acacia Forests and Woodlands (MVG 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Callitris Forests and Woodlands (MVG 7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Casuarina Forests and Woodlands (MVG 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Melaleuca Forests and Woodlands (MVG 9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Other Forests and Woodlands (MVG 10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Eucalypt Open Woodlands (MVG 11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Tropical Eucalypt Woodlands/Grasslands (MVG 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Acacia Open Woodlands (MVG 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands (MVG 14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Low Closed Forests and Tall Closed Shrublands (MVG 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Acacia Shrublands (MVG 16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Other Shrublands (MVG 17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Heathlands (MVG 18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Tussock Grasslands (MVG 19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Hummock Grasslands (MVG 20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Other Grasslands, Herblands, Sedgelands and Rushlands (MVG 21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chenopod Shrublands, Samphire Shrublands and Forblands (MVG 22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Mangroves (MVG 23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Other Cover Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
FUTURE CHALLENGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
FURTHER INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Disk (CD-ROM) with GIS data, maps and MVG fact sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back cover
2
The term vegetation is collective for plants, (i.e. the individual species and their structure), at a particular site or landscape. Native vegetation refers, broadly, to vegetation that would be expected to occur naturally at a given site or landscape.
People differ in their views about how natural an area of vegetation should appear in order to be termed ‘native’. In general, native vegetation in Australia can encompass a degree of disturbance from non-natural causes such as weed invasion, grazing, clearing, timber harvesting and controlled burning regimes. Conceptually, native vegetation could also include areas revegetated with locally occurring native species, although such areas currently occupy a very small proportion of Australia’s total vegetation cover.
DIVERSITY IN OUR NATIVE VEGETATION
• This booklet has been produced by the
Australian Government Department of the
Environment and Water Resources for use by
natural resource managers, researchers and
educators.
• The information presented here is drawn from
the National Vegetation Information System
(NVIS), which is an information partnership
between Australian governments.
• The disk inside the back cover provides
detailed information for researchers and users
of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Since European settlement, approximately 13% of Australia has been cleared of native vegetation—mostly in the high rainfall areas of the south-east and far south-west of the continent. The condition of the remaining vegetation varies.
Australia’s native vegetation is a rich and fundamental element of our natural heritage. It binds and nourishes our ancient soils; shelters and sustains wildlife; protects streams, wetlands, estuaries, and coastlines; and absorbs carbon dioxide while emitting oxygen.
Our native vegetation has many unique features. It exhibits extraordinary diversity in physical form and floristic composition—the lush tropical rainforests of Queensland’s wet tropics are a stark contrast to the hummock grasslands and saltpans of the arid interior.
Like our native animals, a large proportion (around 85%) of our plant species are endemic, that is they occur nowhere else in the world.
Another conspicuous feature of our native vegetation is that its woody component is dominated by just two large tree and shrub genera—the eucalypts and the acacias. However both of these genera contain large numbers of species.
Phot
o: M
. Fag
g
3
The endemism and species richness of Australia’s vegetation is attributed to its state of dynamic change throughout geological history, responding to major shifts in environmental conditions associated with continental drift, periods of intense geological activity (such as volcanism) and climate change. The dominance of water-saving morphological features in Australia’s flora is related to its adaptation to increasing aridity.
The distribution of different types of native vegetation in Australia is strongly linked to climatic variation across the continent. In addition, the physical landscape (i.e. landform, rocks and soils) can modify the effects of climate by providing microenvironments that may favour or inhibit plant growth. Landforms, such as mountain plateaus or gullies, may act as climatic refuges allowing more temperate or moisture
seeking plants to survive in regions where the climate is otherwise unfavourable. These variations in the physical environment may affect both the structural and floristic composition of plant communities.
Despite the remarkable diversity of our native vegetation, most Australians only recognise the most familiar components, such as the eucalypt dominated forests and woodlands, and tropical and temperate rainforests. The National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) has been developed and maintained by all Australian governments to provide a national picture that captures and explains the broad diversity of our native vegetation. This publication will assist readers in accessing and understanding the information that has been brought together through this landmark national collaboration.
DIVERSITY IN OUR NATIVE VEGETATION
Phot
o: M
. Fag
g
4
DEVELOPING A NATIONAL VIEW OF NATIVE VEGETATION
Classifying and mapping different types of vegetation is critical to planning for improved native vegetation management. It facilitates priority setting for investment and provides a basis for monitoring the effects of interventions. Consequently all state and territory governments, as well as a range of research and non-government bodies, have ongoing programs for assessing, classifying and mapping native vegetation. All use a combination of data collected at survey sites in the field and remote sensing (either aerial photography or satellite imagery). The data collected at sites generally includes floristic (i.e. dominant species) structural (e.g. closed forest, open woodland) and growth form (e.g. mallee, grass, tall tree etc.) attributes. However, at a more detailed level there is considerable variation across Australia in methods used to classify and map native vegetation. This creates significant challenges in drawing together a reliable national view of native vegetation.
The NVIS collaboration, initiated in 2001 under the first phase of the National Land & Water Resources Audit, has identified the common elements needed for a reliable national collation of native vegetation
information. This collaboration continues to improve our capacity to report on Australia’s native vegetation by drawing together data from a variety of sources, primarily maintained by the states and territories. An overview of progress in developing national reporting on native vegetation is provided in Figure 1.
While many thousands of finer-level vegetation types have been drawn together into the NVIS database, they need to be combined into broader groups to present a useful continental overview. This report presents a national view of native vegetation using 23 Major Vegetation Groups (MVGs) derived from the NVIS database.
Much of the information presented here updates the Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001, which was prepared by the first phase of the National Land & Water Resources Audit. This publication has been made possible by the cooperation of all states and territories in an update of the NVIS database carried out during 2005. Further technical background information on the 2005 update can be found at www.environment.gov.au/erin/nvis.
Phot
o: M
. Qui
nn
5
FIGU
RE 1
: P
rog
ress
ove
r ti
me
in b
uild
ing
a n
atio
nal v
iew
of
Aus
tral
ia’s
nat
ive
veg
etat
ion
Photo: M. Fagg Photo: M. Fagg
T
IM
E
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
>
Pre-
1990
1990
AUS
LIG
2001
NVI
S20
07 N
VIS
Futu
re N
VIS
Achievements
• A
larg
e am
ount
of i
ndiv
idua
l and
sta
te-
base
d ve
geta
tion
surv
ey a
nd m
appi
ng
(e.g
. Bea
rd a
nd W
ebb,
197
4, a
nd
Neld
ner,
1984
).
• Na
tiona
l fun
ding
pro
gram
s fo
r veg
etat
ion
map
ping
e.g
. the
Aus
tralia
n Bi
olog
ical
Re
sour
ces
Stud
y in
197
0s a
nd 1
980s
.
• De
velo
pmen
t of a
sta
ndar
d st
ruct
ural
cl
assi
ficat
ion
at th
e na
tiona
l sca
le
(Spe
cht,
1970
)
• Re
gion
al m
appe
rs u
sed
a va
riety
of
con
cept
s an
d st
anda
rds
base
d
on m
appi
ng s
peci
es g
roup
s, s
truct
ure
or
land
scap
es.
• Th
e fir
st c
ontin
enta
l map
of A
ustra
lia’s
ac
tual
veg
etat
ion
(as
pres
ent i
n th
e 19
80s)
. Map
ped
at 1
:5,0
00,0
00.
• Pr
imar
y so
urce
for m
appi
ng w
as L
ands
at
MSS
sat
ellit
e im
ager
y. Se
cond
ary
sour
ces
incl
uded
pub
lishe
d m
aps
and
repo
rts,
disc
ussi
ons
with
regi
onal
map
pers
and
so
me
field
wor
k.
• Th
e m
ap w
as s
cann
ed in
to a
GIS
whi
ch
allo
wed
com
paris
ons
betw
een
1788
and
19
88 d
istri
butio
ns.
• Ha
rmon
isat
ion
of a
ltern
ativ
e na
tiona
l cl
assi
ficat
ion
stan
dard
s w
as c
omm
ence
d by
the
Natio
nal F
ores
t Inv
ento
ry (s
ee S
un
et a
l., 1
996)
.
• Th
e Na
tiona
l Veg
etat
ion
Info
rmat
ion
Syst
em (N
VIS)
was
est
ablis
hed
unde
r th
e fir
st p
hase
of t
he N
atio
nal L
and
& W
ater
Res
ourc
es A
udit.
• NV
IS w
as th
e fir
st n
atio
nal c
olla
tion
of s
tate
/terr
itory
dat
a in
to a
nat
iona
l da
taba
se.
• M
appi
ng in
dig
ital f
orm
faci
litat
ed
anal
yses
for a
var
iety
of u
ses.
• W
ide-
rang
ing
natio
nal a
sses
smen
t.
• Up
date
d da
ta fr
om a
ll st
ates
an
d te
rrito
ries.
• Im
prov
ed N
VIS
data
base
stru
ctur
e en
ablin
g m
ore
rapi
d na
tiona
l col
latio
ns.
• Ag
reem
ent o
n m
etho
ds a
nd p
rogr
ess
tow
ards
reso
lvin
g cr
oss-
bord
er
disc
repa
ncie
s.
• Ne
w n
atio
nal s
tand
ards
fo
r dat
a co
llatio
n.
• Pr
ogre
ss to
war
ds a
nat
iona
l sta
ndar
d fo
r na
tive
vege
tatio
n co
nditi
on a
sses
smen
t.
• So
me
chan
ge a
sses
smen
t pos
sibl
e
by in
tegr
atin
g NV
IS w
ith o
utpu
ts o
f the
Na
tiona
l Car
bon
Acco
untin
g Sy
stem
• Ex
tra n
atio
nal p
rodu
cts—
e.g.
Maj
or
Vege
tatio
n Su
bgro
ups
• Ca
paci
ty to
repo
rt re
gula
rly o
n ch
ange
-in-
exte
nt in
form
atio
n ba
sed
on e
stab
lishe
d pr
oces
ses
for g
athe
ring
base
line
and
chan
ge in
form
atio
n in
all
stat
es/te
rrito
ries.
• De
velo
pmen
t of d
ata
trans
fer t
echn
olog
ies
for r
apid
upd
atin
g of
the
NVIS
.
• Ca
paci
ty to
repo
rt on
con
ditio
n
of v
eget
atio
n.
• A
wid
er ra
nge
of N
VIS
prod
ucts
and
m
edia
form
ats.
• Us
e of
NVI
S co
ncep
ts a
nd d
ata
to
enh
ance
repo
rting
on
othe
r the
mes
—
e.g.
rang
elan
ds.
Challenges
• Na
tiona
l map
ping
was
onl
y es
timat
ed,
with
no
basi
s in
con
tinen
tal d
ata
or
imag
ery.
• Na
tiona
l map
ping
was
ver
y co
arse
-sca
le
and
pape
r-ba
sed,
with
lim
ited
relia
bilit
y an
d us
e.
• Co
arse
sca
le—
insu
ffici
ent d
etai
l for
use
at
regi
onal
or l
ocal
sca
les.
• Nu
mer
ous
disc
repa
ncie
s be
twee
n th
is
prod
uct a
nd s
tate
/terr
itory
map
ping
.
• On
line
map
ping
and
dow
nloa
dabl
e
GIS
data
of A
ustra
lia’s
Maj
or
Vege
tatio
n Gr
oups
.
• No
tabl
e di
scon
tinui
ties
in m
appi
ng a
cros
s st
ate
bord
ers
and
inpu
t dat
aset
s.
• No
tabl
e ga
ps in
sca
le, c
urre
ncy
and
deta
il of
attr
ibut
es c
olle
cted
. Map
ping
from
AU
SLIG
(199
0) w
as u
sed
to fi
ll ga
ps.
• So
me
cros
s-bo
rder
and
cro
ss-d
atas
et
map
ping
dis
crep
anci
es re
mai
n.
• So
me
data
gap
s re
mai
n.
6
THE NATIONAL VIEW OF NATIVE VEGETATION
The maps and graph on the following pages present an overview of Australia’s MVGs and the estimated impacts they have sustained since European settlement in Australia.
Figure 2 is a map of the estimated pre-1750 distribution of Australia’s MVGs showing a likely view of native vegetation on the Australian continent prior to European settlement. The term pre-1750, while not corresponding exactly with the year of European settlement in Australia, is used for this product because of its international usage in greenhouse science and vegetation monitoring to describe the time just prior to industrialisation.
Figure 3 is a map of the current distribution of MVGs. Comparison between Figures 2 and 3 shows the impact of changes to the management of Australia’s native
vegetation since European settlement. A graphical representation of declines in extent across the MVGs is provided in Figure 4, with the pink bars representing their former areas and the green bars representing their current extent. Figure 5 shows the degree of loss of native vegetation since European settlement in different areas of Australia, using the Interim Bio-geographic Regionalisation of Australia, (IBRA) as a reporting unit. The correlation between native vegetation loss and intensification of agricultural land use is clearly visible on this map.
An additional component (yellow bars) of Figure 4 is the level of protection of MVGs in reserves across Australia, as recorded in the Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/capad.
Phot
o: T
.J. Ie
rino
and
DEW
7
THE NATIONAL VIEW OF NATIVE VEGETATION
Analysis of this MVG information shows:
• Hummock Grasslands, Eucalypt Woodlands and Acacia Shrublands are the dominant MVGs of Australia, occupying 18%, 12% and 11% respectively of the continental land area.
• The largest five MVGs, in terms of the total area they occupy, are non-forest groups (i.e grasslands, woodlands, shrublands etc.).
• Eucalypt Woodlands have experienced the greatest decline of all MVGs since European settlement. Other MVGs that have experienced significant declines are Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands, Eucalypt Open Forests and Acacia Forests and Woodlands.
• The most restricted MVGs, which combined cover less than 2% of the continent, include:
– Rainforests and Vine Thickets– Eucalypt Tall Open Forests– Callitris Forests and Woodlands– Low Closed Forests and
Tall Closed Shrublands– Mangroves– Heathlands– Eucalypt Low Open Forests
• Some of Australia’s largest MVGs have lower proportionate representation in protected areas. These include Tussock Grasslands, Eucalypt Open Woodlands, and Acacia Forests and Woodlands.
The disk at the back of this publication contains more detailed information on the MVGs, including GIS-ready data to allow further access and use.
Phot
o: C
. Sla
tyer
8
FIGU
RE 2
: E
stim
ated
pre
-175
0 d
istr
ibut
ion
of
Maj
or
Veg
etat
ion
Gro
ups
in A
ustr
alia
.
Sour
ce: N
VIS
Vers
ion
3, 2
005
9
FIGU
RE 3
: C
urre
nt d
istr
ibut
ion
of
Maj
or
Veg
etat
ion
Gro
ups
in A
ustr
alia
.
Sour
ce: N
VIS
Vers
ion
3, 2
005
10
FIGU
RE 4
: A
reas
of
esti
mat
ed p
re-1
750
exte
nt, c
urre
nt e
xten
t an
d p
rote
ctio
n o
f M
ajo
r Ve
get
atio
n G
roup
s in
Aus
tral
ia.
11
FIGU
RE 5
: P
erce
ntag
e o
f es
tim
ated
pre
-175
0 na
tive
veg
etat
ion
rem
aini
ng b
y IB
RA
reg
ion.
Sour
ce: N
VIS
Vers
ion
3, 2
005
Sour
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MORE ABOUT AUSTRALIA’S MAJOR VEGETATION GROUPS (MVGs)
The NVIS database now contains over 9000 distinct vegetation types. Representing these on a map of the Australian continent would be cumbersome and confusing. For this reason, 23 MVGs have been derived to summarise the type and distribution of Australia’s native vegetation.
The classification used to develop the MVGs is, in broad terms, based on typical aggregations of the structure (especially height and cover), growth form and floristic composition (vascular plant species) in the dominant stratum of each vegetation type in the NVIS database. In developing the classification, NVIS partners considered existing classification systems and data compilations including:
• structural-growth form (physiognomic) systems (Specht, 1970); Walker and Hopkins, 1990);
• state and territory systems where these varied from the above (Sun et al. 1996);
• national synopses of floristic associations (Beadle, 1981; Specht et al. 1995); and
• systems combining structure with basic floristics (Beard and Webb, 1974; AUSLIG, 1990).
Each MVG contains different mixes of plant species within the canopy, shrub and ground layers, but vegetation within each group is structurally similar and is often dominated by a single genus. In developing the MVG maps (Figures 2 and 3 above), the predominant
vegetation type occurring in a given map unit from a given source map was used to assign an appropriate MVG. Where subdominant vegetation groups are also present in such map units, these are not shown. For example, an area on a source map (such as a state/territory supplied map of native vegetation) may be mapped as dominated by eucalypt open forest, with the corresponding map unit data indicating that it may also contain pockets of rainforest, shrubland and grassland vegetation as subdominants. In such a case the area would be assigned to the Eucalypt Open Forests MVG.
The MVGs (and a more detailed classification of 67 Major Vegetation Subgroups or MVSs based on the typical understorey characteristics as well as the woody stratum and further identification of floristic affinities) were first developed by the Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Water Resources after a series of technical workshops for the Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001 report (NLWRA, 2001). More recently, changes to the classifications have been made, reflecting increased information content in the updated version of NVIS and discussions with NVIS partners. The allocation of NVIS vegetation types to MVGs and MVSs has been validated by NVIS partners in each state and territory.
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MORE ABOUT AUSTRALIA’S MAJOR VEGETATION GROUPS (MVGs)
A number of other land cover types, including non-vegetation and non-native vegetation, are also represented on the MVG map products (e.g. Figures 3 and 4). These other cover types are included in the MVG data products for contextual and cartographic purposes, but should not be used for quantitative analyses.
Information used to report on the MVGs was based on the NVIS Version 3.0. This version of NVIS was created following an update of state and territory data in 2005. NVIS Version 3 includes:
• electronic maps and vegetation descriptions from over 100 projects and 25 government agencies across all jurisdictions; and
• other vegetation mapping, including information from the Carnahan map (Australian Surveying and Land Information Group, 1990) to fill gaps in coverage of the continent.
The MVGs have been used as a basis for developing mapping products in two major themes to illustrate estimated change in native vegetation since European settlement. These are:
• the estimated pre-1750 vegetation layer; and
• present native vegetation layer (which shows current extent).
Copies of these two datasets are provided on the accompanying disk. A similar product of 67 MVSs is also provided on the disk.
For of each of the 23 MVGs, the following pages provide a general descriptive summary and example photograph, as well as a map showing current (green) and estimated pre-1750 distribution (pink and green combined).
The order of the following MVG descriptions follows decreasing structural complexity. Rainforests and Vine Thickets are presented first and the order then progresses though forests and woodlands to shrublands and then non-woody vegetation types, such as grasslands. Mangroves, which occur as a woody type at the edge of the terrestrial biomes, and other land cover types complete the set of descriptions.
More detailed fact sheets that describe the geography, species content, changes since European settlement and summary statistics for each MVG are provided on the disk at the back of this booklet. They are also available via the NVIS website at www.environment.gov.au/erin/nvis/.
The distribution maps on the following pages are a guide to where particular MVGs occur, or previously occurred, but do not necessarily show their entire distribution. This is because such coarse scales of mapping cannot represent small fragments of vegetation, such as strips of vegetation along river courses and roadsides. The more detailed information provided on the accompanying disk is more appropriate for viewing the detail of distribution at regional scales.
The information provided about the values and management considerations for each MVG is very general and should be used only as a guide or a starting point for more detailed investigation.
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Rainforests and Vine Thickets (MVG 1)
• Closed forests characterised by dense foliage and a large diversity of plant species.
• Mostly confined to the wetter areas or climatic refuges in eastern Australia, where the extent varies from a few hectares in sheltered gullies to hundreds of square kilometres in a mosaic, often with wet sclerophyll forests. Also occur on drier environments as semi-evergreen vine thickets in inland Queensland and New South Wales and monsoonal vine thickets in northern Australia.
• Community types include cool temperate rainforest, subtropical rainforest, tropical rainforest, vine thickets, and semi-deciduous and deciduous vine thickets.
Rainforests were cleared extensively during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for high value timbers, dairying, tobacco, sugar cane and other agricultural production.
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Eucalypt Tall Open Forests (MVG 2)
• Contain trees over 30m tall and reaching heights of 100m.
• Include the tallest tree species in Australia and the tallest flowering plant in the world, Eucalyptus regnans (mountain ash), found only in Tasmania and Victoria.
• Restricted to all but the wetter areas of eastern Australia from the margins of the rainforests of northern Queensland through to Tasmania, and the south-west of Western Australia, often in rugged mountainous areas.
• Typified by a well-developed, often broad-leaved shrubby understorey or sometimes tree ferns.
Mostly found adjacent to, or in association with, rainforest communities. Extensive areas of this MVG were cleared for agriculture and grazing in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly where they occurred on flatter land in areas associated with better agricultural soils. Major areas remain today in crown reserves as national parks or state forests.
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Eucalypt Open Forests (MVG 3)
• Contain trees with heights from 10m to 30m.
• Widespread along the subcoastal plains and foothills and ranges of the Great Dividing Range in eastern Australia and the subcoastal ranges of the south-west of Western Australia.
• Generally have a shrubby understorey which is low to moderate in height, but in drier and/or nutrient rich sites they may have a grassy understorey with scattered shrubs and/or cycads.
Clearing for grazing and agriculture in the major agricultural zones of eastern Australia and the south-west of Western Australia has been widespread. The rate of clearing of this MVG by the early twentieth century saw the development of crown reserves for their protection, either as national parks or as production forests, and the establishment of forestry departments.
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Eucalypt Low Open Forests (MVG 4)
• Contain trees with heights from 5m to 10m.
• Grow on less favourable sites (e.g. under extreme cold or dry conditions; poor soil nutrients; waterlogging; and steep rocky slopes).
• Eucalypt species may be the same as those occurring in nearby more favourable sites that support Eucalypt Open Forests. Within some stands of this MVG, there may be a graduated change in dominant species with change in growing constraints (e.g. the snow gum, Eucalyptus pauciflora replaces other eucalypts as elevation increases in subalpine areas).
• Exhibit a variety of subforms, with understoreys ranging from low trees and shrubs to tussock grasses or, in some cases, bare ground.
Some areas of this MVG have been cleared. Many of the remaining areas, although small, may be relatively intact as the extremes in site conditions make them of limited value for pastoral or agricultural use.
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Eucalypt Woodlands (MVG 5)
• Form a transitional zone between the higher rainfall, forested margins of the continent and the hummock grasslands and shrublands of the arid interior.
• Widespread throughout the mountain ranges and plains west of the Great Dividing Range in eastern Australia and east of the subcoastal ranges in the south-west of Western Australia.
• Include a series of communities which have come to typify inland Australia (e.g. the box and ironbark woodlands of eastern Australia).
• Understoreys may vary from grasses to shrubs and in some cases have attained a parkland appearance due to frequent fire and grazing. The parkland appearance is reflected in early landscape paintings providing a strong sense of place for many Australians.
Eucalypt Woodlands are the most extensively cleared and modified MVG, particularly in the agricultural zones of eastern Australia and in the south-west of Western Australia. In many regions only small isolated fragments remain, often only along creeks, road verges and rocky outcrops.
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Acacia Forests and Woodlands (MVG 6)
• Trees are generally stunted (often less than 10m) but in some areas can grow to heights of 25m.
• Dominant species include Acacia shirleyi (lancewood), A. catenulata (bendee), A. aneura (mulga), A. cambagei (gidgee), A. harpophylla (brigalow), A. papyrocarpa (western myall) and A. melanoxylon (blackwood). The most widespread species are mulga and brigalow.
• Climatic conditions are generally dry, hot summers with cool to warm winters.
The mulga and brigalow communities of eastern Australia have been extensively cleared for grazing and agriculture. Mulga communities in the arid interior have not been cleared to the same degree. Many areas have been modified by the grazing of cattle/sheep and feral animals, and increased macropod populations supported by access to water from bores.
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Callitris Forests and Woodlands (MVG 7)
• Pure stands of cypress pine (Callitris spp.) are restricted to localised pockets on undulating to flat land, most often in fire-protected sites. An alliance with eucalypt species is more common. Other outlying populations occur on upland rocky areas protected from regular fire events.
• Found mostly in a series of discrete regions, notably in the Brigalow Belt of inland Queensland and New South Wales, but also in the arid areas of South Australia and in association with mallee communities near the South Australia—Victoria border.
• Generally dominated by a herbaceous understorey with only a few shrubs.
• Associated shrub species in the arid and semi-arid zones include Eremophila (emu bushes), Dodonaea (hop bushes), Atriplex, Maireana, Sclerolaena (chenopods or saltbushes) and grasses such as Triodia, Plectrachne, Aristida and Austrostipa.
Extensive areas have been cleared for grazing in the Brigalow Belt and the Mallee bioregions. Major areas are included in state forests and other crown reserves in Queensland and New South Wales.
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Casuarina Forests and Woodlands (MVG 8)
• Includes vegetation where dominant species are Casuarina and Allocasuarina genera—collectively known as she-oaks.
• Form a series of quite distinct communities, notably foredune (C. equisetifolia), swamp (C. glauca), riverine (C. cunninghamiana) and desert (C. cristata or A. decaisneana) communities.
• Occur mainly on littoral and riverbank sites along the south-eastern, eastern and northern coasts of Australia and on rocky sites throughout the continent.
• In other inland areas, she-oaks occur in association with acacias and eucalypts.
The Casuarina Forests and Woodlands have been extensively cleared in many coastal areas for agriculture or for industrial or urban developments. Areas in the arid zone are modified by grazing pressure from domestic stock, feral animals and macropods.
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Melaleuca Forests and Woodlands (MVG 9)
• Vegetation types dominated by the paperbarks (Melaleuca spp.) cover substantial areas in the tropical north but are also found in temperate climates most often in or adjoining coastal or montane wetlands.
• Monsoonal melaleuca woodlands are dominated by the broad-leaved Melaleuca viridiflora (paperbark), M. leucadendra (weeping paperbark), M. argentea (silver paperbark), M. dealbata (blue paperbark) and/or M. nervosa (yellow-barked paperbark). They are found in the Northern Territory and in Queensland adjacent to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
• In southern and eastern Australia the melaleucas are confined largely to the wetter watercourses and swamps with M. quinquenervia being the most widespread coastal species.
The Melaleuca Forests and Woodlands have been extensively cleared on coastal floodplain areas for agriculture or housing near major cities. Extensive areas remain in the tropical north, in particular southern Cape York Peninsula.
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Other Forests and Woodlands (MVG 10)
• A diverse group of communities, some of which (e.g. Banksia woodlands and Leptospermum forests) are comparatively restricted in their extent but may be locally abundant.
• Includes the mixed species woodlands in northern Australia dominated by genera such as Adansonia (baobab), Lysiphyllum, Pandanus and Terminalia.
• Dominant genera of arid zone woodlands and open woodlands include Hakea, Heterodendron, Myoporum, Geijera, Flindersia, Macropteranthes (bonewood) and Lysiphyllum.
• Exhibit a variety of subforms, with understoreys ranging from low trees and shrubs, to low shrubs or tussock grasses.
In many coastal areas this group has been extensively cleared for agriculture or urban uses. Extensive areas remain in the arid zone, often modified by grazing pressure from domestic stock, feral animals and macropods.
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Eucalypt Open Woodlands (MVG 11)
• Characterised by wide spacing between canopy trees so that in many areas the understorey appears more dominant in the landscape.
• Very extensive, particularly in the semi-arid interior and the tropics. Cover many dry inland plains and downs and some rocky outcrops.
• Contain many of the eucalypt species that also occur in Eucalypt Woodlands.
• Understorey varies and includes shrubs, heaths, and tussock and hummock grasses. Variation
in understorey reflects the variety of climatic zones and site conditions supporting these woodlands.
Some areas have been cleared in southern Australia for cereal cropping and grazing. In the northern parts of Australia, Eucalypt Open Woodlands have been modified by pastoral activities, changed fire regimes and weed invasion.
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Tropical Eucalypt Woodlands/Grasslands (MVG 12)
• Includes the tall bunch-grass savannas of northern Western Australia and related Eucalypt Woodland and Eucalypt Open Woodland communities in the Northern Territory and far north Queensland.
• Includes a mix of species—Eucalyptus tectifica (Darwin box), E. tetrodonta (Darwin stringybark), E. miniata, Corymbia foelscheana, C. latifolia, C. flavescens, C. polycarpa, C. nesophila, C. clarksoniana, C. grandifolia, C. bleeseri, C. ferruginea, Erythrophleum chlorostachys.
• Savannas and understorey typified by a suite of tall, annual grasses (notably Sorghum spp.) but does not include communities in more arid sites where Triodia spp. become more dominant.
Much of this MVG is within Indigenous-held land and most is in substantially natural condition except for some grazing pressure, changes in fire regime and weed infestation.
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• Usually occur in low to undulating inland areas, in regions with mainly summer rainfall in northern Australia, and mainly winter rainfall in southern Australia.
• Cover extensive areas of the arid zone and drier tropical north, mostly with a shrubby or grassy ground layer.
• Dominant acacias include Acacia aneura (mulga), A. georginae (Georgina gidgee), A. tephrina (boree), A. cambagei (gidgee),
A. harpophylla (brigalow), A. peuce (waddy) and A. papyrocarpa (western myall), with the most widespread species being mulga.
• Ground layers are generally herbaceous or chenopod/saltbush shrubs and grasses.
Little of the Acacia Open Woodlands have been cleared. Many areas have been modified by grazing pressure from domestic stock, feral animals and macropods.
Acacia Open Woodlands (MVG 13)
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• Mallee eucalypts are multi-branched from ground level, usually with a flattened canopy rarely exceeding 6m in height. They grow from a woody underground rootstock called a lignotuber and are generally found on harsh sites.
• This MVG occurs in the winter rainfall belts of semi-arid areas in southern Australia, in south-western New South Wales, north-western Victoria, southern South Australia and in the south-west of Western Australia.
• Widespread mallee species include Eucalyptus dumosa (white mallee), E. socialis (red mallee), E. gracilis (yorrell), E. oleosa (glossy-leaved
red mallee), E. incrassata (ridge-fruited mallee) and E. diversifolia (soap mallee).
• Co-dominants can include other Eucalyptus spp. with a tree form and species of Melaleuca, Acacia, Allocasuarina and Hakea.
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands in Victoria and parts of South Australia and Western Australia have been extensively cleared, with only isolated remnants in some areas. They remain widespread in the arid zone of South Australia and Western Australia.
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands (MVG 14)
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• Characterised by dense foliage in the upper layers and by low stunted species usually between 5m to 10m in height—sometimes referred to as ‘scrub’.
• Occur in a range of climatic zones including coastal or subcoastal environments and alpine environments in Tasmania.
• Support a large range of species—dominated by the genera Banksia, Leptospermum and Kunzea or by Melaleuca with a mix of other species.
Extensive areas have been cleared in many coastal areas for agriculture or urban development.
Low Closed Forests and Tall Closed Shrublands (MVG 15)
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• Typified by an overstorey dominated by multi-stemmed acacia shrubs.
• Occur mainly in temperate semi-arid and arid regions of Australia, although they also extend into the tropical arid regions of north-western Queensland and eastern Northern Territory.
• Occur mainly on extensive undulating plains and downs, low hills and valleys of rangelands.
• Dominated by Acacia aneura (mulga), A. cambadgei (gidgee) and mixed species communities of the central Australian deserts,
but also include a series of other desert acacia communities.
• Associated species include Grevillea spp., Eremophila spp. (emu bushes) and a wide range of chenopod/saltbush species including Atriplex, Maireana, Sclerolaena and Senna spp.
Little has been cleared outside the major agricultural zones. Significant areas of the Acacia Shrublands have been modified as a result of increased total grazing pressure, introduced exotic weeds and from altered fire regimes.
Acacia Shrublands (MVG 16)
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• Dominated by a broad range of shrub species and may include mixed species communities and mosaics of several communities. These communities do not fit well in other shrubland MVGs.
• Contain a range of genera including Banksia, Bursaria, Dodonaea, Eremophila, Grevillea, Kunzea, Leucopogon, Muehlenbeckia,
Neofabricia, Nitraria, Persoonia, Senna, Thryptomene, Allocasuarina, Casuarina and Melaleuca.
These shrublands have been extensively cleared in the agricultural regions and in coastal areas adjoining major cities. In the arid zone, little has been cleared but many areas have been impacted by grazing pressure from domestic stock, feral animals and macropods.
Other Shrublands (MVG 17)
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• Dense-canopied, mixed shrublands dominated by plant genera typical of infertile and/or waterlogged sites, generally on coastal, montane, sandy or laterite soils.
• Includes stunted vegetation less than 1m tall, typified by the families Epacridaceae and Myrtaceae and also other dense, low shrublands in subcoastal or inland environments.
• Typical areas include the coastal sand masses of north-east New South Wales and south-east
Queensland such as Fraser Island and Cooloola, headlands of the Victorian and New South Wales coastlines, Kwongan and southern coastal areas of Western Australia.
• Dominant genera include Allocasuarina, Baekea, Banksia, Calytrix, Hakea, Epacris, Grevillea, Leptospermum, Melaleuca, Leucopogon, Prostanthera, Richea and Xanthorrhoea.
Many heath communities have been extensively cleared for sand mining, agriculture and urban development.
Heathlands (MVG 18)
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• Typified by perennial grasses with a tufted growth habit.
• Contain a broad range of native grasslands from the Dichanthium sericeum (blue grass) and Astrebla spp. (Mitchell grass) communities in northern Australia to the temperate grasslands of southern New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.
• Contain many widespread genera including Aristida, Astrebla, Austrodanthonia, Austrostipa, Chrysopogon, Dichanthium, Enneapogon,
Eragrostis, Eriachne, Heteropogon, Poa, Themeda, Sorghum and many mixed species communities.
• Support a large range of species, partly as a result of this geographical range and partly as a result of the variation in soils and site conditions.
Extensive areas of Tussock Grasslands have been cleared and replaced by exotic pasture species. Most other areas have been modified by grazing, weed invasion and land management practices associated with grazing domestic stock (e.g. frequent fire and the application of fertilisers).
Tussock Grasslands (MVG 19)
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• Typified by Triodia and Plechrachne spp. (spinifex) communities of the arid lands, characteristic of the Australian outback.
• Hummock-forming, evergreen perennials appear as mounds up to 1m in height. In between the mounds or hummocks the ground is usually bare or exposed, except after seasonal or cyclonic rains, when multiple short-lived, ephemeral plants proliferate. There are also occasional emergent shrubs or small trees (e.g. acacias or eucalypts).
• Soils are sandy or skeletal with flat, undulating or hilly terrain from near coastal limestone islands (Barrow Island in Western Australia) to extensive sandy plains inland in semi-arid and arid areas of Australia.
Little of the Hummock Grasslands have been cleared but many areas have been modified by grazing pressure from domestic stock, feral animals and macropods.
Hummock Grasslands (MVG 20)
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Other Grasslands, Herblands, Sedgelands and Rushlands (MVG 21)
• Dominated by non-woody or herbaceous species (e.g. grasses, sedges, rushes, ferns or a mixture of these). The sedge and rushland communities (wetlands) support a large range of species, partly as a result of geographical range and partly as a result of the variation in soils and site conditions.
• Occur on a range of sites from shallow soils to seasonally inundated areas both saline and freshwater (e.g. sedgelands are located on seasonally or periodically inundated, waterlogged and wet areas). Ferns tend to dominate specific humid areas where the environment is less variable between seasons.
• Although these communities can be found in many different areas on the Australian continent, they are generally localised in their extent. As such, many are not mapped individually on broadscale maps. Nevertheless they provide a variety of environments that are critical for many rare and endangered species.
Many of these communities are intact because they occur on extreme sites. Changes tend to be related to the effects of different hydrological conditions, changes to fire regimes, impacts from feral animals and localised development.
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Chenopod Shrublands, Samphire Shrublands and Forblands (MVG 22)
• Overstorey is dominated by a range of hardy, low, shrub species. In damp and waterlogged areas (e.g. on drainage areas and fringes of salt lakes) samphires dominate.
• Widespread in the near-estuarine, arid and semi-arid areas; occur often as extensive flats.
• Site conditions tend to affect the type of shrub species that occur.
• Dominant genera in samphire communities include Halosarcia, Salicornia, Sclerostegia and Sarcocornia.
• Species in chenopod/saltbush communities are drought and salt tolerant and include
Sclerolaena, Atriplex (salt bush), Maireana (blue bush), Chenopodium and Rhagodia spp.
Generally these communities have remained intact since European settlement. In some cases the communities have increased in extent because of increased salinity and waterlogging. Rangeland chenopod shrublands may have been affected by overgrazing, leading to a reduction in the perennial component. Foremost among threats for coastal occurrences are infilling for urban areas, changes to tidal regimes and isolation from estuaries by roads and infrastructure.
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Mangroves (MVG 23)
• Mangroves occur as tall forests through to shrublands in the intertidal zone along those parts of the coast subject to low wave energy.
• Mangroves vary from extensive, tall, closed, forest communities on Cape York Peninsula through to low open forests or shrublands in southern regions.
• Samphires are found on coastal mudflats and marine plains, adjoining mangrove areas in many instances, but also cover extensive
marine plains inland from the southern Gulf of Carpentaria and other parts of the tropical north.
• The map is shown without a coastline to facilitiate identification of coastal occurrences of this MVG.
Clearing or infilling of mangroves has occurred in coastal areas near urban major centres for industrial uses or urban developments.
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Other Cover Types
• A number of other (i.e. non-MVG) cover types occur across Australia. These include natural areas such as bare ground, open water or human-influenced cover, such as urban areas, cropland and grazing country where the trees and shrubs have been removed or thinned. The non-MVG cover types included in the MVG mapping products are:
Inland aquatic—freshwater, salt lakes, lagoons.− Fresh and/or brackish water features.
Cleared, non-native vegetation, buildings− All or most native vegetation removed.
Unclassified native vegetation− Native vegetation with insufficient detail
available to allocate it to another MVG.
Naturally bare—sand, rock, claypan, mudflat− Extensive areas devoid of vegetation can be
found as bare ground, either sand dunes or claypans in the harsh environments of the arid interior.
− Coastal sand masses can often contain extensive areas of bare sands, mostly as active dunes.
− Includes bare or lichen-encrusted rock in coastal, alpine, arid and other environments.
Sea and estuaries− Open water of the marine environment.
Regrowth, modified native vegetation− Regeneration of native species following
disturbance.
Unknown/no data− No details available.
• The data for other cover types is included in the MVG mapping for contextual and cartographic completeness purposes only and is not suitable for quantitative reporting.
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FUTURE CHALLENGES
Identifying and interpreting trends in native vegetation cover
Australian governments have goals to reverse the long term decline in the quality and extent of Australia’s native vegetation cover. Reporting on progress towards this goal requires regular ‘snap-shots’ of native vegetation extent across the continent and a method to compare these to identify and understand change over time.
The NVIS is built on information provided by the states and territories and at this stage does not have the capacity to report on recent change as this assessment is not carried out in all jurisdictions. Increasingly, information on the change in extent and condition of native vegetation is being used as a substitute, or surrogate, for measuring change in biodiversity more broadly. The Australian Government is working with the states and territories to improve the capacity of the
NVIS to report on change to meet a wide range of existing and emerging reporting needs.
Information on change in Australia’s forest1 cover is being produced for the National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS). The NCAS uses a consistent and regularly updated continent-wide interpretation of satellite data to estimate change in extent to allow carbon accounting. To date, the NCAS data has indicated a general reduction in annual deforestation since the 1980s and early 1990s, as shown in the Figure 6 below.
The most recent NCAS assessment shows that deforestation in 2004 is estimated to be around 400,000 hectares across Australia. While this represents a very small proportion of Australia’s total native vegetation cover, the concentration of this loss of vegetation in particular areas suggests regional and local impacts on terrestrial biodiversity may have been significant.
1 Note: the definition of “forest” used in NCAS differs from that used for the forest MVGs.
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FIGURE 6: National Deforestation from 1977 to 2004 as estimated by the National Carbon Accounting System.
FUTURE CHALLENGES
The NCAS provides a valuable picture of change over time as it is defined for carbon accounting. However, it does not currently report change in the extent of all native vegetation (i.e. including non-forest vegetation). Plans in place will include all woody vegetation by 2007–08, but native grasslands will not be monitored through the NCAS. The process for developing capacity within the NVIS to report on change, discussed above, will make the most of existing and emerging methods developed through the NCAS.
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FUTURE CHALLENGES
Measuring and reporting on native vegetation condition
Over the last few years we have made good progress in national reporting on vegetation types and extent (Figure 1). However, developing a nationally consistent approach to reporting on native vegetation condition remains a significant challenge.
A large number of government and scientific organisations have been working for some time to develop standard approaches and methods (Gibbons et al., 2006). Much of the current work is focussed on identifying ecologically robust attributes to measure, developing defensible, affordable and relevant methods to collect data, and accumulating sufficient knowledge of the systems being measured to interpret the results.
The Executive Steering Committee for Australian Vegetation Information (ESCAVI) which sits within the committee arrangements under the Natural
Resource Management Ministerial Council, is developing national indicators for reporting on native vegetation condition (Parkes and Lyon, 2006). These indicators are intended to guide regional target setting and monitoring, as well as to provide a consistent information base for national-scale reporting. The Committee’s approach is to ensure, as far as possible, that condition assessment methods are consistent across Australia to allow for comparison and collation. As currently drafted, the indicator requires assessment relative to documented reference points or benchmarks which are defined specifically for vegetation types being assessed, and which describe the characteristics of a given vegetation type following a long period without disturbance. The draft approach is currently being revised by ESCAVI with a view to its endorsement for use by regional NRM bodies and governments in target setting, monitoring and, eventually, national level reporting through the NVIS.
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REFERENCES
Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG) (1990), Atlas of Australian Resources. Volume 6 Vegetation. AUSMAP, Department of Administrative Services, Canberra, 64pp. & 2 maps.
Beadle N.C.W. (1981) The Vegetation of Australia. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 690pp.
Beard J. S. and Webb M.J. (1974) The Vegetation Survey of Western Australia: it’s aims, objects and methods. Part I of Explanatory Notes to Sheet 2, Great Sandy Desert, Vegetation Survey of Western Australia, 1:1 000 000 series, Univ. of W.A. Press, Nedlands.
Beard J.S. (1981) Classification in relation to vegetation mapping. In: Vegetation Classification in Australia, ed. A.N. Gillison and D.J. Anderson, pp. 97–106. CSIRO-Australian National Univ. Press, Canberra.
Gibbons P., Zerger A., Jones S. and Ryan P. (2006) Mapping vegetation condition in the context of biodiversity conservation. Ecological Management and Restoration 7 (Suppl. 1), S1–S2.
National Land & Water Resources Audit (NLWRA) (2001) Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001. National Land & Water Resources Audit, Canberra, 332pp.
Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (2001) National Framework for the Management and Monitoring of Australia’s Native Vegetation. Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Canberra.
Neldner V.J. (1984) Vegetation Survey of Queensland. South Central Queensland. Queensland Botany Bulletin No. 3. Qld Dept. of Primary Industries, Brisbane.
Parkes D. and Lyon P. (2006) Towards a national approach to vegetation condition assessment that meets government investor’s needs: A policy perspective. Ecological Management and Restoration 7 (Suppl. 1), S3–S5.
Specht R.L. (1970) Vegetation. In: The Australian Environment. 4th edition, ed. G.W. Leeper, pp. 44–67, CSIRO-Melbourne Univ. Press, Melbourne.
Specht R.L., Specht A., Whelan M. and Hegarty E.E. (1995) Conservation Atlas of Plant Communities in Australia. Centre for Coastal Management-Southern Cross Univ. Press, Lismore.
Sun D., Hnatiuk R.J. and Neldner V.J. (1996) Vegetation Classification and Mapping Systems for Australian Forest Management. Bureau of Resource Sciences-Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra, 51pp.
Walker J. and Hopkins M.S. (1990) Vegetation. In: Australian Soil and Land Survey. Field Handbook. 2nd edition, eds R.C. McDonald, R.F. Isbell, J.G. Speight, J. Walker and M.S. Hopkins, pp.58–86, Australian Collaborative Land Evaluation Program, CSIRO, Canberra. Harris, S. and Kitchener, A. (2005) From Forest to Fjaeldmark. Descriptions of Tasmania’s Vegetation. DPIW. Printing Authority of Tasmania. Hobart.
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FURTHER INFORMATION
The NVIS web site at www.environment.gov.au/erin/nvis contains further information about the NVIS collaboration, a range of vegetation information products and links to other sites of interest.
Other related Australian Government sites for vegetation information include: www.greenhouse.gov.au/ncas/ www.daff.gov.au/forest_veg www.nlwra.gov.au/
For further information on native vegetation assessment and mapping within a particular state or territory, contact your state or territory agency using details provided below.
Australian Capital Territory: Environment ACT www.environment.act.gov.au/nativeplantsandanimals
New South Wales: Department of Natural Resources www.nativevegetation.nsw.gov.au
Northern Territory: Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts www.nreta.nt.gov.au/naturalresources/nativevegetation
Queensland: Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/plants/queensland_herbarium/survey_and_mapping/
South Australia: Department for Environment and Heritage www.deh.sa.gov.au/biodiversity/biosurveys.html#vegetation
Tasmania: Department of Primary Industries and Water www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/ThemeNodes/BHAN-54746E?open
Victoria: Department of Sustainability and Environment www.dse.vic.gov.au/ and www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/veget_vics_resources
Western Australia: Department of Agriculture www.agric.wa.gov.au/ search term “nvis”