South Australian Native Vegetation Condition Indicator Pilot Project 2006

Native Vegetation ConditionSA Pilot Project

www.environment.sa.gov.au

Site Condition

1. Large Trees

2. Tree Canopy Cover

3. Understorey

4. Lack of Weeds

5. Recruitment

6. Organic Litter

7. Logs

Landscape Context

8. Patch size

9. Neighbourhood

10. Distance to Core Area

Habitat Hectares Indicators (based on Parkes, Newell and Cheal (2003))

Indicators


• Each indicator is recorded relative to a benchmark value for a particular vegetation type.

Example: Large Trees indicator

Habitat Hectares MethodologyIndicators


Example Benchmark


Example Benchmark


• Each indicator is recorded as a raw value.

• These values are compared to a benchmark value for a particular vegetation type at the end of the assessment process.

Example: Large Tree Habitat indicator

NCSSA MethodologyIndicators


1.Large Trees

• Number of large trees and canopy health

a) the number of large trees per hectare (dead or alive)b) canopy health is determined from the average projective foliage

cover of the large trees

Habitat Hectares Methodology

Relevant Biological Survey data

• Large trees are defined by a minimum diameter at breast height for each vegetation community benchmark

a) Number of large trees per hectare is not measured as a part of the Biological Survey

b) Canopy health can be derived from the projective foliage cover recorded for the overstorey within the Biological Survey


1.Large Trees

• Tree Habitat Features

a) the diameter at breast height is recorded for ten adult trees from the tallest or dominant stratum (can be converted to ‘large trees’)

b) canopy health is determined by the canopy cover of ten adult trees from the tallest or dominant stratum (percent dieback is converted to percent remaining)

Equivalent NCSSA Indicator

Relevant Biological Survey dataa) Number of large trees is not measured as a part of the Biological

Survey



X ~

• Number of large trees

X

• Number of large trees

• Tree health

Summary1.Large Trees HABITAT

HECTARES

Large Trees

NCSSA METHODOLOGY

Tree Habitat FeaturesBiological Survey

Database


2.Tree Canopy Cover • Projective foliage cover of tree canopy and canopy health

a) the projective foliage cover of trees at least 80% of the benchmark mature height

b) canopy health is determined from the average projective foliage cover of the large trees

Habitat Hectares Methodology


• Tree canopy cover is only assessed for those trees that are at least 80% of the benchmark mature height

a) Projective foliage cover is calculated for the overstorey within the Biological Survey



2.Tree Canopy Cover • Tree Habitat Features

a) the canopy cover is recorded for ten adult trees from the tallest or dominant stratum (percent dieback is converted to percent remaining)

b) canopy health is derived from the canopy cover recorded above



a) Projective foliage cover is calculated for the overstorey within the Biological Survey



• Projective foliage cover

Summary2.Tree Canopy Cover

HABITAT HECTARES

Tree Canopy Cover

NCSSA METHODOLOGY


Database

• Tree health• Projective foliage cover


• Number of understorey life forms present and their degree of modification

a) the number of understorey life forms present

b) the degree of modification to life forms

Habitat Hectares Methodology3.

Understorey


a) Number of understorey life forms can be extracted from the Biological Survey database

b) Species diversity and percent cover of life forms can be extracted from the Biological Survey database.

• Degree of modification is determined by:- species diversity, or- percent cover,depending on the benchmark cover value for each life form


3.

Understorey • Structural Diversity B: Plant Life Forms

a) the number of life forms present

b) the percent cover of each life form



a) Number of life forms can be extracted from the Biological Survey database

b) Percent cover of each life form can be extracted from the Biological Survey database.


• Number of understorey life forms

~

• Degree of modification• Number of understorey life forms

3.

Understorey

SummaryHABITAT

HECTARES

Understorey

NCSSA METHODOLOGY

Structural Diversity B: Plant Life Forms

Biological Survey Database


• Percentage weed cover and proportion of high threat weeds

a) the average projective foliage cover of all weeds

b) the proportion of weed cover due to high threat weeds

Habitat Hectares Methodology4. Lack of weeds


a) Cover abundance of weed species can be extracted from the Biological Survey database.

b) Weed species names can be extracted from Biological Survey data to determine the proportion of high threat weeds.

• Weed cover is expressed as an actual value rather than as a percentage of the benchmark weed cover


• Weeds Abundance and Threat

a) the five most abundant weed species

b) the cover abundance of each weed species

c) the invasive threat category of each weed species


Relevant Biological Survey dataa) The five most abundant weed species can be extracted from the

Biological Survey database using the cover abundance rating.

b) Cover abundance of weed species can be extracted from the Biological Survey database.

c) Weed species names can be extracted from Biological Survey data to determine the invasive threat category of each weed.

4. Lack of weeds


~ ~

• Projective foliage cover of weeds

SummaryHABITAT

HECTARES

Lack of Weeds

NCSSA METHODOLOGY

Weed Abundance and Threat


4. Lack of weeds

~

• Proportion of weed cover due to high threat weeds• Projective foliage cover of weeds


• Presence of recruitment and its adequacy and diversity

a) evidence of a recruitment cohort

b) adequacy of recruitment for each woody species in the canopy and the understorey

c) the number of native woody species that have adequate recruitment

d) the total number of woody species (to determine diversity)

Habitat Hectares Methodology5.

Recruitment

Relevant Biological Survey dataa) The life stage of individual species can be extracted from the

Biological Survey data to determine recruitment evidence.

b) The life stage of individual species can be extracted from the Biological Survey data to determine adequacy of recruitment.

c) The number of woody species with adequate recruitment can be extracted from the Biological Survey data.

d) The total number of woody species can be extracted from the Biological Survey data.

• “…‘adequate’ is considered to be sufficient recruitment to replenish natural attrition of individual plants and species within the various life forms found in the habitat zone” (DSE, 2004)


• Regeneration

a) the number of regenerating tree species



a) The number of regenerating tree species can be extracted from the Biological Survey database.

5.

Recruitment


X

• Evidence of a recruitment cohort

• Evidence of a recruitment cohort

X

• Adequacy of recruitment for each woody species in the canopy and the understorey• Adequacy of recruitment for each woody species in the canopy and the understorey• Number of native woody species that have adequate recruitment

~

X

• Number of native woody species that have adequate recruitment• Total number of woody species

SummaryHABITAT

HECTARES

Recruitment

NCSSA METHODOLOGY

RegenerationBiological Survey

Database

5.

Recruitment


• Percentage cover of native and non-native organic litter

a) the percentage cover of organic litter

b) the proportion of organic litter comprising native and non-native ground cover species

Habitat Hectares Methodology6. Organic Litter


a) The plant litter attribute can be extracted from the Biological Survey database to represent cover of organic litter.

b) The proportion of organic litter comprising native and non-native species can not be determined from the Biological Survey database.

• Litter is defined as “organic material detached from the parent plant, including both coarse and fine plant debris, and material such as fallen leaves, twigs and small branches less than 10cm diameter present at ground level” (DSE, 2004).


• Structural Diversity A: Ground Cover

a) the percentage of bare ground

b) the percentage of total ground cover



a) The bare ground attribute can be extracted from the Biological Survey database.

b) The total ground cover figure can be derived from the bare ground figure, assuming the remaining area represents total ground cover.

6. Organic Litter


• Percentage cover of organic litter

SummaryHABITAT

HECTARES

Organic Litter

NCSSA METHODOLOGY

Structural Diversity A: Ground Cover


6. Organic Litter

XX

• Proportion of organic litter comprising native and non-native ground cover species

• Percentage cover of organic litter


• Estimation of log length and presence of large logs

a) the total length of logs greater than 10cm diameter

b) the presence of large logs that are > 25% of the benchmark log length

Habitat Hectares Methodology7. Logs


a) Log length is not recorded in the Biological Survey database.

b) The presence of large logs can not be determined from the Biological Survey database.

• Logs are defined as “dead timber fallen to the ground with a diameter > 10cm” (DSE, 2004).



a) the number of fallen trees or logs > 30cm diameter



a) The number of fallen logs is not recorded in the Biological Survey database

7. Logs


• Total length of logs greater than 10cm diameter

XX

X

SummaryHABITAT

HECTARES

Logs

NCSSA METHODOLOGY


Database

7. Logs


X X

X

• Presence of large logs that are > 25% of the benchmark log length


• Estimation of log length and presence of large logs

a) the total length of logs greater than 10cm diameter

b) the presence of large logs that are > 25% of the benchmark log length

Habitat Hectares Methodology8. Logs


a) Log length is not recorded in the Biological Survey database.

b) The presence of large logs can not be determined from the Biological Survey database.

• Logs are defined as “dead timber fallen to the ground with a diameter > 10cm” (DSE, 2004).



a) the number of fallen trees or logs > 30cm diameter



a) The number of fallen logs is not recorded in the Biological Survey database

7. Logs



XX

X

SummaryHABITAT

HECTARES

Logs

NCSSA METHODOLOGY


Database

7. Logs


X X

X

• Presence of large logs that are > 25% of the benchmark log length

Environment

South Australian Native Vegetation Condition Indicator Pilot Project 2006