Biodiversity and Vegetation - Tasmania

What major vegetation groups occurred in prior to European settlement?
What was the area of major vegetation groups in prior to European settlement?
Methods
Applications
Limitations
What major vegetation groups occur in (circa 1997)?
What is the area of major vegetation groups in (circa 1997)?
Methods
Applications
Limitations
What is the extent of native vegetation in ?
Methods
Limitations
Link to native vegetation information for 's bioregions
Knowledge, data and information gaps
References
Partnerships
Further information

Tasmania

What major vegetation groups occurred in prior to European settlement?

Map: Pre-European Major Vegetation Groups in

Source:

Major vegetation groups V1.0 (1km), National Land and Water Resources Audit 2001. Data used are assumed to be correct from suppliers.

The summary maps provide information on Australia's native vegetation collated within the National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) at July 2001 and with additional mapped information. The NVIS will be updated as vegetation mapping becomes available.

The map is a compilation of data collected at different scales by different organisations. Major Vegetation Groups were compiled by Environment Australia based on data collated by the Bureau of Rural Sciences and provided by Environment ACT, Department of Urban Services; NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service; NSW Royal Botanic Gardens; NSW State Forests; NT Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment; Queensland Herbarium, Environmental Protection Agency; SA Department for Environment and Heritage; Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment; Flora Section, Department of Natural Resources and Environment; Agriculture Western Australia; Western Australia Department of Conservation and Land Management and Geoscience Australia, National Mapping Division.

Map: Extent of the National Vegetation Information System data

What was the area of major vegetation groups in prior to European settlement?

Table 1: Area of vegetation groups in prior to European settlement
Major Vegetation Group	Area (km²)	% total extent
Rainforest and vine thickets	7,161	10.5
Eucalyptus tall open forests	8,540	12.5
Eucalyptus open forest	23,627	34.7
Eucalyptus low open forest	217	.3
Eucalyptus woodlands	7,181	10.6
Acacia forest and woodlands	194	.3
Callitris forest and woodlands	1	0
Casuarina forest and woodlands	167	.2
Other forests and woodlands	359	.5
Eucalyptus open woodlands	1,251	1.8
Low closed forest and closed shrublands	2,843	4.2
Acacia shrublands	14	0
Other Shrublands	788	1.2
Heath	1,926	2.8
Tussock grasslands	1,109	1.6
Other grasslands, herblands, sedgelands and rushlands	10,678	15.7
Chenopod shrub, samphire shrub and forblands	28	0
Mangroves, tidal mudflat, samphire and bare areas, claypan, sand, rock, salt lakes, lagoons, lakes	1,880	2.8

Methods

The material below is an extract from the Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001 report. For ease of cross reference, figure, table and section references pertain to the chapter structure of this report. The Further Information section provides links to the full graphics version of the material below and the Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001 report.

Pre-European vegetation of Australia has been reconstructed using a variety of interpolation and modeling techniques from mapping and information on the present types and extent, historical records and early aerial photographs. It is assumed that Australia had experienced no significant clearing other than changes due to fire regimes prior to European settlement.

The underlying data used to describe the pre-European vegetation is in many cases the same as that representing the present vegetation. Some States and Territories have assumed that vegetation types mapped as pre-European vegetation also approximate the present vegetation.

This presents varying problems in interpreting changes in vegetation. There are very few areas in Australia that have not undergone some modification in species or structure following European settlement (e.g. changes in fire regime). Australian scientists are still developing systems and techniques to assess the condition and changes to condition of native vegetation.

In all states, adding the present vegetation data from the National Vegetation Information System to the available pre-European mapping provided the source for the pre-European major vegetation groups. In South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania the pre-European vegetation is presented as an interim product to be used at broad State and national scales. In Tasmania the pre-European data set was derived from modelling techniques and is yet to be finalised.

The major vegetation groups that are mapped, represent the dominant vegetation occurring in a particular area.

Applications

The inferred pre-European vegetation mapping can provide:

a broad baseline to document change in the extent and type of native vegetation;
information to assist in understanding the landscape for management and conservation of biodiversity;
an understanding of native vegetation cover which, coupled with details on Australia's soils, topography and climate variability assists construction of a modelled; assessment of natural soil erosion. This then allows us to understand changes in soil erosion patterns that have accompanied land use and are now impacting on the condition of our rivers, estuaries and near shore zones (NLWRA in prep.);
species and vegetation community information to assist in regional revegetation activities; and
information to assist in understanding changes in water balance, the key driver of dryland salinity (NLWRA 2001a) and changes in catchment surface water hydrology (NLWRA 2001b).

Limitations

The variety of methods used to map pre-European vegetation, the scale of some of the data and the difficulty of mapping in fragmented landscapes has resulted in an Australia-wide map which presents a combination of very broad and detailed mapping.

Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory National Vegetation Information System data have the greatest reliability. The New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmanian data are interim products and provide a broad scale view of Australia's pre-European vegetation.

The Guidelines section of this report provides guidelines on the use of the information and Appendix 8 presents information on the sources of data that have been collated into the National Vegetation Information System to represent Australia's pre-European vegetation including the extent, scale and date of collection.

Figures 6 and 7 provide information on the location and extent of data sets, their scale and level of classification used to develop the major vegetation groups.

What major vegetation groups occur in (circa 1997)?

Tasmania is dominated by alpine, montane and coastal environments. Vegetation types include elevated alpine moorlands and herblands, cool temperate rainforests, extensive sedgelands and rushlands, eucalypt tall open forests rising up to 100 m in height, through to dry eucalypt forests and coastal heaths.

Bioregions in Tasmania

King

This bioregion is characterised by coastal plains and deeply dissected lowland hills with mild summers and winter and summer rainfall.

Dominated on King Island by low closed forests and closed shrublands, heath, the grasslands group and small areas of eucalypt open forests and eucalypt woodlands.
Dominated on the main island by eucalypt tall open forests, eucalypt open forests, rainforest, the grasslands group and other forests and woodlands.

Major land uses on King Island are grazing of native and modified pastures and nature conservation (Lavinia Nature Reserve). Major land uses on the main island are native forests, grazing of native and modified pastures, nature conservation, some plantations and irrigation.

Flinders

This bioregion is characterised by coastal plains and a granitic island chain with mild summers and winter and summer rainfall.

Dominated on Flinders Island by heath, eucalypt open forests, low closed forests and closed shrublands, eucalypt woodlands, other grasslands group and tussock grasslands and some eucalypt tall open forests.

Major land uses on Flinders Island are minimal use (vacant crown land), grazing of native and modified pastures, nature conservation (e.g. Wingaroo Nature Reserve) and some native forests.

Dominated on the main island by eucalypt open forests, heath and low closed forests and closed shrublands.

Major land uses are grazing of native and modified pastures, nature conservation, native forests, minimal use (vacant crown land), some plantations and irrigation such as vegetables and herbs.

Tasmanian Northern Slopes

This bioregion is characterised by warm coastal plains and deeply dissected lowland hills with mild summers and winter and summer rainfall.

Dominated by eucalypt tall open forests, eucalypt open forests, rainforest and small areas of eucalypt woodlands, the grasslands group, low closed forests and closed shrublands and heath.

Major land uses are grazing of native and modified pastures, native and plantation forestry, nature conservation and dryland and irrigated agriculture.

Ben Lomond

This bioregion is characterised by mountain ranges with mild summers and winter and summer rainfall.

Dominated by eucalypt open forests, eucalypt tall open forests, rainforests and eucalypt woodlands.
Smaller areas of heath, eucalypt open woodlands and tussock grasslands occur.

The major land uses are native forests, grazing of native and modified pastures, minimal uses, nature conservation (e.g. Ben Lomond National Park), plantations and dryland (cereals) and irrigated (modified pastures and horticulture) agriculture.

Tasmanian Northern Midlands

This bioregion is characterised by inland lowland plains with mild summers and winter and summer rainfall.

Dominated by eucalypt open forests, eucalypt woodlands and open woodlands, other grasslands, tussock grasslands and other shrublands.

Major land uses are grazing of native and modified pastures, cropping (primarily cereals), urban/intensive development and some irrigated agriculture, nature conservation and native forests. This bioregion is largely cleared.

Tasmanian West

This bioregion is characterised by lowlands, low hills and low ranges with mild summers and winter and summer rainfall.

Dominated by the grasslands group, rainforest and vine thickets, low closed forests and closed shrublands, eucalypt open forests with small areas of heath, eucalypt tall open forests and eucalypt woodlands in the areas where finer scale mapping is available.

Major land uses are nature conservation (e.g. Franklin - Gordon Wild Rivers and Savage River National Parks, Southwest National Park and Conservation Area, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area), native forests and minimal uses (vacant and institutional crown lands).

Tasmanian Central Highlands

This bioregion is characterised by a high plateau with cool summers and winter and summer rainfall.

High diversity of vegetation including eucalypt open forests, eucalypt woodlands, rainforest and vine thickets, the grasslands group, eucalypt tall open forests, tussock grasslands, heath, low closed forests and closed shrublands and other forests and woodlands.

Major land uses are nature conservation (e.g. Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair and Walls of Jerusalem National Parks, Central Plateau Conservation Area, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area), minimal uses, native forests and grazing.

Tasmanian Southern Ranges

This bioregion is characterised by mountainous areas with some undulating coastal lowlands, cool to mild summers and winter and summer rainfall.

Dominated by eucalypt tall open forests, eucalypt open forests, rainforest and vine thickets, eucalypt woodlands, tussock grasslands, the grasslands group and other forests and woodlands.
Small areas of heath and other low closed forests and closed shrublands occur.

Major land uses are nature conservation (e.g. Southwest and Mount Field National Parks; Wellington Park, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area), native forests and some grazing of native and modified pastures, plantations and horticulture.

Tasmanian South East

This bioregion is characterised by warm coastal plains and low mountain ranges with mild summers and winter and summer rainfall.

Dominated by eucalypt woodlands, eucalypt open forests and tall open forests and the grasslands group.
Smaller areas of rainforest, eucalypt open woodlands, heath, chenopod and samphire shrublands, low closed forests and closed shrublands, casuarina communities and tussock grasslands occur.

Major land uses are grazing of native and modified pastures, minimal uses, native forests and nature conservation (e.g. Douglas Apsley, Freycinet and Maria Island National Parks; Cygnet River Forest Reserve). Other uses include plantations, dryland (cereals) and irrigated cropping and urban developments.

Map: Major Vegetation Groups in (circa 1997)

Source:

Major vegetation groups V1.0 (1km), National Land and Water Resources Audit 2001. Data used are assumed to be correct from suppliers.

Map: Extent of the National Vegetation Information System data