Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Biodiversity and Vegetation - Australian Alps

Australian Alps

Location Map

The Australian Alps bioregion extends from the south west of the ACT through NSW into Victoria. It is the only truly alpine environment in NSW and Victoria and covers an area of approximately 826,600 Ha.

The bioregion is composed of block-faulted granites and Palaeozoic metamorphic rocks. Small areas of Tertiary basalt with buried river gravels and lake sediments occur. Quaternary glacial landforms and sediments occur above 1800m, and more extensive periglacial features are present above 1200m. The bioregion also contains areas of low relief high plains with steep margins sloping into fault aligned river valleys, with deep gorges and waterfalls. Relic cirque glaciers, blockstreams and periglacial solifluction lobes occur in the highest regions.

Vegetation changes with altitude, aspect, cold air, drainage and soil moisture saturation. Low elevations with dry aspects support red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha), white gum (E. rossii), broad-leaved peppermint (E. dives), candlebark (E. rubida) and brittle gum (E. mannifera). Between 1000 and 1500m, alpine ash (E. delegatensis) and mountain gum (E. dalrympleana) dominate and abruptly change to sub-alpine snow gum (E. pauciflora) woodlands, heath, grasslands and bogs between 1500 and 1800m. Common species include snow grasses (Poa spp.), leafy bossiaea (Bossiaea foliosa), yellow kunzea (Kunzea mulleri), alpine pepper (Tasmannia xerophila), sphagnum bogs with candle heath (Richea continentis) and swamp heath (Epacris paludosa). Alpine herbfield and rare feldmark communities occur above the tree line at 1800m. Here, common species include prickly snow grass, alpine wallaby grass, silver snow daisy, ribbony grass, white purslane, eye-brights, gentians and buttercups. Most alpine species have a limited range.

There are two subregions in this bioregion, the NSW Australian Alps (502,430ha) covering the NSW portion of the bioregion and the Victorian Alps (324,175ha) making up the Victorian section.

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.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2001

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

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 (ha) % total extent
Rainforest and vine thickets 2,436 .3
Eucalyptus tall open forests 120,188 15.2
Eucalyptus open forest 257,036 32.4
Eucalyptus low open forest 1,956 .2
Eucalyptus woodlands 294,592 37.2
Acacia forest and woodlands 168 0
Other forests and woodlands 136 0
Eucalyptus open woodlands 15,740 2
Mallee woodlands and shrublands 128 0
Other Shrublands 5,260 .7
Heath 1,188 .1
Tussock grasslands 53,180 6.7
Other grasslands, herblands, sedgelands and rushlands 23,036 2.9
Chenopod shrub, samphire shrub and forblands 13,952 1.8
Mangroves, tidal mudflat, samphire and bare areas, claypan, sand, rock, salt lakes, lagoons, lakes 3,816 .5

What major vegetation groups occur in (circa 1997)?

Map: Dynamic Map of major vegetation groups (circa 1997) 1km


legend

Source:

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

© Commonwealth of Australia 2001

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

Extent of the National Vegetation Information System data

What is the area of major vegetation groups in (circa 1997)?

Table 2: Area of present vegetation groups in (circa 1997)
Major Vegetation Group Area (ha) % total extent
Cleared / modified native vegetation 30,848 3.9
Rainforest and vine thickets 2,436 .3
Eucalyptus tall open forests 113,436 14.3
Eucalyptus open forest 253,528 32
Eucalyptus low open forest 1,956 .2
Eucalyptus woodlands 278,240 35.1
Acacia forest and woodlands 132 0
Other forests and woodlands 108 0
Eucalyptus open woodlands 15,516 2
Mallee woodlands and shrublands 128 0
Other Shrublands 2,140 .3
Heath 1,188 .1
Tussock grasslands 53,180 6.7
Other grasslands, herblands, sedgelands and rushlands 22,692 2.9
Chenopod shrub, samphire shrub and forblands 13,532 1.7
Mangroves, tidal mudflat, samphire and bare areas, claypan, sand, rock, salt lakes, lagoons, lakes 3,816 .5

What is the extent of native vegetation in (circa 1997)?

Map: Dynamic Map of extent of native vegetation 1km by bioregion


Area of native vegetation remaining (ha): 762,028 ha

Percent remaining native vegetation: 96.1%

Percent cleared/modified native vegetation: 3.9%

What sources of information were used?

View the sources of information used to compile an Australian-wide map of pre-European and present native vegetation from the National Vegetation Information System and additional mapped data and the guidelines for the interpretation of vegetation mapping products.

Knowledge, data and information gaps

The compilation of native vegetation information has highlighted a number of gaps in our knowledge, the data and information about Australia's native vegetation.

References

View the references used in the Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001.

Partnerships

Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001 was facilitated and coordinated by the National Land and Water Resources Audit and prepared in partnership with State, Territory and Commonwealth agencies:

Australian Capital Territory

Department of Urban Services
www.urbanservices.act.gov.au

New South Wales

Department of Land and Water Conservation
www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
www.npws.nsw.gov.au

NSW Botanic Gardens
www.rbgsyd.gov.au

Northern Territory

Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts
www.nt.gov.au/nreta

Queensland

Environment Protection Agency
www.epa.qld.gov.au

South Australia

Planning SA
www.planning.sa.gov.au

Tasmania

Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment
www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au

Victoria

Department of Sustainability and Environment
www.dse.vic.gov.au

Western Australia

Department of Conservation and Land Management
www.calm.wa.gov.au

Agriculture WA
www.agric.wa.gov.au

Commonwealth

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia
www.daff.gov.au

Australian Greenhouse Office
www.greenhouse.gov.au

Australian Department of Environment and Heritage
www.environment.gov.au

Further information

View the Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001 report.

The National Vegetation Information System Framework framework.

View Landscape Health in Australia 2001 report.

View the Australian Catchment, River and Estuary Assessment 2002.

View the Australian Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment 2002.

View all Theme Reports from the National Land and Water Resources Audit.

Link to Atlas on-line mapping for maps of major vegetation groups and other natural resource data.

Link to data available for down load.

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