Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Landscape Health In Australia

A rapid assessment of the relative condition of Australia's bioregions and subregions
Gethin Morgan
Environment Australia, 2000
ISBN 0 642 37119 9

Appendix 2: Condition, trend and stress attribute classes

1. Condition attributes

c1 Current extent of native vegetation (intensive use zone only)

Class % of subregion
1 0 - 10
2 10 - 30
3 30 - 50
4 50 - 70
5 70 - 90
6 90 - 100

c2 Current use of native vegetation

2a Class % of subregion in conservation reserves
1 0 - 2
2 2 - 5
3 5 - 10
4 10 - 30
5 > 30
2b Class % of native vegetation remaining outside conservation reserves
1 > 90
2 70 - 90
3 50 - 70
4 30 - 50
5 10 - 30
6 < 10

c3a Percent of subregion with least impact from total grazing pressures (extensive use zone only)

Condition classes are based on a grouping of the five biophysical naturalness (Bn) ratings of the National Wilderness Inventory into three condition classes. Condition class 3 (i.e. Bn classes 3,4 and 5, see table below) is the near natural (least impact) class.

c3b Percent of native vegetation in land tenures associated with conservative land use practices

Land tenures are based on the CAPAD (2000b) data set and the BRS (1999) land use coverage. The land uses considered conservative are shown in the table below.

c3a,b Class % of subregion
1 0 - 10
2 10 - 30
3 30 - 50
4 50 - 70
5 70 - 90
6 90 - 100
Table A1: Groupings of biophysical naturalness (Bn) classes used for condition attributes C3a and C3b.
Grouped Bn Biophysical naturalness (bn) class BRS land use class
1. Major Modification 1. Modified natural landcover: intensive grazing (exotic and native grasses) or clear-fell logged. Cultivation
Plantation
Freehold (intensive grazing)
2. Minor Modification 2. Relatively natural environments: light / moderate grazing or repeated selective logging. Grazing leasehold
Grazing freehold
State forest
Mining Reserves
Lakes and watercourses
Conservative land uses
3. Near natural (least important from grazing pressure class) 3. Relatively natural environments : irregular grazing or single selective logging. Conservation reserves
Protected areas (IUCN classes I-VI)
4. Relatively natural environments : marginal grazing and/or no recent logging/grazing. World Heritage areas
VCL and Crown reserves
5. Natural environments : natural vegetaion, swamp, salt lake, dune/naturally bare area, unlogged or ungrazed. Aboriginal reserves
Armed forces reserves

c4 Degree of connectivity in native vegetation (intensive use zone only)

Class Description
1 Largely developed, with small and isolated remnants. Very little connectivity (relictual).
2 Largely disconnected remnants, but some connectivity associated with major landscape features such as ranges and watercourses. Internal heterogeneity of remnants low (fragmented).
3 Some isolated remnants, but provincial connectivity still high (variegated).
4 Essentially intact, but selective clearing of small areas, or limited clearing for infrastructure (intact).
5 Unmodified by significant clearing (intact).

c5a % of subregion with high salinity risk or hazard (intensive use zone only)

c5b % of native vegetation in subregion with high salinity risk or hazard (intensive use zone only)

Class % of subregion (c5a) or native vegetation (c5b) with high risk or hazard of dry land salinity
1 > 30
2 10 - 30
3 5 - 10
4 1 - 5
5 < 1

c6 Degree of changed hydrological conditions.

Class Description
1 Moderate to major change, including changes in infiltration and run-off due to soil modification by extensive cultivation, or due to soil degradation caused by mainly intensive livestock grazing on developed pastures. Widespread disruption of drainage and flow paths by land surface modification (e.g. laser levelling, contour banking) for intensive cultivation, or by numerous farm dams associated with closer settlement. Moderate to intensive use of local groundwater.
2 Moderate change, including changes in infiltration and run-off due to soil degradation caused by mainly extensive livestock grazing, with limited areas of cultivation and limited use of local groundwater.
3 Moderate to minor change, largely restricted to changes in infiltration and run-off due to soil degradation caused by extensive livestock grazing.
4 Minor change in hydrology.

c7 Distribution and density of non-indigenous plant species (weeds, c7a) and non-indigenous vertebrate species (feral animals, c7b) of national importance

Class Density
0 absent
1 occasional or localised
2 common and widespread
3 abundant and widespread
nd no data

c8a At risk ecological communities (intensive use zone only)

Class % of total ecosystems at risk in subregion
1 90 - 100
2 70 - 90
3 50 - 70
4 30 - 50
5 10 - 30
6 0 - 10

c8b Threatened plants

Class Total number of threatened plants
1 > 49
2 30 - 49
3 10 - 29
4 5 - 9
5 < 5

c8c Threatened terrestrial vertebrate animals

Class Total number of threatened terrestrial vertebrate animals
1 > 19
2 10 - 19
3 5 - 9
4 < 5

c8d Threatened marine and pelagic vertebrate animals

Class Total number of threatened marine and pelagic vertebrate animals
1 > 19
2 10 - 19
3 5 - 9
4 < 5

Trend attributes

t1a, t1b, t1c Area of woody native vegetation cleared per annum for 1990 - 95, 1995 - 97 and 1997 - 99 periods respectively (intensive use zone only)

Class Area of woody native vegetation cleared annually (ha)
1 > 20 000
2 10 000 - 20 000
3 5 000 - 10 000
4 1 000 - 5 000

t1d Change in annual rate of clearing between 1995 to 1997 and 1997 to 1999 (intensive use zone only)

Class Description
1 Increasing - rate of clearing increasing
2 Constant - clearing occurring but rate of clearing constant
3 Decreasing - rate of clearing decreasing
4 No clearing, or regeneration exceeds clearing

t3 and t4 Trend in density of non-indigenous plant species (weeds, t3) and non-indigenous vertebrate species (feral animals, t4) of national importance. Trend classes (longer term, not seasonal) for weeds and feral animals are:

Class Description
D decreasing density
S stable - relatively constant density
I increasing density
nd no known records

t5a % of subregion with high salinity risk or hazard in 2050 (intensive use zone only)

t5b % of native vegetation in subregion with high salinity risk or hazard in 2050 (intensive use zone only)

Class % of the subregion (t5a) or of native vegetation (t5b) with high salinity risk or hazard in 2050
1 > 30
2 10 - 30
3 5 - 10
4 1 - 5
5 < 1

t5c : trend in high salinity risk or hazard in subregion between 2000 and 2050 (intensive use zone only)

t5d : trend in high salinity risk or hazard in native vegetation between 2000 and 2050 (intensive use zone only)

Class Trend in subregion and in native vegetation
D decreasing hazard or risk
S stable (relatively constant hazard or risk)
I increasing hazard or risk

Landscape stress

Class  
1 highest stress
2  
3  
4  
5  
6 lowest stress

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