Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001

Maria Cofinas, Colin Creighton
National Land and Water Resources Audit, 2001
ISBN 0 642 37128 8

Appendix 7: NVIS classification information

Phragmites australis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, River Murray, Calperum, SA

Phragmites australis, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, River Murray, Calperum, SA

Photo: Murray Fagg

National Vegetation Information System System structural formation nomenclature

Cover characteristics
  Foliage cover* 70-100 30-70 10-30 <10 0 0-5
  Crown cover** > 80 50-80 20-50 0.25-20 < 0.25 0-5
  Percent cover*** > 80 50-80 20-50 0.25-20 < 0.25 0-5
Growth form Height range Structural formation classes
Tree < 10, 10-30,> 30 closed forest open forest woodland open woodland isolated trees isolated clumps of trees
Tree mallee < 3, < 10 (3-10) closed mallee forest open mallee forest mallee woodland open mallee woodland isolated mallee trees isolated clumps of mallee trees
Shrub < 1, 1-2,> 2 closed shrubland shrubland open shrubland sparse shrubland Isolated shrubs Isolated clumps of shrubs
Mallee shrub < 3, < 10 (3-10) closed mallee shrubland mallee shrubland open mallee shrubland sparse mallee shrubland isolated mallee shrubs isolated clumps of mallee shrubs
Heath shrub < 1, 1-2,> 2 closed heathland heathland open heath sparse heath isolated heath shrubs isolated clumps of heath shrubs
Chenopod shrub < 1, 1-2,> 2 closed chenopod shrubland chenopod shrubland open chenopod shrubland sparse chenopod shrubland isolated chenopod shrubs isolated clumps of chenopod shrubs
Samphire shrub < 0.5,> 0.5 closed samphire shrubland samphire shrubland open samphire shrubland sparse samphire shrubland isolated samphire shrubs isolated clumps of samphire shrubs
Hummock grass < 2,> 2 closed hummock grassland hummock grassland open hummock grassland sparse hummock grassland isolated hummock grasses isolated clumps of hummock grasses
Tussock grass < 0.5,> 0.5 closed tussock grassland tussock grassland open tussock grassland sparse tussock grassland isolated tussock grasses isolated clumps of tussock grasses
Sod grass < 0.5,> 0.5 closed sod grassland sod grassland open sod grassland sparse sod grassland isolated sod grasses isolated clumps of sod grassland
Sedge < 0.5,> 0.5 closed sedgeland sedgeland open sedgeland sparse sedgeland isolated sedges isolated clumps of sedges
Rush < 0.5,> 0.5 closed rushland rushland open rushland sparse rushland isolated rushes isolated clumps of rushes
Forb < 0.5,> 0.5 closed forbland forbland open forbland sparse forbland isolated forbs isolated clumps of forbs
Fern < 1, 1-2,> 2 closed fernland fernland open fernland sparse fernland isolated ferns isolated clumps of ferns
Moss < 0.5 closed mossland mossland open mossland sparse mossland isolated mosses isolated clumps of mosses
Lichen < 0.5 closed lichenland lichenland open lichenland sparse lichenland isolated lichens isolated clumps of lichens
Liverwort < 0.5 closed liverwort land liverwortland open liverwortland sparse liverwortland isolated liverworts isolated clumps of liverworts
Vine < 10, 10-30,> 30 closed vineland vineland open vineland sparse vineland isolated vines isolated clumps of vines
Palm < 10, 10-30,> 30 closed palmland palmland open palmland sparse palmland isolated palms isolated clumps of palms
Xanthorrhoea < 1, 1-2,> 2 closed xanthorrhoealand xanthorrhoealand open xanthorrhoealand sparse xanthorrhoealand isolated xanthorrhoeas isolated clumps of xanthorrhoeas
Cycad < 1, 1-2,> 2 closed cycadland cycadland open cycadland sparse cycadland isolated cycads isolated clumps of cycads
Seagrass 0-0.5, < 1 closed seagrass bed seagrassbed open seagrassbed sparse seagrassbed isolated seagrasses isolated clumps of seagrass
Notes:
* Foliage cover is defined for each stratum as 'the proportion of the ground, which would be shaded if sunshine came from directly overhead'. It includes branches and leaves and is similar to the crown type of Walker and Hopkins (1990) but is applied to a stratum or plot rather than an individual crown. It is generally not directly measured in the field for the upper stratum, although it can be measured by various line interception methods for ground layer vegetation. In the data compiler (attributes STR. 11 COVER CODE) the ground cover category refers to ground foliage cover not percentage cover

** Crown cover (canopy cover) as per Walker and Hopkins (1990). The relationship between foliage cover and crown cover has come from Walker and Hopkins (1990). Although relationships between the two are dependent on factors such as season, species and species age, the crown cover category classes have been adopted as the defining measure

*** The percentage cover is defined as the percentage of a strictly defined plot area, covered by vegetation. This can be an estimate and is a less precise measure than using, for example, a point intercept transect methods on ground layer, or overstorey vegetative cover. That is for precisely measured values (e.g. crown densitometer or point intercept transects) the value measured would be 'foliage' cover. Where less precise or qualitative measures are used these will most probably be recorded as 'percentage' cover.
NVIS height classes (after Walker & Hopkins 1990)
Growth form
Height class Height range (m) Trees, vines, palms Cycads, xanthorrhoea Mallee, Mallee shrub Shrubs, heath shrub, chenopod shrub, ferns, samphire Tussock and hummock grasses, sedges, rushes, forbs Sod grass, liverwort, lichen, moss and seagrasses
8 > 30 tall n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
7 10-30 - n/a tall n/a n/a n/a
6 < 10 low - - n/a n/a n/a
5 < 3 n/a n/a low n/a n/a n/a
4 > 2 n/a tall n/a tall tall n/a
3 1-2 n/a - n/a - tall n/a
2 0.5-1 n/a low n/a low - tall
1 < 0.5 n/a low n/a low low -
Note: n/a not applicable

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