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In this section you will find detailed information, including national overviews and state and regional level assessments, from the 2000-2002 National Land and Water Resources Audit theme assessments.
Australian Native Vegetation Assessment 2001
Maria Cofinas, Colin Creighton
National Land and Water Resources Audit, 2001
ISBN 0 642 37128 8
Major vegetation groups and their status in each State & Territory Tasmania
Green cushion plant (Abrotanella forsterioides), Mount Wellington, Tas
Photo: Murray Fagg
Key features
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 (Figure 27, Tables 22, 23).
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.
Eucalyptus globulus plantation, north-east Tas
Photo: Michael Ryan
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.
| Major vegetation group | Present | Pre-European |
|---|---|---|
| Eucalypt open forests | 19,212 | 23,627 |
| Other grasslands, herblands, sedgelands and rushlands | 10,670 | 10,678 |
| Rainforest and vine thickets | 7,055 | 7,161 |
| Eucalypt tall open forests | 6,193 | 8,540 |
| Eucalypt woodlands | 4,609 | 7,181 |
| Low closed forests and closed shrublands | 2,168 | 2,843 |
| Heath | 1,925 | 1,926 |
| Mangroves, tidal mudflats, samphires and bare areas, claypans, sand, rock, salt lakes, lagoons, lakes | 1,880 | 1,880 |
| Eucalypt open woodlands | 1,108 | 1,251 |
| Tussock grasslands | 1,090 | 1,109 |
| Other shrublands | 755 | 788 |
| Other forests and woodlands | 359 | 359 |
| Casuarina forests and woodlands | 156 | 167 |
| Eucalypt low open forests | 106 | 217 |
| Acacia forests and woodlands | 28 | 194 |
| Chenopod shrubs, samphire shrubs and forblands | 28 | 28 |
| Acacia shrublands | 13 | 14 |
| Callitris forests and woodlands | 1 | 1 |
| Note: * in order of greatest to least area. | ||
Alternative summary figures provided from Tasmania as derived from Kirkpatrick et al. (1995) and from the Regional Forest Agreement private forest reserve program indicate some differences with the information provided from the major vegetation groups. These differences relate to the ready availability of more up to date information and to a differing classification of forests and woodlands. The mangroves group does not include lakes and reservoirs.
| Major vegetation group | Present | Pre-European |
|---|---|---|
| Eucalypt woodlands and eucalypt open woodlands | 15 290 | 28 533 |
| Other grasslands, herblands, sedgelands and rushlands | 11 400 | 11 500 |
| Eucalypt open forests and eucalypt tall open forests | 9630 | 12 728 |
| Rainforest and vine thickets | 5 631 | 6 476 |
| Heath | 2 255 | 4 258 |
| Low closed forests and closed shrublands | 2 168 | 2 843 |
| Other shrublands | 755 | 788 |
| Tussock grasslands | 510 | 850 |
| Other forests and woodlands | 359 | 359 |
| Mangroves, tidal mudflats, samphires and bare areas, claypans, sand, rock, salt lakes, lagoons, lakes | 165 | 245 |
| Acacia forests and woodlands | 130 | 390 |
| Chenopod shrubs, samphire shrubs and forblands | 33 | 40 |
| Casuarina forests and woodlands | 14 | 34 |
| Acacia shrublands | 13 | 14 |
| Callitris forests and woodlands | 7 | 11 |
| Note: * Alpine vegetation (1135 km²) has been excluded from this table | ||
Vegetation change
In Tasmania 16% or 1.0 million hectares of the native vegetation has been removed, mainly in the lowlands of the north west, midlands and the south east of the island as well as Flinders and King Islands. The most affected major vegetation groups are the eucalypt open forests, eucalypt woodlands and eucalypt tall open forests.
This is an overestimate of intact native vegetation, in particular forested vegetation groups, as further clearing has occurred since much of the mapping was undertaken. More recent extent figures summarised by subregions are presented in the Audit Landscape Health in Australia report (NLWRA 2001c).
This assessment of landscape health provides a summary on a subregional basis of the landscape stresses in Tasmania including clearing, grazing, feral animals and weeds.
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