Conservation Management Zones of Australia South Western Australia Temperate Woodlands

Zone vegetation characteristics

The National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) framework is a nationally consistent vegetation classification system based on vegetation data collected by states and territories. It provides information on the extent and distribution of vegetation types across the Australian landscape.

Two products are used to provide the Zone Vegetation Characteristics graph. A modelled pre-European vegetation distribution (pre-1750), and extant (current extent) vegetation, which is based on contemporary vegetation mapping. The information presented here relates to Major Vegetation Subgroups (MVSs). There are 85 MVS types across Australia, describing the structure and floristic composition of dominant and secondary vegetation stratums (e.g. canopy and mid-storey species). Major Vegetation Subgroups only reflect the dominant vegetation type occurring in an area from a mix of vegetation types. Less-dominant vegetation groups which may also be present are therefore not represented.

It is important to note that the vegetation information is indicative only, as state and territory mapping in Australia is of variable resolution and scale. However, this data is the best available nationally consistent information on vegetation, and the dataset continues to evolve and increase in accuracy.

Analysing this information at Conservation Management Zone, rather than national level provides greater discrimination for decision makers, as clearance levels of vegetation types are not uniform across Australia. For example, eucalypt woodlands with a tussock grass understory is a vegetation type found across Australia. In the Brigalow Woodlands Conservation Management Zone, eucalypt open woodlands with a tussock grass understory originally covered approximately 36% of the zone, but today it only covers only 14.5 % of the zone (58.7% of this vegetation community has been cleared in the Brigalow). In the Northern Australia Tropical Savannah zone, this vegetation type originally occupied 19.6% of the zone. Today, it occupies approximately 19.4% of the zone (only 2.3% of this vegetation type has been cleared). It should be noted that this data only provides an indication of change in extent, and not vegetation condition.

For more information on the National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) please refer to: http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/science-and-research/databases-and-maps/national-vegetation-information-system