Vegetation

The National Land & Water Resources Audit (the Audit) collated data about Australia’s natural resources.

The National NRM Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (National M&E Framework) identifies natural resource topics referred to as ‘matters for target’. Each matter for target has a set of recommended ‘indicators’ that will be used to monitor and report on the condition of the resource.

Indicators were developed to ensure national consistency in reporting across regions and states. This provides a basis for national compilation, once data collection against Indicators is more widely taken up.

Matter for target: Native vegetation communities’ integrity

Indicator heading: Native vegetation extent and distribution

Indicators (endorsed by Audit Advisory Council):

• The extent of present native vegetation type by IBRA sub-region (measured in hectares)
• The extent of each priority native vegetation type by IBRA sub-region (measured in hectares)
• The remaining proportion of each priority native vegetation type in each IBRA sub-region measured as a percentage of the estimated pre-1750 extent

Indicator heading: Native vegetation condition

Indicator (pending outcomes of trials):

• The proportion of each native vegetation type in each IBRA sub-region that is estimated to be in specified condition classes based on a selected set of attributes

Background information on this matter for target and associated indicators can be found at the Natural Resource Management website.

Trial Regions

Sponsor Agencies and National Coordination

The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts have joint portfolio responsibility for this topic.

Indicators for native vegetation were developed by the Executive Steering Committee for Australian Vegetation Information (ESCAVI). ESCAVI is a multi-jurisdictional national coordination committee.

National Database

The Native Vegetation Information System (NVIS) is a nationally consistent framework and database for describing and compiling data and information for all vegetation types. NVIS contains information that is relevant to the matters for target and the National M&E Framework indicators, to other reporting needs and to broad scale national vegetation assessment.

The development and maintenance of the National Vegetation Information System is a collaborative program between the Australian, state and territory governments. The NVIS framework is managed by the executive steering committee for Australian vegetation information (ESCAVI). NVIS provides a framework which:

• specifies guidelines for standardising the collection, compilation and monitoring of Australia’s vegetation
• stores data on the type and extent of native vegetation
• provides a framework for holding standardised geographic and attribute vegetation data across Australia that facilitates analysis and reporting
• provides and maintains the technical infrastructure to support these activities

Other vegetation or vegetation-related databases can contribute to national reporting in relation to these indicators. These sources include the National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS) Land Cover Database, which is used to report vegetation change for national greenhouse purposes; the National Forest Inventory (NFI) and the Integrated Vegetation Cover 2003 dataset.

Audit Related Publications