www.dse.vic.gov.au

Native vegetation information

Native Vegetation Website Information sheet No. 2

Introduction

The main source of descriptive information for

native vegetation types (Ecological Vegetation

Classes (EVCs), EVC groupings etc.) for Victoria is

the native vegetation web page on the Department of

Sustainability and Environment (DSE) website

(www.dse.vic.gov.au >conservation and environment

> native vegetation information). This Information

Sheet outlines the main types of native vegetation

information available and how to access this data via

the website.

Native vegetation information available

on the Department of Sustainability and

Environment website.

The native vegetation information website has been

revised and updated and now includes:

• bioregional EVC benchmarks with updated

Bioregional Conservation Status

• an Excel spreadsheet containing a revised list

of all EVCs per bioregion within Victoria, EVC

Groupings, and the Bioregional Conservation

Status

• the classification of EVCs into simplified

native vegetation groups (for more convenient

management of EVCs statewide)

• a glossary of terms

• the method of accessing EVC data and other

native vegetation products

• further information and useful links.

Below are some sample pages from the updated

DSE Native Vegetation Information website.

Figure 1. Native Vegetation Information in Victoria web home page

A Victorian

Government

Initiative

Native Vegetation Website

Accessing Native Vegetation Data

Vegetation Mapping

This provides information on what spatial data

can be accessed via the Biodiversity Interactive Map.

Please note that updated mapping has replaced

the existing pre-1750 and current extent EVC

mapping on the Biodiversity Interactive Map.

Native vegetation information sheets

The Information Sheets have been produced to

provide more detailed information on some of the

new and updated native vegetation products.

Information Sheet 1: Overview of native

vegetation spatial datasets (provides general

information on all the new and revised spatial

datasets).

Information Sheet 2: Native Vegetation Website

(this sheet provides information on the type of

data available on the DSE Native Vegetation

Information website).

Information Sheet 3: Native vegetation extent

dataset (provides detailed information on how the

dataset was created, access to the data etc.).

Information Sheet 4: Native vegetation quality

dataset (provides more detailed information on

how the dataset was created, access to the data

etc.).

Information Sheet 5: EVC nomenclature (includes

a definition of all words used in the naming of

EVCs).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Provides responses to FAQs relating to the new

and revised datasets, in particular the native

vegetation extent and vegetation quality datasets

and the use of new Bioregional Conservation

Status (BCS).

Native vegetation descriptions

Regional reports such as those generated through

the Regional Forests Agreement process can be

found on-line and contain detailed EVC

descriptions. Other regional native vegetation

information includes the Restoration and

Revegetation Guidelines for North-East Victoria.

Figure 2. Accessing Native Vegetation Data

Native Vegetation Website

Victorian Bioregions

Bioregions are a landscape-scale approach to classifying the environment using a range of attributes such as

climate, geomorphology, geology, soils and vegetation. There are 28 bioregions identified within Victoria.

Native Vegetation Website

EVCs in Bioregions

Bioregional EVC benchmarks have been developed

as standard vegetation-quality reference points

that are applied in carrying out vegetation quality

assessments. Each benchmark represents the

average characteristics of a mature and

apparently long-undisturbed stand of the same

vegetation type. The EVC benchmarks are

accessible on the DSE Native Vegetation

Information Web page by clicking on EVC

Benchmarks then scrolling down the page and

clicking on the bioregion of interest and then on

the individual EVC as shown below.

Figure 3. EVC Benchmarks by Bioregion

Native Vegetation Website

Statewide listing of Bioregional EVCs

The “Mapping units with Bioregional Conservation

Status and Native Vegetation groupings” Excel

spreadsheet includes: Simplified Native

Vegetation Groups and Sub-groups to which the

EVC has been allocated, the name of the EVC, the

bioregion in which the EVC occurs and the

bioregional conservation status. (The arrows at

the right of each heading will assist you in

filtering out your search, and the sheet is

sortable.) Note: the tabs will inform you of the

data limitations and the legend.

Figure 4. Sample of “Mapping units with Bioregional Conservation Status and Native

Vegetation groupings)” sortable spreadsheet.

Native Vegetation Website

Native Vegetation Website

Figure 5. Sample bioregion with EVC benchmark listing

Native Vegetation Website

Explanation of terms in Bioregional EVC

benchmark table

Mapping Unit number (MU)

Is the EVC mapping unit number used across the

state of Victoria.

Bioregional Conservation Status (BCS)

Is the conservation status for the EVC mapped in

the bioregion.

Last updated

From time to time, bioregional EVC benchmarks

are updated following feedback from users. The

right-hand column entitled “Last Update” in the

bioregional EVC benchmark table will give the

type of update (eg. ‘name change’ and the date it

was updated) or the date when a new bioregional

EVC benchmark is published.

“Vegetation Quality Assessment” (VQA) and “Wetland Vegetation Assessment” (WVA)

In the EVC benchmark table for each bioregion,

EVC benchmarks have a “VQA” and/or a “WVA”

benchmark. The “VQA” or Vegetation Quality

Assessment benchmark is used for the Habitat

Hectare method of assessing native vegetation

quality. The “WVA”, or Wetland Vegetation

Assessment, is a method that has been developed

as part of the Index of Wetland Condition. See

“Index of Wetland Condition” section below for

more details.

Generic wetland mapping units

A general wetland mapping unit was used for

unclassified wetlands in early EVC mapping

projects prior to the revision of the Victorian EVC

wetland typology. These generic wetland mapping

units are linked to a look-up-table of relevant new

and revised wetland EVCs which enables the user

to choose the appropriate wetland EVC.

EVC wetland aggregate

Similarly, there is a look-up table for wetland

aggregate EVCs. The term ‘aggregate’ is applied

to an EVC mapping label where the EVC

represents a generalised label for wetlands

occurring within a given ecological context (e.g.

saline, brackish or freshwater lakes; billabongs;

mineralised drainage-lines on grey-clay basalt

derived soils). While the range of EVCs, which can

be variously expressed in these situations, can be

determined, the scale and intricacy can be

prohibitive to resolution of the component EVCs,

especially for the purpose of broader-scale

mapping.

Figure 6. Sample Vegetation Quality Assessment (VQA) EVC benchmark

Native Vegetation Website

Index of Wetland Condition

The Index of Wetland Condition (IWC) is designed

for naturally-occurring wetlands without a marine

hydrological influence. The IWC includes a

measure to assess the quality of wetland

vegetation in the wetland Ecological Vegetation

Class. IWC is based on an adaptation of the

Habitat Hectare model more suited to scoring

wetland vegetation.

The IWC benchmarks can be accessed by the same

method as the terrestrial benchmarks on the DSE

EVC benchmark website. Where applicable, both

the terrestrial EVC benchmarks and the IWC

benchmarks are listed under each bioregion and

are distinguished by the letters “VQA” (Vegetation

Quality Assessment) for terrestrial benchmarks

and “WVA” (Wetland Vegetation Assessment) for

IWC benchmarks.

Figure 7. Sample Index of Wetland Condition EVC benchmark

Native Vegetation Website

Simplified Native Vegetation Groups

The Simplified Native Vegetation Groups were

derived from the need to more conveniently

manage and illustrate the approximate 300 EVCs

across Victoria. To do this, similar EVCs have

been assigned into 20 Simplified Native

Vegetation Groups and a further 35 sub-groups

across Victoria (based on broad environmental

and structural characteristics). Short descriptions

of each relevant EVC are also included.

Figure 8. Simplified Native Vegetation Groups

Native Vegetation Website

Figure 9. Example of a Simplified Native Vegetation Group: 17 – Mallee and its

subgroups

Native Vegetation Website

Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, December 2007 © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2007

This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne.

ISBN 978-1-74208-225-7 For more information contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186

This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information

in this publication.

www.dse.vic.gov.au

Figure 10. Example of Simplified Native Vegetation Sub-groups: 17.1 – Mallee – Siliceous

sands, 17.2 – Mallee – Calcareous dunefields, 17.3 – Mallee – Clay plains and

17.4 – Mallee – Sandstone ridges and rises

Curation of Vegetation Data

All descriptive, ecological and floristic

information relating to native vegetation in

Victoria is curated internally in the ‘Victorian

Vegetation Information System’ (VicVIS) database.

The database is curated by the Native Vegetation

Management Section and any enquiries regarding

EVC typology or mapping data can be directed by

email to evc.benchmark@dse.vic.gov.au.