Most defence training areas are minimally managed resulting in no obvious effects on the components of vegetation condition; structure, composition and function of plant communities. However deliberate and/or inadvertent management practices can result in changes in vegetation condition. Documenting the contemporary and previous land management practices and their observed effects over time and on the present-day indicators of vegetation condition gives land managers valuable insights for adaptive management. A consistent national system, Vegetation Assets States and Transitions (VAST–2), comprising standardized and benchmarked set of indicators may be used to assess the degree of transformation of the components of vegetation condition associated with management practices over time.
VAST-2 – Condition assessment method. Presentation given to the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), National Condition Workshop held at the Mt Lofty House, Adelaide on 11-13 June 2014
Assessing and reporting resilience of native vegetation using metrics of stru...Richard Thackway
The effects of contemporary and previous land management practices are reflected in the present-day condition of native vegetation. In order to properly manage land for productive use or to restore it to its 'natural' condition, it is important to know the changes that have taken place to the use of the land, and the cumulative effect of those changes. Assessing and reporting the resilience of native vegetation using metrics of structure, composition and function is discussed. The system, VAST-2, has been developed in the Australian context, where land management was relatively unchanged for some tens of thousands of years prior to European settlers who arrived some hundred years hence. This reference state provides a structure in which to compile, interpret and sequence data gathered in the past about changes in management practices and the effects of these practices on the condition of native plant communities. Early settlers and subsequent land managers have modified and fragmented the native vegetation thereby transforming many landscapes.
Systematic framework to assess restoration actions and outcomes based on meas...Richard Thackway
A unifying framework is presented for tracking the outcomes of intentional and unintentional land management practices on the condition components of plant communities. The framework is based on 22 indicators hierarchically organised into 10 functional, structural and compositional criteria. Changes in the values of criteria and indicators over time track the response of a plant community to land management practices. This involves a twostep process. First develop a systematic and comprehensive site-based chronology of land management practices over time. Second fully integrate relevant data and information on the responses of the plant community into the chronology of practices, actions and interventions. How, and to what degree, the practices effect the indicators is also recorded, including deliberate and/or inadvertent actions and outcomes. Data and information on the outcomes of actions is compiled from various sources including; direct measures of field-based attributes, estimates of attributes derived from expert elicitation, environmental histories, interviews with skilled subject specials and relevant metrics derived from multi-spatial and multi-temporal remote sensing datasets. Provided a competent ecologist has access to key resources, a preliminary assessment can be completed in three days. Indicators are scored separately using a metric 0-1, based on the response of the plant community’s indicator assessed relative to the indicator in the reference state. Indicator scores are aggregated and weighted separately for three components; functional (55%), structural (27%) and compositional (18%). The reference state is assigned 100%. This framework has been widely applied across major climate zones in Australia to track and explain observed decadal spatial and temporal changes in the condition of plant communities including changes due to restoration activities. Examples will be provided in how applications of this framework also provide insights in plant community resilience, possible system trajectories and future management options.
This document discusses state and transition models (STMs) for use on cropland, including examples, principles, and challenges. It outlines a nine-step planning process using STMs to assess suitability for land uses and practices, response to management, and resilience. STMs can show a range of soil health indicators and common transitions between states. Challenges include adapting STMs designed for other uses to cropland and defining detailed states and transitions given variations in field-level management.
A framework for assessing and reporting resilience of native vegetationRichard Thackway
Land management practices are used for a wide range of purposes to modify and fragment native vegetation at sites and to transform vegetated landscapes. Land management targets indicators of vegetation structure, species composition and regenerative capacity. A framework is presented enabling the gains and losses of native vegetation to be tracked over time at site and landscape scales.
AEMA-restoration white paper-Final-r 031715Megan Maxwell
1) Current federal policies for restoring sagebrush habitats impacted by wildfire, such as the BLM's ES&R program, are inadequate and impose unrealistic timelines that do not support restoration of low-elevation Wyoming sagebrush, which is an important habitat for the greater sage-grouse.
2) The ES&R program's preference for passive recovery, 3-year funding limits, and metrics for measuring success are inappropriate for restoring low-elevation Wyoming sagebrush and instead favor higher elevation areas.
3) Revisions are needed to the ES&R program and other policies to develop special provisions for low-elevation Wyoming sagebrush restoration, and to provide adequate funding and monitoring timelines to implement recent orders aimed
VAST-2 - Tracking effects of land management on veg condition over time at si...Richard Thackway
Presentation given to a workshop on “Developing a strategic revegetation and restoration recovery plan for the Brigalow. University of Queensland, Brisbane 14-15 May 2012.
This document discusses adaptation and silvicultural decision-making in the context of climate change. It defines adaptation and mitigation, and outlines three options for adaptation: resistance, resilience, and transition. It then describes resources for forest adaptation, including a workbook approach that guides identifying adaptation tactics through defining the area of interest, assessing climate impacts and vulnerabilities, evaluating objectives, and identifying and monitoring actions. Finally, it provides examples of applying adaptation strategies and approaches to develop specific tactics for resistance and transition options.
VAST-2 – Condition assessment method. Presentation given to the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), National Condition Workshop held at the Mt Lofty House, Adelaide on 11-13 June 2014
Assessing and reporting resilience of native vegetation using metrics of stru...Richard Thackway
The effects of contemporary and previous land management practices are reflected in the present-day condition of native vegetation. In order to properly manage land for productive use or to restore it to its 'natural' condition, it is important to know the changes that have taken place to the use of the land, and the cumulative effect of those changes. Assessing and reporting the resilience of native vegetation using metrics of structure, composition and function is discussed. The system, VAST-2, has been developed in the Australian context, where land management was relatively unchanged for some tens of thousands of years prior to European settlers who arrived some hundred years hence. This reference state provides a structure in which to compile, interpret and sequence data gathered in the past about changes in management practices and the effects of these practices on the condition of native plant communities. Early settlers and subsequent land managers have modified and fragmented the native vegetation thereby transforming many landscapes.
Systematic framework to assess restoration actions and outcomes based on meas...Richard Thackway
A unifying framework is presented for tracking the outcomes of intentional and unintentional land management practices on the condition components of plant communities. The framework is based on 22 indicators hierarchically organised into 10 functional, structural and compositional criteria. Changes in the values of criteria and indicators over time track the response of a plant community to land management practices. This involves a twostep process. First develop a systematic and comprehensive site-based chronology of land management practices over time. Second fully integrate relevant data and information on the responses of the plant community into the chronology of practices, actions and interventions. How, and to what degree, the practices effect the indicators is also recorded, including deliberate and/or inadvertent actions and outcomes. Data and information on the outcomes of actions is compiled from various sources including; direct measures of field-based attributes, estimates of attributes derived from expert elicitation, environmental histories, interviews with skilled subject specials and relevant metrics derived from multi-spatial and multi-temporal remote sensing datasets. Provided a competent ecologist has access to key resources, a preliminary assessment can be completed in three days. Indicators are scored separately using a metric 0-1, based on the response of the plant community’s indicator assessed relative to the indicator in the reference state. Indicator scores are aggregated and weighted separately for three components; functional (55%), structural (27%) and compositional (18%). The reference state is assigned 100%. This framework has been widely applied across major climate zones in Australia to track and explain observed decadal spatial and temporal changes in the condition of plant communities including changes due to restoration activities. Examples will be provided in how applications of this framework also provide insights in plant community resilience, possible system trajectories and future management options.
This document discusses state and transition models (STMs) for use on cropland, including examples, principles, and challenges. It outlines a nine-step planning process using STMs to assess suitability for land uses and practices, response to management, and resilience. STMs can show a range of soil health indicators and common transitions between states. Challenges include adapting STMs designed for other uses to cropland and defining detailed states and transitions given variations in field-level management.
A framework for assessing and reporting resilience of native vegetationRichard Thackway
Land management practices are used for a wide range of purposes to modify and fragment native vegetation at sites and to transform vegetated landscapes. Land management targets indicators of vegetation structure, species composition and regenerative capacity. A framework is presented enabling the gains and losses of native vegetation to be tracked over time at site and landscape scales.
AEMA-restoration white paper-Final-r 031715Megan Maxwell
1) Current federal policies for restoring sagebrush habitats impacted by wildfire, such as the BLM's ES&R program, are inadequate and impose unrealistic timelines that do not support restoration of low-elevation Wyoming sagebrush, which is an important habitat for the greater sage-grouse.
2) The ES&R program's preference for passive recovery, 3-year funding limits, and metrics for measuring success are inappropriate for restoring low-elevation Wyoming sagebrush and instead favor higher elevation areas.
3) Revisions are needed to the ES&R program and other policies to develop special provisions for low-elevation Wyoming sagebrush restoration, and to provide adequate funding and monitoring timelines to implement recent orders aimed
VAST-2 - Tracking effects of land management on veg condition over time at si...Richard Thackway
Presentation given to a workshop on “Developing a strategic revegetation and restoration recovery plan for the Brigalow. University of Queensland, Brisbane 14-15 May 2012.
This document discusses adaptation and silvicultural decision-making in the context of climate change. It defines adaptation and mitigation, and outlines three options for adaptation: resistance, resilience, and transition. It then describes resources for forest adaptation, including a workbook approach that guides identifying adaptation tactics through defining the area of interest, assessing climate impacts and vulnerabilities, evaluating objectives, and identifying and monitoring actions. Finally, it provides examples of applying adaptation strategies and approaches to develop specific tactics for resistance and transition options.
Tracking the Transformation of Vegetated Landscapes (VAST)Richard Thackway
Presentation given to the NSW Ecological Consultants Association 2013 Conference held at Fairmont Resort at Leura, NSW in the Blue Mountains on 2nd August 2013. Conference theme “Offsets: determination, assessment and management”. presentation was part of the Scientific and Consultant Perspective session.
Presentation by Dr. Linda Nagel to introduce the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) project at the Northern Rockies ASCC Workshop held June 28, 2016
Application of land management information to improve the tracking of changes...Richard Thackway
Most changes over time in the extent and condition of native vegetation types can be accounted by changes in Land use and land management practices (LMP). Obvious changes and trends in the structure, composition and function of native vegetation can be detected using remote sensing. While environmental models are helpful they must access site data on the effects that LMP have on essential environmental variables. More subtle changes in native vegetation extent and condition must be directly measured using ground-based observations of the interactions to attribute cause and effect to natural processes and LMP. Ideally we need an information system which informs the survey, classification and mapping and modelling of LMP at various scales
This document summarizes a study that assessed patterns of oak regeneration and carbon storage in relation to forest management, historical land use, and potential trade-offs between the two goals. The study was conducted in an oak-dominated forest in Illinois that had undergone various restoration-focused management regimes including prescribed fire and thinning over at least 20 years. The results showed that live biomass was increasing across the landscape but was not strongly related to differences in management or land use history. Oak regeneration was rare and also not strongly related to recent management. This indicates that current management has failed to create the open canopy conditions needed for successful oak recruitment. No significant trade-offs were found between biomass accrual and oak regeneration, likely because management has
Tracking change in land use and vegetation conditionRichard Thackway
Seminar 'Tracking change in land use and vegetation condition' presented to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra on 22 February 2013.
Adaptation Strategies in Agriculture_AlmazAlmaz Demessie
This document discusses adaptation strategies for agriculture in the face of climate change. It outlines that effective adaptation can manage the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture. Adaptation is a process of socio-institutional co-learning that uses information at various levels. Adaptation will depend on adjustments at all levels from community to international, though capacity varies between locations and development levels. The adaptation process can reduce climate impacts and enhance development, but depends on factors like wealth, technology, education and management capabilities. Gender must be mainstreamed to avoid increasing inequality and ensure successful adaptation. Adaptation measures should be evidence-based and have multiple economic and environmental benefits. Possible agricultural adaptations include cultural practices, land use changes, management changes like irrigation and awareness
The document outlines the Eyre Peninsula NRM Board's climate change research strategy and priorities. The objectives are to understand climate change through research and modeling, adapt to living with climate change through resilient farming systems, mitigate climate impacts by reducing emissions, and facilitate communication through knowledge sharing. Key research priorities include downscaling climate models, understanding impacts on water resources, developing adaptive land management, and opportunities to sequester carbon and reduce emissions.
Tracking sand dune transformation before, during and after sand dune mining,...Richard Thackway
Unmodified landscapes are transformed by the removal of vegetation prior to, during sand mining and through restoration, after mining. Bridge Hill Ridge is presented as a case study for the application of a standardised national system (VAST-2) to account for ecological changes before, during and after mining. Bridge Hill Ridge is a high coastal sand dune, part of the Myall Lakes National Park, NSW. A reference state was defined for the unmodified unmined Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) and smooth barked apple (Angophora costata) open forest, comprising ten ecological characteristics, integrated with 22 indicators. This information provided the basis for assessing change and trend over time in regard to mining and restoration. Relevant sources of ecological data and information pertaining to the ten ecological characteristics and 22 indicators were compiled and analysed relative to the reference states. Key researchers and land managers who had worked on the site were contacted and interviewed. A field visit was conducted in mid-January 2014 to validate assessment of change and trend, almost 40 years after mine restoration. The effects of land management practices, i.e. mining and restoration, upon the unmodified Eucalypt open forest plant community were assessed relative to the reference state to determine the relative change and trend in the ten ecological characteristics and 22 indicators over time. Reporting standardized indicators helps land managers and other decision makers to understand the nature of change and trend in regard to predicted future states; to make adjustments in rehabilitation activities (e.g. hydrological interventions, control of weeds and feral animals, mitigation of wildfire, and management of people). The benefits of integrated monitoring and reporting using a standardised report card provides a simple tool to inform inform stakeholders of progress towards agreed target/s of vegetation structure, species composition and regenerative capacity (landscape function).
Rosemont Copper gave this presentation on the Rosemont Reclamation Plan dated July 2007. The presentation was given to the Forest Service and their contractors during a meeting in May 2010.
1) The study assessed changes in soil sulfur fractions from the conversion of rainforests to oil palm plantations and food gardens in Papua New Guinea.
2) Soil samples from forest, oil palm plantation, and food garden sites showed that conversion to oil palm increased reserve sulfur fractions in soil by about 28% while food gardening increased reserve sulfur by about 54%.
3) However, plant-available sulfate sulfur was below deficiency levels of 15 mg/kg in food garden soils and sweet potato crops, indicating a plant-available sulfur deficiency.
WE1.L09 - DESDYNI BIODIVERSITY AND HABITAT KEY VARIABLES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR...grssieee
This document discusses the use of lidar and radar data from the proposed DESDynI mission to characterize 3D vegetation structure for assessments of biodiversity and habitat. It identifies key variables like canopy height, height profiles, biomass, and cover that influence habitat suitability and have been correlated with species diversity. Fusion of lidar and radar is highlighted as providing more complete and accurate global maps of these important structural metrics compared to either sensor alone. The document concludes that lidar-radar fusion holds promise for advancing scientific understanding of biodiversity patterns in relation to forest structure and how these may change in response to disturbance events.
The document discusses environmental zoning for biodiversity conservation in Lawaan, Eastern Samar, Philippines. It analyzed the area's biodiversity using ecological and social criteria through surveys and GIS mapping. Three zones were identified - very critical, critical, and less critical - based on biodiversity index values across elevation gradients. The study found that concentric zoning could lead to lower elevation extinction, and proposed environmental zoning as a new biodiversity conservation paradigm for the area.
This document summarizes a research project on understanding and enhancing soil ecosystem services and resilience in UK grasslands and croplands. The project will:
1) Survey paired natural and intensified agricultural sites across the UK to quantify impacts on soil biodiversity, ecosystem services, and resilience to climate change.
2) Use mesocosm experiments to test the resilience of soil biodiversity and functions to environmental change under different land management intensities.
3) Develop process-based and spatial models to scale relationships between soil biodiversity and ecosystem services under scenarios of environmental change.
This document provides contact information, employment history, education, skills, and research projects for Alan Patrick Bischoff. It details that he has over 10 years of experience in the oil and mining industries, with expertise in areas like seismic interpretation, reservoir characterization, and structural geology. He has post-graduate degrees focusing on sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, and petroleum geology from universities in Brazil.
This article examines how local habitat quality and surrounding landscape affect the development of carabid beetle assemblages on restored landfill sites. The study analyzed carabid species composition, richness, and abundance across 9 restored landfill sites and paired reference sites in the UK. A total of 1014 carabid beetles from 37 species were collected. Seeded landfill sites had higher species richness and diversity than unseeded sites, and more vegetation cover and nearby grasslands also positively impacted carabid assemblages. The restored landfill sites supported generalist beetle species but no rare species. Habitat restoration through seeding and management may improve these sites for carabid conservation.
This is the Honours presentation of Patrick Hayes. It describes his work on leaf nutrient concentration and resorption along the 2-million year Jurien Bay dune chronosequence. Patty gave an excellent talk!
Phyto climatic gradient of vegetation and habitat specificity in the high ele...Shujaul Mulk Khan
Phyto-climatic gradient and ecological indicators can be used to understand the requirements, long term management and conservation strategies of natural habitats and species. For this purpose phytosociological attributes were measured using quadrats along transects on different slope aspects across an elevation range of 2450-4400 m. The 198 recorded plant species were placed in five Raunkiaer life form classes among which the Hemicryptophytes (51%) dominate the flora of the study area followed by Phanerophytes and Cryptophytes (Geophytes) with 15 and 13% dominance respectively. Therophytes and Chamaephytes are represented by smaller numbers (12 & 10% each). The phyto-climatic gradient of the vegetation was evaluated using Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Phyto-climatic relationships show that Phanerophytes especially tree species are widely distributed on northern aspect slopes whilst shrubs are more dominant on southern aspect slopes. Woody plants are dominant at lower altitudes (2450-2800 m), with a much smaller proportion occurring at middle elevations (2800-3300 m) whilst higher (3300-3900 m) and highest elevations (3900-4400 m) are dominated mainly by hemi-cryptophytes and cryptophytes. Our findings further elucidate that vegetation changes gradually from moist-cool temperate Phanerophytic and Chamaephytic elements to dry-cold subalpine and alpine herbaceous Cryptophytic and Hemi-cryptophytic vegetation in the upper elevations. Assessment of life forms and ecological gradient provide a basis for more extensive conservation studies on biodiversity in mountain ecosystems. Our findings further advocate that the Naran Valley appears to be at a transitional floristic position bridging the contrasting moist and dry temperate zones of the Sino-Japanese and Irano-Turanian floristic regions.
The International Journal of Engineering & Science is aimed at providing a platform for researchers, engineers, scientists, or educators to publish their original research results, to exchange new ideas, to disseminate information in innovative designs, engineering experiences and technological skills. It is also the Journal's objective to promote engineering and technology education. All papers submitted to the Journal will be blind peer-reviewed. Only original articles will be published.
The papers for publication in The International Journal of Engineering& Science are selected through rigorous peer reviews to ensure originality, timeliness, relevance, and readability.
Tools for integrating conservation priorities with conservation opportunities...Aberdeen CES
1. Land clearance continues to be an issue in Australia, with over 130,000 square kilometers of forests converted to agricultural land globally between 2000-2010. In South Australia's agricultural region, only 29.5% of native vegetation remains.
2. The study examines the relationship between conservation priority and opportunity on private farmland in South Australia's Murray-Darling Basin region through a landholder survey. Landholders were classified as disengaged, moderately engaged, or highly engaged in conservation based on native vegetation planting.
3. Results show highly engaged landholders had higher education, more off-farm income, and were more motivated by environmental factors than disengaged landholders. Moderately engaged landholders
Managing vegetation for multiple benefit outcomes – Diagnosis and Prognosis Richard Thackway
A framework for evaluating changes in extent and condition of woody native vegetation communities in the Murray Darling Basin. An approach for developing scenarios for future landscape transformation to enhance native vegetation communities
Tracking the Transformation of Vegetated Landscapes (VAST)Richard Thackway
Presentation given to the NSW Ecological Consultants Association 2013 Conference held at Fairmont Resort at Leura, NSW in the Blue Mountains on 2nd August 2013. Conference theme “Offsets: determination, assessment and management”. presentation was part of the Scientific and Consultant Perspective session.
Presentation by Dr. Linda Nagel to introduce the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) project at the Northern Rockies ASCC Workshop held June 28, 2016
Application of land management information to improve the tracking of changes...Richard Thackway
Most changes over time in the extent and condition of native vegetation types can be accounted by changes in Land use and land management practices (LMP). Obvious changes and trends in the structure, composition and function of native vegetation can be detected using remote sensing. While environmental models are helpful they must access site data on the effects that LMP have on essential environmental variables. More subtle changes in native vegetation extent and condition must be directly measured using ground-based observations of the interactions to attribute cause and effect to natural processes and LMP. Ideally we need an information system which informs the survey, classification and mapping and modelling of LMP at various scales
This document summarizes a study that assessed patterns of oak regeneration and carbon storage in relation to forest management, historical land use, and potential trade-offs between the two goals. The study was conducted in an oak-dominated forest in Illinois that had undergone various restoration-focused management regimes including prescribed fire and thinning over at least 20 years. The results showed that live biomass was increasing across the landscape but was not strongly related to differences in management or land use history. Oak regeneration was rare and also not strongly related to recent management. This indicates that current management has failed to create the open canopy conditions needed for successful oak recruitment. No significant trade-offs were found between biomass accrual and oak regeneration, likely because management has
Tracking change in land use and vegetation conditionRichard Thackway
Seminar 'Tracking change in land use and vegetation condition' presented to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra on 22 February 2013.
Adaptation Strategies in Agriculture_AlmazAlmaz Demessie
This document discusses adaptation strategies for agriculture in the face of climate change. It outlines that effective adaptation can manage the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture. Adaptation is a process of socio-institutional co-learning that uses information at various levels. Adaptation will depend on adjustments at all levels from community to international, though capacity varies between locations and development levels. The adaptation process can reduce climate impacts and enhance development, but depends on factors like wealth, technology, education and management capabilities. Gender must be mainstreamed to avoid increasing inequality and ensure successful adaptation. Adaptation measures should be evidence-based and have multiple economic and environmental benefits. Possible agricultural adaptations include cultural practices, land use changes, management changes like irrigation and awareness
The document outlines the Eyre Peninsula NRM Board's climate change research strategy and priorities. The objectives are to understand climate change through research and modeling, adapt to living with climate change through resilient farming systems, mitigate climate impacts by reducing emissions, and facilitate communication through knowledge sharing. Key research priorities include downscaling climate models, understanding impacts on water resources, developing adaptive land management, and opportunities to sequester carbon and reduce emissions.
Tracking sand dune transformation before, during and after sand dune mining,...Richard Thackway
Unmodified landscapes are transformed by the removal of vegetation prior to, during sand mining and through restoration, after mining. Bridge Hill Ridge is presented as a case study for the application of a standardised national system (VAST-2) to account for ecological changes before, during and after mining. Bridge Hill Ridge is a high coastal sand dune, part of the Myall Lakes National Park, NSW. A reference state was defined for the unmodified unmined Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) and smooth barked apple (Angophora costata) open forest, comprising ten ecological characteristics, integrated with 22 indicators. This information provided the basis for assessing change and trend over time in regard to mining and restoration. Relevant sources of ecological data and information pertaining to the ten ecological characteristics and 22 indicators were compiled and analysed relative to the reference states. Key researchers and land managers who had worked on the site were contacted and interviewed. A field visit was conducted in mid-January 2014 to validate assessment of change and trend, almost 40 years after mine restoration. The effects of land management practices, i.e. mining and restoration, upon the unmodified Eucalypt open forest plant community were assessed relative to the reference state to determine the relative change and trend in the ten ecological characteristics and 22 indicators over time. Reporting standardized indicators helps land managers and other decision makers to understand the nature of change and trend in regard to predicted future states; to make adjustments in rehabilitation activities (e.g. hydrological interventions, control of weeds and feral animals, mitigation of wildfire, and management of people). The benefits of integrated monitoring and reporting using a standardised report card provides a simple tool to inform inform stakeholders of progress towards agreed target/s of vegetation structure, species composition and regenerative capacity (landscape function).
Rosemont Copper gave this presentation on the Rosemont Reclamation Plan dated July 2007. The presentation was given to the Forest Service and their contractors during a meeting in May 2010.
1) The study assessed changes in soil sulfur fractions from the conversion of rainforests to oil palm plantations and food gardens in Papua New Guinea.
2) Soil samples from forest, oil palm plantation, and food garden sites showed that conversion to oil palm increased reserve sulfur fractions in soil by about 28% while food gardening increased reserve sulfur by about 54%.
3) However, plant-available sulfate sulfur was below deficiency levels of 15 mg/kg in food garden soils and sweet potato crops, indicating a plant-available sulfur deficiency.
WE1.L09 - DESDYNI BIODIVERSITY AND HABITAT KEY VARIABLES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR...grssieee
This document discusses the use of lidar and radar data from the proposed DESDynI mission to characterize 3D vegetation structure for assessments of biodiversity and habitat. It identifies key variables like canopy height, height profiles, biomass, and cover that influence habitat suitability and have been correlated with species diversity. Fusion of lidar and radar is highlighted as providing more complete and accurate global maps of these important structural metrics compared to either sensor alone. The document concludes that lidar-radar fusion holds promise for advancing scientific understanding of biodiversity patterns in relation to forest structure and how these may change in response to disturbance events.
The document discusses environmental zoning for biodiversity conservation in Lawaan, Eastern Samar, Philippines. It analyzed the area's biodiversity using ecological and social criteria through surveys and GIS mapping. Three zones were identified - very critical, critical, and less critical - based on biodiversity index values across elevation gradients. The study found that concentric zoning could lead to lower elevation extinction, and proposed environmental zoning as a new biodiversity conservation paradigm for the area.
This document summarizes a research project on understanding and enhancing soil ecosystem services and resilience in UK grasslands and croplands. The project will:
1) Survey paired natural and intensified agricultural sites across the UK to quantify impacts on soil biodiversity, ecosystem services, and resilience to climate change.
2) Use mesocosm experiments to test the resilience of soil biodiversity and functions to environmental change under different land management intensities.
3) Develop process-based and spatial models to scale relationships between soil biodiversity and ecosystem services under scenarios of environmental change.
This document provides contact information, employment history, education, skills, and research projects for Alan Patrick Bischoff. It details that he has over 10 years of experience in the oil and mining industries, with expertise in areas like seismic interpretation, reservoir characterization, and structural geology. He has post-graduate degrees focusing on sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, and petroleum geology from universities in Brazil.
This article examines how local habitat quality and surrounding landscape affect the development of carabid beetle assemblages on restored landfill sites. The study analyzed carabid species composition, richness, and abundance across 9 restored landfill sites and paired reference sites in the UK. A total of 1014 carabid beetles from 37 species were collected. Seeded landfill sites had higher species richness and diversity than unseeded sites, and more vegetation cover and nearby grasslands also positively impacted carabid assemblages. The restored landfill sites supported generalist beetle species but no rare species. Habitat restoration through seeding and management may improve these sites for carabid conservation.
This is the Honours presentation of Patrick Hayes. It describes his work on leaf nutrient concentration and resorption along the 2-million year Jurien Bay dune chronosequence. Patty gave an excellent talk!
Phyto climatic gradient of vegetation and habitat specificity in the high ele...Shujaul Mulk Khan
Phyto-climatic gradient and ecological indicators can be used to understand the requirements, long term management and conservation strategies of natural habitats and species. For this purpose phytosociological attributes were measured using quadrats along transects on different slope aspects across an elevation range of 2450-4400 m. The 198 recorded plant species were placed in five Raunkiaer life form classes among which the Hemicryptophytes (51%) dominate the flora of the study area followed by Phanerophytes and Cryptophytes (Geophytes) with 15 and 13% dominance respectively. Therophytes and Chamaephytes are represented by smaller numbers (12 & 10% each). The phyto-climatic gradient of the vegetation was evaluated using Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Phyto-climatic relationships show that Phanerophytes especially tree species are widely distributed on northern aspect slopes whilst shrubs are more dominant on southern aspect slopes. Woody plants are dominant at lower altitudes (2450-2800 m), with a much smaller proportion occurring at middle elevations (2800-3300 m) whilst higher (3300-3900 m) and highest elevations (3900-4400 m) are dominated mainly by hemi-cryptophytes and cryptophytes. Our findings further elucidate that vegetation changes gradually from moist-cool temperate Phanerophytic and Chamaephytic elements to dry-cold subalpine and alpine herbaceous Cryptophytic and Hemi-cryptophytic vegetation in the upper elevations. Assessment of life forms and ecological gradient provide a basis for more extensive conservation studies on biodiversity in mountain ecosystems. Our findings further advocate that the Naran Valley appears to be at a transitional floristic position bridging the contrasting moist and dry temperate zones of the Sino-Japanese and Irano-Turanian floristic regions.
The International Journal of Engineering & Science is aimed at providing a platform for researchers, engineers, scientists, or educators to publish their original research results, to exchange new ideas, to disseminate information in innovative designs, engineering experiences and technological skills. It is also the Journal's objective to promote engineering and technology education. All papers submitted to the Journal will be blind peer-reviewed. Only original articles will be published.
The papers for publication in The International Journal of Engineering& Science are selected through rigorous peer reviews to ensure originality, timeliness, relevance, and readability.
Tools for integrating conservation priorities with conservation opportunities...Aberdeen CES
1. Land clearance continues to be an issue in Australia, with over 130,000 square kilometers of forests converted to agricultural land globally between 2000-2010. In South Australia's agricultural region, only 29.5% of native vegetation remains.
2. The study examines the relationship between conservation priority and opportunity on private farmland in South Australia's Murray-Darling Basin region through a landholder survey. Landholders were classified as disengaged, moderately engaged, or highly engaged in conservation based on native vegetation planting.
3. Results show highly engaged landholders had higher education, more off-farm income, and were more motivated by environmental factors than disengaged landholders. Moderately engaged landholders
Managing vegetation for multiple benefit outcomes – Diagnosis and Prognosis Richard Thackway
A framework for evaluating changes in extent and condition of woody native vegetation communities in the Murray Darling Basin. An approach for developing scenarios for future landscape transformation to enhance native vegetation communities
VAST: A Framework for Assessing the Transformation of Native Vegetation Richard Thackway
The VAST framework was developed for assessing and reporting on the degree of modification of plant communities modified by land management regimes and production systems. Modification is assessed using criteria and indicators of ecological function, structure and composition. Depending of the need VAST can operate at spatial and temporal scales. The framework is outlined showing how the degradation and restoration of forest/vegetation types relates to deliberate and unintentional land management decisions. A case study of the Cumberland State Forest, Pennant Hills, New South Wales is presented. Users of the framework consider four key issues; 1) Must differentiate severe natural disturbance events from impacts of land management regimes; 2) Must define reference state using the same indicators of ecological function, structure and composition; 3) Must understand stable condition states and multiple benefits (ecosystem services); and 4) Must understand interactions between patterns of rainfall and land management regimes.
What's your property's story? Establishing a baseline for landscape improvementRichard Thackway
Soils for Life workshop was held at “Jillamatong” Braidwood, NSW on 13 November 2013. The presentation outlines a system for assessing change and trend in vegetation condition at the paddock level using the VAST framework. To assess change and trend it is necessary to develop ecological literacy about ecological function. The presentation steps through key components of the VAST framework including collating a chronology about land management practices and regimes and the observed effects these practices had on indicators ecological function. A simple graphical report card is used to assist the land manager see where they have come from, where they are now and to plan strategies for achieving future outcomes by changing land management practices and regimes. Site and paddock-based monitoring of core indicators will assist the and manager to track change and trend.
Knowing more about your land - establishing a knowledge baseline for landscap...Richard Thackway
Soils for Life workshop was held at “Jillamatong” Braidwood, NSW on 13 November 2013. The presentation outlines a system for assessing change and trend in vegetation condition at the paddock level using the VAST framework. To assess change and trend it is necessary to develop ecological literacy about ecological function. The presentation steps through key components of the VAST framework including collating and collecting a chronology about land management practices and regimes and the observed effects these practices had on indicators ecological function. A simple graphical report card is used to assist the land manager see where they have come from, where they are now and to plan strategies for achieving future outcomes by changing land management practices and regimes. Site and paddock-based monitoring of core indicators will assist the and manager to track change and trend.
All is not what it seems - Why integrate land management and ecological liter...Richard Thackway
The condition of native vegetation types is changed and transformed over time by land use and land management practices. Intensive natural events are illustrated which effect vegetation structure and composition in the short term. Long term interactions between intensive natural events such as firestorms, windstorms and pest animals are presented. The VAST-2 system is used to illustrate several case studies including sand mining, sheep and cattle grazing, pest animals and cropping.
This lecture was given to the Fenner School, Australian National University as part of an intensive post graduate course (ENVS 2022/6012, Sustainable Systems: Rural (2015)).
Framework for assessing and reporting resilience of native vegetationRichard Thackway
A framework is presented that is relevant to all terrestrial ecosystems and their modification states. Unpinning the framework is the tool's ability to track change and trends based on assessing effects of land management regimes. Effects of these regimes on criteria & indicators of function, structure and composition are scored using criteria and indicators. Changes in condition, resilience and transformation are assessed relative to fully natural a reference state for each plant community. Assessments are constrained to soil landscape units because this approximates to land manager’s use and management of the landscape. The framework helps decision makers assess and report change at sites and landscapes due to human management and natural drivers.
Assessing and reporting resilience of native vegetation using VAST Richard Thackway
The use and management of forested landscapes results in their transformation. Land management practices are used to change key ecological criteria include fire regime, soil hydrology, nutrient status, soil biology, overstorey and understorey vegetation structure and species composition. Two case studies in the Cumberland State Forest, Sydney, NSW are presented showing the transformation of the forest over time.
Transformation Pathways - The recovery and restoration of native vegetation.Richard Thackway
Case studies across Australia, including Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo, are presented providing insights in plant community resilience, possible system trajectories. Outcomes of each assessment can be used in adaptive management e.g. 1) inform what direct measures of field-based attributes need to be collected to fill gaps in knowledge and 2) to guide potential management interventions to transition a site toward a desired condition state. Each assessment commences with knowledge of local First Nations land management regimes in the early 1800s and is followed by a detailed local scale systematic chronology of land use and land management regimes and a synthesis of relevant ecological data and information on the responses of the plant community over time with observed impacts of on ground regimes and practices. The framework is based on 22 indicators hierarchically organised into ecological function, structural and compositional criteria. Changes in benchmarked values of criteria and indicators over time are used to track the response of a plant community to land management regimes and practices. A transformation index is calculated over time relative to a fully natural reference state. This process enables a competent ecologist to assess status, change and trend of native vegetation (plant community types).
A systematic framework is presented for assessing the outcomes of intentional and unintentional land management practices on the condition components of plant communities. The world over – land management regimes and practices are used to maintain or to transform natural ecosystems by modifying, removing and replacing native vegetation. Equally, management regimes and practices are used to rehabilitate and restore native vegetation (plant community types). Decisions to reconnect fragmented landscapes are informed by such information.
Response measures in the framework are populated using relevant data and information from expert elicitation, environmental histories, interviews with skilled subject specialists, long term ecological monitoring programs and multi-spatial and multi-temporal remote sensing datasets.
This document provides an overview of a curriculum module on climate change and water resources in Bangladesh. It covers:
1. How climate change is intensifying floods, droughts and cyclones and impacting people and environments through sea level rise, impacts on water resources, food security, human health and ecosystems.
2. Responses to climate change through mitigation and adaptation, including climate-resilient forest and water resource management, vulnerability assessments, and effective communication.
3. Case studies and examples of adaptation strategies for water resources like mangrove replanting, adjusting agricultural practices through new crops, irrigation, and relocating communities threatened by flooding.
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Devising a citizen science monitoring programme for tree regeneration the upl...Muki Haklay
Presentation by Chris Andrews from a participatory virtual workshop June 2020 on citizen science in the Cairngorms national park. Aims of presentation: To provide a background information as to what's going on ecologically in the uplands; To explore why some upland habitats might be changing; Example of what could be done through a case study at the ECN Cairngorm long-term monitoring site; Provide a framework in which to think about what variables might be useful to citizen science project on monitoring regeneration.
Relinking landscapes - assessing ecological transformations using VAST-2Richard Thackway
Over the last 20 years in Australia the number and popularity of landscape linkage projects have increased. Arguably these landscape connectivity initiatives represent a good case for social and political transformations however, there the ability to discern whether these initiatives make a contribution to biodiversity outcomes is questioned because of a lack of monitoring reporting.
This presentation proposes an accounting approach to track biodiversity outcomes using indicators of regenerative capacity, vegetation structure and species composition. This requires ecologists to engage land managers as equal partners to collect on-ground observations and/measurements
Linh Hoang, USDA Forest Service Region 1 Climate Change Coordinator, presents the 2012 Planning Rule and how practical applications are needed to translate climate information into climate-informed management, at the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Workshop for the Northern Rockies.
Environmentally sensitive areas need to be protected from development. Best management practices include:
- Identifying environmentally sensitive areas on or near development sites through detailed site inventories.
- Designing developments to retain environmentally sensitive areas, create buffers around them, and link them to nearby greenspaces.
- Protecting environmentally sensitive areas during and after development through limiting access, using native landscaping, and retaining natural ecological processes.
Here are some potential adaptation tactics:
- Plant drought- and heat-tolerant native tree species to facilitate transitions in forest composition
- Maintain riparian buffer zones to help moderate water temperature increases and protect water quality
- Implement controlled burns or thinning to reduce wildfire risk and encourage resilience to drought
- Monitor wildlife and plant species for changes in distribution or health and adjust conservation efforts
- Protect microclimates and refugia that could support species survival under changing conditions
The tactics aim to both facilitate ecosystem adjustments to changes while also supporting existing stewardship objectives like species protection, water quality, and reduced fire risk. Monitoring is key to evaluating the effectiveness of actions over time.
Climate change presents both specific and generic challenges for marine biodiversity and fisheries. A portfolio approach is needed to manage these challenges as the issues have multiple drivers and require multifaceted solutions. Information related to climate change impacts must also be addressed synergistically. Quality climate change science is important to inform policy in this confused policy area. Both attribution of impacts and understanding variability, extremes, interactions and feedbacks are major scientific challenges.
TSBF Institute of CIAT: Sustainable Land Management for Eco-efficient Agricul...CIAT
The document discusses the objectives and rationale of the TSBF Institute of CIAT Program TS2, which aims to enhance knowledge of soil ecological functions, utilize targeted land use and soil management interventions, and enhance production of ecosystem services through sustainable agriculture. The program will evaluate eco-efficient land and soil management practices for landscape levels and develop options for interventions to enhance production, ecosystem functions, and adaptation to climate change. Key outputs include validated alternative technologies and systems, improved problem identification, improved targeting and decision making, and successful implementation of interventions to improve land productivity and prevent degradation.
Australia's Protected Areas - Caring for CountryRichard Thackway
The document summarizes the history and current state of protected areas in Australia. It discusses the definition of protected areas and the rationale for establishing them to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. It outlines the development of Australia's national reserve system since the 1980s in response to international agreements. Key challenges addressed include engaging indigenous groups and private landowners as well as establishing marine protected areas. The future of the system is uncertain given lack of government funding and collaboration, but new partnerships may help expand protected areas to address climate change.
Phillip Is, Pacific Ocean: Drivers of landscape degradation and recovery and ...Richard Thackway
We present an assessment of the modification of the vegetation condition found on Phillip Island relative to a fully natural pre-European (1750) reference state and the current land and sea birds recorded on the Island. The island became denuded between the late 1700s and mid-1850s. Introductions of pigs, goats and rabbits were made to feed to penal colony of the nearby Norfolk Island. Almost complete loss of vegetation types, extent and condition is attributed to a deliberate land management regime: used to feed the pigs and goats. Pigs and goats became extinct with the loss of vegetation on the Island. Rabbits persisted on the Island until 1988, when they were eradicated. Changes in the extent of vegetation cover has been remarkable from a very low level up to 1900-1980 (estimated <1%); it now covers large areas of the island including valleys and gulleys and cliffs (estimated 50%). Our analyses show that the condition of the largely passively recovered vegetation extent is not of a high condition relative to an assumed reference state (1750) for Pine – Hardwood Subtropical Rainforest. A reconstructed pre-European settlement (original) list of sea birds shows that sea birds diversity on the island have changed little in three recent bird surveys (1978-2015). A reconstructed pre-European settlement (original) list of land birds shows that land birds have obviously changed, with many of the current species not represented in the pre-European list. The current list of land birds, which make up most of the current list of species recorded on Phillip Island have invaded from the nearby Norfolk Island. We conclude that current bird species diversity and distribution on the island is a not a function of the condition of the indigenous native vegetation, assessed relative to a pre-European reference state, but rather it appears to be a response to the lack of mammalian grazing mammals and the present of open to dense shrubby vegetation.
Monitoring and Reporting Landscape Condition on Defence Lands Richard Thackway
This document presents a nationally consistent method for monitoring and reporting landscape condition on defence lands. It defines key concepts like landscape capability and modification. It describes mapping landform patterns and landscape modification classes. A case study demonstrates assessing landscape condition at Kapooka Military Area using landscape management units, remote sensing, and criteria/indicators of ecological function. The methodology allows evaluating changes in landscape condition over time to inform land management practices and ensure defence land remains suitable for purpose.
Development and application of core attributes, A first approximation nation...Richard Thackway
Revegetation, including restoration and rehabilitation, is a major public-private strategy to protect natural resources, repair stressed ecosystems and habitats and is essential for maintaining sustainable production and delivery of ecosystem services. Revegetation and rehabilitation activities are funded via public or private investment, or a combination of both, at national, state and regional levels. A capacity to routinely track changes and trends in revegetation type, extent and condition at a national level has lagged behind considerable investments over several decades in on-ground strategic revegetation activities and changes in land management practices. The extent of revegetation may be derived from multiple sources including: regional surveys, remote sensing, catchment-based data and site-based inventory. States and territories use a range of methods to record and report site and landscape scale revegetation extent. Despite the development and endorsement of national standards for the tracking changes in the type, extent and condition of revegetation, these standards have not been systematically or comprehensively adopted at regional, state and national levels. The national standard was used to report on the extent of national revegetation using the best available regional and national scale data and information; the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Agricultural Census and the National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS). This approach provides a first approximation of changes in the extent of revegetation or rehabilitated land in Australia. Systematic and comprehensive monitoring and reporting of revegetation extent at site and landscape scales are critical for consistently evaluating successes of revegetation outcomes. Improved accuracy of reports would be achieved by using the national standard.
National coordination of consistent NRM data and information to inform land u...Richard Thackway
Land use and planning utilizes varied natural resource datasets obtained from diverse sources; national, state, regional, local and site levels. The Australia Government plays a major role in coordinating the collection, compilation, analysis and publication of nationally consistent environmental datasets. These national compilations have proven critical to supporting informed land use decision making at national, state and regional levels. This Australia Government role, acknowledges that the state and territory governments under the Australian constitution are responsible for day-to-day land use and land management. Coordinating the efficient national collection, compilation and supply of agreed data for different purposes involves developing agreed environmental guidelines and standards as well as legal instruments. The Australian Government and its agencies also perform a major role as a broker in the establishment, development and maintenance of mutual benefit partnerships between collaborating land management and research institutions. Good examples of efficient and effective coordinating arrangements are usually supported through publicly funded NRM programs which enable the data owner /supplier to add value to existing data infrastructure programs to meet an agreed national data standard.
Tracking the effects of land use and management on vegetation conditionRichard Thackway
This document outlines a methodology called VAST-2 (Vegetation Assets States and Transitions) for tracking changes in vegetation condition over time due to land use and management practices. VAST-2 scores 22 indicators of regenerative capacity, vegetation structure, and species composition for a site against a pre-settlement reference state. Case studies applying VAST-2 to sites in Cumberland State Forest in NSW from 1941-2012 are presented. Lessons learned include that VAST-2 is useful for engaging stakeholders, synthesizing information to understand vegetation transformation, and reporting progress towards vegetation targets.
The use and management of native vegetated landscapes results in their transformation. Intensification leads to transforming diverse plant communities into agricultural, plantation forestry and urban land cover types. Extensification can lead to transforming agricultural and plantation forestry cover types into other cover types including native plant communities. Site and landscape interactions include degradation, modification, conversion, fragmentation, restoration, regeneration and increased connectivity. To date there has been no standardized national system for ecologically accounting for the effect of anthropogenic practices on vegetation condition over time. VAST aims to provide a consistent approach to tracking change and trend in the use and management of vegetated landscapes.
Download the Latest OSHA 10 Answers PDF : oyetrade.comNarendra Jayas
Latest OSHA 10 Test Question and Answers PDF for Construction and General Industry Exam.
Download the full set of 390 MCQ type question and answers - https://www.oyetrade.com/OSHA-10-Answers-2021.php
To Help OSHA 10 trainees to pass their pre-test and post-test we have prepared set of 390 question and answers called OSHA 10 Answers in downloadable PDF format. The OSHA 10 Answers question bank is prepared by our in-house highly experienced safety professionals and trainers. The OSHA 10 Answers document consists of 390 MCQ type question and answers updated for year 2024 exams.
The modification of an existing product or the formulation of a new product to fill a newly identified market niche or customer need are both examples of product development. This study generally developed and conducted the formulation of aramang baked products enriched with malunggay conducted by the researchers. Specifically, it answered the acceptability level in terms of taste, texture, flavor, odor, and color also the overall acceptability of enriched aramang baked products. The study used the frequency distribution for evaluators to determine the acceptability of enriched aramang baked products enriched with malunggay. As per sensory evaluation conducted by the researchers, it was proven that aramang baked products enriched with malunggay was acceptable in terms of Odor, Taste, Flavor, Color, and Texture. Based on the results of sensory evaluation of enriched aramang baked products proven that three (3) treatments were all highly acceptable in terms of variable Odor, Taste, Flavor, Color and Textures conducted by the researchers.
Kinetic studies on malachite green dye adsorption from aqueous solutions by A...Open Access Research Paper
Water polluted by dyestuffs compounds is a global threat to health and the environment; accordingly, we prepared a green novel sorbent chemical and Physical system from an algae, chitosan and chitosan nanoparticle and impregnated with algae with chitosan nanocomposite for the sorption of Malachite green dye from water. The algae with chitosan nanocomposite by a simple method and used as a recyclable and effective adsorbent for the removal of malachite green dye from aqueous solutions. Algae, chitosan, chitosan nanoparticle and algae with chitosan nanocomposite were characterized using different physicochemical methods. The functional groups and chemical compounds found in algae, chitosan, chitosan algae, chitosan nanoparticle, and chitosan nanoparticle with algae were identified using FTIR, SEM, and TGADTA/DTG techniques. The optimal adsorption conditions, different dosages, pH and Temperature the amount of algae with chitosan nanocomposite were determined. At optimized conditions and the batch equilibrium studies more than 99% of the dye was removed. The adsorption process data matched well kinetics showed that the reaction order for dye varied with pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order. Furthermore, the maximum adsorption capacity of the algae with chitosan nanocomposite toward malachite green dye reached as high as 15.5mg/g, respectively. Finally, multiple times reusing of algae with chitosan nanocomposite and removing dye from a real wastewater has made it a promising and attractive option for further practical applications.
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The incorporation of a 3DCSM and completion of HRSC provided a tool for enhanced, data-driven, decisions to support a change in remediation closure strategies. Currently, an approved pilot study has been obtained to shut-down the remediation systems (ISCO, P&T) and conduct a hydraulic study under non-pumping conditions. A separate micro-biological bench scale treatability study was competed that yielded positive results for an emerging innovative technology. As a result, a field pilot study has commenced with results expected in nine-twelve months. With the results of the hydraulic study, field pilot studies and an updated risk assessment leading site monitoring optimization cost lifecycle savings upwards of $15MM towards an alternatively evolved best available technology remediation closure strategy.
Earth Day How has technology changed our life?
Thinkers/Inquiry • How has our ability to think and inquire helped to advance technology?
Vocabulary • Nature Deficit Disorder~ A condition that some people maintain is a spreading affliction especially affecting youth but also their adult counterparts, characterized by an excessive lack of familiarity with the outdoors and the natural world. • Precautionary Principle~ The approach whereby any possible risk associated with the introduction of a new technology is largely avoided, until a full understanding of its impact on health, environment and other areas is available.
What is technology? • Brainstorm a list of technology that you use everyday that your parents or grandparents did not have. • Compare your list with a partner.
A system for tracking the resilience of native vegetation on Defence lands
1. A system for tracking the resilience of
native vegetation on Defence lands
Richard Thackway
Institute of Australian Geographers 2015 conference
Military Geography Session
Crawford School, ANU
1-3 July 2015
2. Outline
• Why native vegetation extent and condition is important?
• Need for a systems approach for assessing vegetation condition
• Defence estate case studies at landscape and site levels
– Vegetation condition inside & outside training areas
– Transformation of a site over time
• Lessons
• Conclusions
4. Need for a systems approach
• Assessments of the vegetation condition must treat all land tenures
equally, including DoD estates
• DoD manages a diverse range of native vegetation types in varying
degrees of condition
• DoD is unable to quantify changes and trends in the vegetation extent
& condition within its estate
5. Concepts and definitions
• Resilience = the capacity of an plant community to recover
toward a reference state following a change/s in land
management
• Change in condition of a plant community (type) is due to
effects of land management practices on indicators of:
– Vegetation structure
– Species composition
– Regenerative capacity
• Transformation = changes in vegetation condition over time
• Condition, resilience and transformation are assessed relative
to a fully natural Reference state
Vegetation condition
(a composite index)
6. What effects do DOD
management practices have
on the vegetation condition of
defence estates over time?
Defence Estate Quality Management System (DEQMS) - Training Area Sustainability
NB: Detailed policy guidance on landscape management issues such as soil erosion, biodiversity
protection, heritage management, fire and biosecurity is to be found on the DEQMS Governance
Policy page. Threatening processes such as overabundant species, ferals and weed management
are also covered in the specific program areas
7. Modification of sites and landscapes
Indigenous
land
management
First
explorers
Grazing
Degreeof
resilience/condition
Tracked
vehicles
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Time
Reference state
Long
term
rainfall
Long term
disturbance
e.g. wildfire,
cyclones
Revegetation
Condition
classes
Weeds
Ferals
2015
Fire
8. How do land managers modify structure, composition &
function (i.e. resilience) over time?
LMP that focus on soil
LMP that focus on
native vegetation
Regenerative capacity/ function
Vegetation structure &
Species composition
1. Soil hydrological status
2. Soil physical status
3. Soil chemical status
4. Soil biological status
5. Fire regime
6. Reproductive potential
7. Overstorey structure
8. Understorey structure
9. Overstorey composition
10. Understorey composition
LMP = Land Management Practices
Focussing on 10 key criteria
9. Common interventions designed to influence
structure, composition & function i.e. resilience
Various interventions:
Land management practices (LMP) are used to influence ecological building blocks at sites
and landscapes by:
• Modifying …
• Removing and replacing …
• Enhancing …
• Restoring …
• Maintaining …
• Improving …
Various purposes:
Including trafficability, biodiversity conservation, water quality, minimize detection
To achieve the desired mix of ecosystem services (space & time)
10. VAST = Vegetation Assets States and Transitions
VIVIVIIIIII0
Native vegetation
cover
Non-native vegetation
cover
Increasing modification caused by use and management
Transitions = trend
Vegetation
thresholds
Reference
for each veg
type (NVIS)
A framework for assessing modification of
native vegetation condition
Condition states
Residual or
unmodified
Naturally
bare
Modified Transformed Replaced -
Adventive
Replaced -
managed
Replaced -
removed
Thackway & Lesslie (2008) Environmental Management, 42, 572-90
Diagnostic attributes of VAST (classes):
• Vegetation structure
• Species composition
• Regenerative capacity
Resilience
threshold
VAST-2 criteria
and indicators
Change & Trends
13. Which Defence estates to include?
Source: http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/reviews/adfposture/docs/base_map.pdf
14. Agro-climatic groups from:
Hutchinson et al. (2005) Global
Ecol. Biogeogr. 14,1-15
Coloured = Native vegetation, varying condition (VAST 0 - I)
Grid = Modified vegetation (VAST II-III)
Open = Native vegetation replaced (VAST V – VI)
Mediterranean
Cold wet
cc
cc
Tropical warm
season wet
Temperate cool
season wet
Temperate
sub-humid
Tropical wet
Dry
Tropical
warm-season
moist
Sub-tropical
sub-humid
Sub-tropical
moist
Context of selected training areas
15. Wide Bay
Training
Area
Greenbank
Training Area
Puckapunyal
Military Area
Salt Ash Air
Weapons
Range
Shoalwater
Bay
Training
Area
Stony Head
Training Area
Townsville
Field Training
Area
Canungra
Field
Training
Area
Landscape Alteration Levels – only a snapshot
Condition
States
16. Agro-climatic regions Military Training Area Landscape Alteration Levels
(Regional scale)
Tropical warm-season moist Townsville Field Training Area (TFTA) Intact / Variegated
Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) Intact / Variegated
Sub-tropical moist Canungra Field Training Area (CFTA) Variegated / Fragmented
Greenbank Training Area (GBTA) Variegated / Fragmented
Wide Bay Training Area (WBTA) Variegated / Fragmented
Salt Ash Air Weapons Range (SaltAsh) Variegated / Fragmented
Temperate cool season wet Puckapunyal Military Area (PMA) Variegated / Fragmented
Stony Head Training Area (SHTA) Variegated / Fragmented
Dry -
Cold wet -
Mediterranean -
Sub-tropical sub-humid -
Tropical wet -
Temperate sub-humid -
Selected training areas landscape alteration context
18. Condition classes inside and surrounding
Townsville Field Training Area (TFTA), Qld
Naturally bare
Unmodified
Transformed
Modified
Removed & managed
Removed & replaced
Native
vegetation
Outside DoD area
Inside DoD area
0
1
2
3
5
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 1 2 3 5 6
Relativearea(percent)
Condition classes
Condition classes inside and surrounding
Townsville Field Training Area (TFTA)
TFTA
TFTA_buf
Inside
Outside
19. Condition classes inside and surrounding
Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA), Qld
Naturally bare
Unmodified
Transformed
Modified
Removed & managed
Removed & replaced
Native
vegetation
Outside DoD area
Inside DoD area
0
1
2
3
5
6
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 1 2 3 5 6
Relativearea(percent)
Condition classes
Condition classes inside and surrounding
Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA)
SWBTA
SWBTA_buf
Inside
Outside
20. Condition classes inside and surrounding
Wide Bay Training Area (WBTA), Qld
Naturally bare
Unmodified
Transformed
Modified
Removed & managed
Removed & replaced
Native
vegetation
Outside DoD area
Inside DoD area
0
1
2
3
5
6
0
20
40
60
80
100
0 1 2 3 5 6
Relativearea(percent)
Condition classes
Condition classes inside and surrounding Wide Bay
Training Area (WBTA)
WBTA
WBTA_buf
Inside
Outside
21. Condition classes inside and surrounding
Canungra Field Training Area (CFTA), Qld
Naturally bare
Unmodified
Transformed
Modified
Removed & managed
Removed & replaced
Native
vegetation
Outside DoD area
Inside DoD area
0
1
2
3
5
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 1 2 3 5 6
Relativearea(percent)
Condition classes
Condition classes inside and surrounding
Canungra Field Training Area (CFTA)
CFTA
CFTA_buf
Inside
Outside
22. Condition classes inside and surrounding
Greenbank Training Area (GBTA), Qld
Naturally bare
Unmodified
Transformed
Modified
Removed & managed
Removed & replaced
Native
vegetation
Outside DoD area
Inside DoD area
0
1
2
3
5
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 1 2 3 5 6
Relativearea(percent)
Condition classes
Condition classes inside and surrounding
Greenbank Training Area (GBTA)
GBTA
GBTA_buf
Inside
Outside
23. Condition classes inside and surrounding
Salt Ash Air Weapons Range (SaltAsh), NSW
Naturally bare
Unmodified
Transformed
Modified
Removed & managed
Removed & replaced
Native
vegetation
Outside DoD area
Inside DoD area
0
1
2
3
5
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 1 2 3 5 6
Relativearea(percent)
Condition classes
Condition classes inside and surrounding Salt Ash
Air Weapons Range (SaltAsh)
SaltAsh
SaltAsh_buf
Inside
Outside
24. Condition classes inside and surrounding
Puckapunyal Military Area (PMA), Vic
Naturally bare
Unmodified
Transformed
Modified
Removed & managed
Removed & replaced
Native
vegetation
Outside DoD area
Inside DoD area
0
1
2
3
5
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 1 2 3 5 6
Relativearea(percent)
Condition classes
Condition classes inside and surrounding
Puckapunyal Military Area (PMA)
PMA
PMA_buf
Inside
Outside
25. Condition classes inside and surrounding
Stony Head Training Area (SHTA), Tas
Naturally bare
Unmodified
Transformed
Modified
Removed & managed
Removed & replaced
Native
vegetation
Outside DoD area
Inside DoD area
0
1
2
3
5
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 1 2 3 5 6
Relativearea(percent)
Condition classes
Condition classes inside and surrounding
Stony Head Training Area (SHTA)
SHTA
SHTA_buf
Inside
Outside
26. Naturally bare
Unmodified
Transformed
Modified
Removed & managed
Removed & replaced
Native
vegetation
Outside DoD area
Inside DoD area
0
1
2
3
5
6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 1 2 3 5 6
Relativearea(percent)
Condition classes
Average condition classes inside and surrounding the eight military training
areas
Average inside Military areas
Average outside buffer
Inside
Outside
Average condition classes inside and outside the 8 DoD estates
27. What effect do DOD management
practices have on native vegetation
condition within particular defence
estates over time?
28. Generate total indices for ‘transformation site’ for each year of the
historical record. Validate using Expert Knowledge
• Compile and collate effects of land
management on criteria (10) and
indicators (22) over time.
• Evaluate impacts on the plant
community over time
Transformation site
• Compile and collate effects of
land management on criteria
(10) and indicators (22)
Reference state/sites
Score all 22 indicators for ‘transformation site’ relative to the
‘reference site’. 0 = major change; 1 = no change
Derive weighted indices for the ‘transformation site’ i.e. regenerative
capacity (55%), vegetation structure (27%) and species composition (18%)
by adding predefined indicators
General process for tracking change over time
29. Components
(3)
Criteria
(10)
Description of loss or gain relative to pre settlement indicator reference state
(22)Regenerativecapacity
Fire regime Change in the area /size of fire foot prints
Change in the number of fire starts
Soil hydrology Change in the soil surface water availability
Change in the ground water availability
Soil physical
state
Change in the depth of the A horizon
Change in soil structure.
Soil nutrient
state
Nutrient stress – rundown (deficiency) relative to soil fertility
Nutrient stress – excess (toxicity) relative to soil fertility
Soil biological
state
Change in the recyclers responsible for maintaining soil porosity and nutrient recycling
Change in surface organic matter, soil crusts
Reproductive
potential
Change in the reproductive potential of overstorey structuring species
Change in the reproductive potential of understorey structuring species
Vegetationstructure
Overstorey
structure
Change in the overstorey top height (mean) of the plant community
Change in the overstorey foliage projective cover (mean) of the plant community
Change in the overstorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the stand
Understorey
structure
Change in the understorey top height (mean) of the plant community
Change in the understorey ground cover (mean) of the plant community
Change in the understorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the plant
Species
Composition
Overstorey
composition
Change in the densities of overstorey species functional groups
Change in no.s of indigenous overstorey species relative to the number of exotic species
Understorey
composition
Change in the densities of understorey species functional groups
Change in no.s of indigenous understorey species relative to the number of exotic species
33. Approximate
year
Source:
Year
LU & LMP Source:
LU & LMP
Effects of land use and
management on criteria and
indicators of vegetation
condition
Source:
Effects
1800
1840
2015
Establish a chronology of data and information of
causes and effects /observed & measured responses
Pre-contact
First contact
Current year
LU = Land Use, LMP = Land Management Practices NB: Accuracy of each observation and
measurement is important
40. Contributions of DoD estates - looking forward
• Nationally areas that are dominated by native veg types are
increasingly being managed to build resilience
• Knowing what contribution DoD estates make to Australia’s
native veg account is vital
• DoD estates are a distinct and important land use which
contributes e.g.
– Habitats for key threatened species and communities
– Major stepping stones for landscape connectivity
– Provision of ecosystem services incl. biodiversity, soil, water and
carbon sequestration
42. What would DoD need to do to assess the
condition of native vegetation on all its estates?
• Systematically record, collect and compile land management practices
• Develop a capacity to assess resultant changes & trends in key veg
/ecological attributes i.e.
– Structure, composition and function of the native vegetation
• Implement a system to track outcomes of adaptive management on key
veg /ecological attributes
43. Assumptions
Changes in LU & LMP
– result in measurable and predictable changes in structure, floristics
& regen capacity
– can be consistently and reliably differentiated from natural events
– have or can be adequately and reliably documented over time
Sequential responses in veg structure, floristics & regen capacity can be
discovered, unpacked and scored over time
Ratings and weightings are ecologically meaningful
Data – information – Decision making i.e. fit for purpose
44. Conclusions
• Analyses using national scale condition info shows the importance DoD
estates in more intensively managed and developed landscapes
– DoD estates are obviously less modified and less fragmented
• DoD lacks the capacity to regularly assess/report vegetation condition
within its estates : change and trend
• The lack of this data/info would hinder DoD in:
– preparing development applications and gaining approvals re infrastructure
proposals
– Demonstrating the actual impacts of training activities over time
• Tracking effects of land management practices on key indicators would
provide evidence for improving adaptive management
– at site and landscape scales
45. More info & Acknowledgements
More information
http://www.vasttransformations.com/
http://portal.tern.org.au/search
http://aceas-data.science.uq.edu.au/portal/
Acknowledgements
• University of Queensland, Department of Geography Planning and
Environmental Management for ongoing research support
• Many public and private land managers, land management agencies,
consultants and researchers have assisted in the development of VAST & VAST-2
• Fred Ford assisted with providing access to spatial data on the DoD estate
46. All is not what it seems
Military training exercise
Shoalwater Bay May 2015.
Damage to overstorey was
caused by Tropical Cyclone
Marcia in February 2015.