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Overview of vegetation management – VAST as a solution
The document is a lecture on vegetation management presented by Richard Thackway, discussing the importance of diverse and healthy native vegetation and various land management practices. It covers topics such as vegetation condition, management goals, and adaptive management cycles, emphasizing the need for monitoring and reporting changes in vegetation types and conditions. The document outlines the roles of land managers in transforming native vegetation and the tools available for tracking these changes over time.
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Overview of vegetation management – VAST as a solution
- 1. Overview of vegetation management– VAST as a solution Richard Thackway Lecture presented to ADFA Geography students, Canberra on 28 August 2012 School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales
- 2. Outline • Perceptions • Definitions •Land management and vegetation • Effects of managing native vegetation • Reporting change in the condition of vegetation types • Reporting the transformation of plant communities • Importance of collecting information
- 3. • Diverse andhealthy native vegetation is important • My vegetation is in good condition • My water is my asset • My soil is my asset • My animals are my asset • Vegetation is a means to an end – utilitarian • I want to hand my land in good condition to my children /future generations Some perceptions of land managers (public and private)
- 4. What is vegetationuse and management? • Land use determines primary purpose for land cover types e.g. – Forestry is typified by forest veg cover types – Cropping is typified by annual veg cover types – Urban is typified by infrastructure cover types – Water harvesting is typified by many veg cover types – Defence training is typified by native veg cover types • Land management practices (LMP) = the how of land use
- 5. What are managementpractices? • Remove life form/s &/or species e.g. tree, shrub, grass – e.g. push out, pull out, cut off and chemically treat • Replace life form/s &/or species e.g. tree, shrub, grass – e.g. replant, rehabilitate, re-sow • Manage health & vitality of life form/s &/or species e.g. tree, shrub, grass – e.g. prune, stake, slash, fertilise, graze • Manage residues from life form/s &/or species e.g. tree, shrub, grass – e.g. burn grass, burn fine woody debris, bark, leaves
- 6. What is vegetationcondition? • Vegetation condition is relative concept • Context dependant – Same patch can be assessed differently for purposes • Analogous to human health and the ‘norm’
- 7. Natural vegetation andthe environment • Environmental patterns and processes – Environmental gradients – Climate influencers • Cycles - seasons, annual and decadal events – Dust, fires, cyclones, flood, drought, insects, pathogens – Interactions with other physical influencers • Landform, relief, aspect, geology, soil, hydrology • Observed drives veg patterns and processes – Productivity – Maintaining life cycles – reproduction, germination, establishment, growth, and death – Succession – Responses to perturbations and disturbances – Species, communities and ecosystems
- 8. Goals of landmanagers Values and decisions matrix: • Social • Economic • Environmental Intensification Degradation?
- 9. Goals of landmanagers Values and decisions matrix: • Social • Economic • Environmental Extensification Restoration
- 10. Regulation ofhydrologicalregime Generation offoodand fibre Regulation ofclimate / microclimate Generation ofraw materials Recyclingoforganic matter Creating and regulatinghabitats Controllingreproductionand dispersal Changing ecological function to derive multiple benefits (ecosystem services)
- 11. How is vegetationcondition info is used in decision making? 1. Characterise status & trends/ identify problems with resource condition and /or assets – What, where, when, why & who 2. Assist in setting goals, objectives, priorities, targets 3. Design & implement program/s – e.g. MBIs, regulation, education, investment, interventions, etc 4. Check on performance of on-ground of investment – e.g. Was the target met? Did land management change? 5. Report again on resource condition Adaptive management cycle 1 5 4 3 2
- 12. Vegetation management &condition What do land managers modify / replace/ remove? – Vegetation structure • Life form (tree:grass) • Growth stage /Age class • Height • Cover/density • Strata/layers/complexity – Species composition • Richness or number of species • Evenness of individuals per species • Functional traits – Regenerative capacity • Fire regime • Soil structure • Soil hydrology • Soil structure • Soil nutrients • Reproductive potential
- 13. Natural vegetation andland use • Land use and vegetation – Single use – Multiple uses • Intensification of land use – Minimal = Nature conservation, Defence training areas – Moderate = Pulse grazing, Selective logging forestry – High = Continuous or set stock grazing – Very high = Plantations, Cropping, Bomb target areas – Extreme = Water impoundments, Built infrastructure
- 14. Species Composition Growth Form % Foliage Cover Height U M G NVISData Model Natural vegetation for nature conservation
- 15. Species Composition Growth Form % Foliage Cover Height U M G NVISData Model Natural vegetation for defence training
- 16. Species Composition Growth Form % Foliage Cover Height U M G NVISData Model Land management for grazing
- 17. Species Composition Growth Form % Foliage Cover Height U NVISData Model Land management for plantation forestry
- 18. How to reportvegetation management at different scales? • Site modification of plant communities – species composition – Vegetation structure – Regenerative capacity • Landscape levels – Patchiness – Fragmentation and connectivity
- 19. Vegetation States Assetsand Transitions (VAST) framework VIVIVIIIIII0 Native vegetation cover Non-native vegetation cover Increasing vegetation modification Transitions = trend Vegetation thresholds Benchmark for each veg type (NVIS) VAST a framework – linking land management and native veg condition Condition states ResidualNaturally bare Modified Transformed Replaced - Adventive Replaced - managed Replaced - removed
- 20. Modification Fragmentation Conceptual framework forunderstanding vegetation condition and landscape change Intact >90% Variegated 60-90% retained Fragmented 10-60% retained Relictual <10% retained Native Unmodified Modified and retained Highly modified Destroyed VAST I Residual VAST 0 Naturally Bare VAST II Modified VAST III Transformed VAST IV Replaced – Adventive, VAST V Replaced – Managed VAST VI Removed McIntyre and Hobbs 1999
- 21. p142-02 p142-18 p143 Monitoring & reportingat sites - poplar box woodlands (Central Qld) VAST I • Freehold no grazing • Multiple strata, some emergents • Biomass ~120 t/ha • FPC ~ 52%, Max height ~ 24m • Spp OverS 3-5, MidS 5+, GroundS 5-10 • Regen - good VAST II • Freehold - grazing • Two strata • Biomass ~68 t/ha • FPC ~ 25%, Max height ~ 17m • Spp OverS 3, MidS 1, GroundS ~1-4 • Regen – Low-Moderate VAST III • Freehold - heavy grazing - mechanical thinning • Single, low height strata • Biomass ~42 t/ha • FPC ~ 20%, Max height ~ 13m • Spp OverS 3, MidS 0, GroundS ~1-4 • Regen – very low, > % bare ground
- 22. Vegetation condition –a snapshot Thackway & Lesslie (2008) Environmental Management, 42, 572-90
- 23. Landscape alteration levels– a snapshot LALs derived using a 2.5 km Input VAST national 1 km Continental 2.5k Moving Window Radius 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Intact Variegated Fragmented Relictual Landscape Alteration Level AverageProportion(%)ofVASTConditionState Residual* Modified Transformed Managed Removed Mutendeudzi and Thackway BRS 2010 VAST Classes
- 24. Regional reporting ofchange in vegetation type and condition using VAST IBRA subregions - Major Vegetation Groups - Vegetation Assets States Transitions 0.00% 20.00% 40.00% 60.00% 80.00% 100.00% 120.00% Acacia shrublands Casuarina forests and woodlands Chenopod shrublands, samphire shrubs and forblan Eucalyptus open woodlands Eucalyptus woodlands Heath Low closed forest and tall closed shrubland Mallee woodlands and shrublands Other shrublands #N/A Major Vegetation Groups 6 Removed 5 Replaced Native 3 Transformed 2 Modified 1 Residual 0 Residual Bare IBRAS_D Avon Wheatbelt - Avon Wheatbelt P1 Sum of COUNT MVG_D VAST_D Sub-IBRA & MVG & VAST (1km)
- 25. A system forscoring effects of management over time relative to a reference states for indicators of vegetation condition ACT, Belconnen Naval Transmission Station Illustrating 10 of 22 indicators VASTTRANS
- 26. VASTTRANS uses thehistorical record to track the effects of managing native vegetation • Site modification of plant communities – species composition – Vegetation structure – Regenerative capacity • History of use and management – Minimal = unmodified native veg & land cover – Moderate = modified native veg & land cover – High = transformed native veg & land cover – Very high = replace native veg & land cover – Extreme = remove native veg & land cover
- 27. Approximate year Source: Year LU & LMPSource: LU & LMP Effects of use and management on vegetation condition and ecological function Source: Effects 1800 1840 2010 VASTTRANS - compiling the historical record Pre-contact First contact Current year LU = Land Use, LMP = Land Management Practices
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- 34. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1750 1800 18501900 1950 2000 2050 score(%) year Belconnen Naval Transmitter Station Regenerative Capacity Vegetation Structure Species Composition Vegetation status
- 35. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1750 1800 18501900 1950 2000 2050 score(%) year Belconnen Naval Transmitter Station Regenerative Capacity Vegetation Structure Species Composition Vegetation statusSheep grazing commenced Commenced continuous sheep grazing Sheep grazing ceased Limited management by Ngunnawal people Kangaroo population culled Kangaroo population increasing Woodland trees ringbarked Grass mowing started and stopped
- 36. NSW, Big Scrub,Rocky Creek Dam Reference pre-European Complex Notophyll Vine Forest Unmodified and intact Clearing and conversion to pasture Start of grazing exotic pasture End grazing pastures Removal of weeds Lantana - Privet Commenced monitoring of regeneration VAST classes 25 ha of dense Lantana
- 37. NSW, NC Bioregion,‘Tintenbar’ Reference pre-European Complex Notophyll Vine Forest Unmodified and intact rainforest Clearing and conversion Start of grazing exotic pasture End of grazing pastures Rainforest seedlings under dense Camphor forest Start of ploughing & cropping VAST classes 28 ha of dense Camphor laurel forest
- 38. Source: John Ive2006 ‘Talaheni’ 250 ha property near Murrumbateman, NSW
- 39. 1962 1983 19861997 2004 Reporting VASTTRANS using VAST classes ‘Talaheni’ 250 ha property near Murrumbateman, NSW
- 40. Reporting VAST conditionstates ‘Talaheni’ 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 1962 1983 1986 1997 2004 Year of VAST assessment hectares 2 31 32 33 5 6 H e ct a r e s
- 41. • Land managersplay a major role in transforming native vegetation types • Arguably land managers should record their management actions and key observed effects for adaptive management +++ • Understanding the effects of use and management of native vegetation can be retrofitted to a historic record of management • VAST is a tool for reporting modification of veg condition across land uses as status reports at a range of scales • VASTTRANS is a tool for tracking the transformation of plant communities caused by use and management practices Conclusions
- 42. Acknowledgements Many people havehelped in developing VAST including staff from SEWPAC, DAFF, ABARES, state and territory agencies, CSIRO, Greening Australia and regional bodies