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

1. VAST-2 – Condition assessment method
Richard Thackway
Presentation to National Condition Workshop, Adelaide
11-13 June 2014

2. Outline
• Concepts
• Drivers of information native vegetation information
• VAST a framework
• Why was VAST-2 developed?
• Overview of VAST-2
• Example of assessment
• Where to next

3. Definitions - Condition and transformation
• Change in a plant community (type) due to effects of land
management practices (LMP):
– Structure
– Composition
– Regenerative capacity
• Resilience = the capacity of a plant community to recover
toward a reference state following a change/s in land
management
• Transformation = changes to vegetation condition over time
• Condition, resilience and transformation are assessed relative
to fully natural a reference state
Vegetation
condition

4. Land management changes ecological function to derive multiple
benefits (ecosystem services)
Regulation of hydrological regime
Generation of food and fibre
Regulation of climate / microclimate
Generation of raw materials
Recycling of organic matter
Creating and regulating habitats
Controlling reproduction and dispersal

5. Drivers of info on native veg condition
• Design and implement NRM policy and programs e.g.
– Protecting threatened plant communities under the EPBC ACT
– Guidelines for enhancing over-cleared landscapes
– Setting thresholds for environmental flows
• Resource condition of native vegetation e.g.
– Tracking status, change and trend in, natural resources e.g. SoE, SoFR,
connectivity
– Environmental accounting e.g. native veg account Wentworth Group
• Monitoring and reporting e.g.
– Outcomes of investment incl. performance reporting e.g. envt flows
– Long term transformation of vegetated landscapes

6. Information on condition is needed for the following steps in NRM

7. VAST - A framework for assessing & reporting
Increasing modification caused by land management
0 I II III IV V VI
Residual or
unmodified
Native vegetation
cover
Vegetation Assets States and Transitions (VAST) framework
Transitions = trend
Non-native vegetation
cover
Vegetation
thresholds
Reference for
each veg type
(NVIS)
vegetation condition
Condition states
Naturally
bare
Modified Transformed Replaced -
Adventive
Replaced -
managed
Replaced -
removed
Thackway & Lesslie (2008) Environmental
Management, 42, 572-90
Diagnostic attributes of VAST states:
• Vegetation structure
• Species composition
• Regenerative capacity
NVIS

8. Vegetation condition – a snapshot (2010)
Thackway & Lesslie (2008)
Environmental Management, 42, 572-90
/ unmodified
/ replaced
Naracoorte
Coastal Plan
NB: Input dataset biophysical naturalness reclassified using
VAST framework

9. Reporting
change in
condition
using
Vegetation
Types
(NVIS/MVG),
and vegetation
condition
(VAST)
Source: ABARES 2013
Veg type (NVIS/MVG)
VAST
NVIS: National Vegetation Information System
MVG: Major Vegetation Groups

10. Why was VAST-2 developed?
To enable improved national assessment and reporting of
change and trend over time using the VAST framework by
Tracking the effects of land management on core attributes of
• Vegetation structure
• Species composition
• Regenerative capacity
To help answer key questions:
• What is this landscape’s story of change to native veg?
• past and present
• Can we use that knowledge to help land managers restore and or
enhance their native vegetation?

11. VAST-2 transformation pathway - model
Anthropogenic change
Occupation
Relaxation
Net gain/
benefit
1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
Time
Reference
Vegetation modification score
Based on Hamilton, Brown & Nolan 2008. FWPA PRO7.1050. pg 18
Land use impacts on biodiversity and Life Cycle Analysis

12. VAST-2 assesses effects of land management on
attributes of native veg condition over time
Land managers use land management practices (LMP) to
influence ecological function at sites and across landscapes by:
• Modifying
• Removing and replacing
• Enhancing
LUMIS
• Restoring
• Maintaining
• Improving
The effects of these practices can be observed /measured in
changes in variables/attributes:
• Vegetation structure
• Species composition and
• Regenerative capacity
LUMIS = Land Use and Management Information System

13. VAST-2 focuses on tracking effects of land
management on 10 attribute groups/criteria
Regenerative capacity/ function
Soil
Vegetation
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
LUMIS = Land Use and Management Information System

14. General process for tracking change over time
using the VAST-2 system
Transformation site
• Compile and collate effects of land
management on criteria (10) and
indicators (22) over time.
• Evaluate impacts on the plant
community over time
Reference state/sites
• Compile and collate effects of
land management on criteria
(10) and indicators (22)
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 (58%), vegetation structure (27%) and species composition (18%)
by adding predefined indicators
Generate total indices for ‘transformation site’ for each year of the
historical record. Validate using Expert Knowledge

15. Data synthesis and hierarchy
Site
Transformation score/site /year 1
Diagnostic attributes
3
Criteria i.e. attribute
groups
10
Indicators /
attribute
22

16. 1
3
10
22
Diagnostic
attributes
Regenerative
capacity
Data synthesis and hierarchy
Vegetation
structure
Species
composition
Vegetation
Transformation
score
reprod
potent
fire soil overstorey understorey
structure nutrients biology
overstorey understorey
Attribute
groups
hydrology
Indicators/
attributes

17. Diagnostic
attributes (3)
[VAST]
Attribute
groups /criteria
(10)
Indicators/attributes of vegetation and ecological processes
(22)
Regenerative capacity
Fire regime 1. Area /size of fire foot prints
2. Number of fire starts
Soil hydrology 3. Soil surface water availability
4. Ground water availability
Soil physical
state
5. Depth of the A horizon
6. Soil structure
Soil nutrient
state
7. Nutrient stress – rundown (deficiency) relative to soil fertility
8. Nutrient stress – excess (toxicity) relative to soil fertility
Soil biological
state
9. Recyclers responsible for maintaining soil porosity and nutrient recycling
10. Surface organic matter, soil crusts
Reproductive
potential
11. Reproductive potential of overstorey structuring species
12. Reproductive potential of understorey structuring species
Vegetation
structure
Overstorey
structure
13. Overstorey top height (mean) of the plant community
14. Overstorey foliage projective cover (mean) of the plant community
15. Overstorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the stand
Understorey
structure
16. Understorey top height (mean) of the plant community
17. Understorey ground cover (mean) of the plant community
18. Understorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the plant
Species
Composition
Overstorey
composition
19. Densities of overstorey species functional groups
20. Relative number of overstorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp
Understorey
composition
21. Densities of understorey species functional groups
22. Relative number of understorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp

18. Importance of dynamics
Rainfall is assumed to be main driver of ecosystem dynamics
• Period 1900 - 2014
• Average seasonal rainfall (summer, autumn, …)
• Rainfall anomaly is calculated above and below the mean
• Two year running trend line fitted

19. Rainfall
anomaly
relative to
mean
WA Wheatbelt
BOM rainfall
anomaly
1900-2010
(modelled 5 km
resolution)
Derived from
monthly
modelled
rainfall data
obtained from
http://www.lon
gpaddock.qld.go
v.au/silo/

20. Method: VAST-2
LMP = Land Management Practices
Effects on attributes, attribute
groups and diagnostic attributes
Time
Cause

21. Certainty level standards used to compile
historic record
Certainty
level
standards
Spatial precision
(Scale)
Temporal precision
(Year of observation)
Attribute accuracy
(Land use, land
management practices,
effects on condition)
HIGH
"Definite”
Reliable direct
quantitative data.
Code: 1
Reliable direct
quantitative data.
Code: 4
Reliable direct
quantitative data.
Code: 7
MEDIUM
"Probable
"
Direct (with
qualifications) or strong
indirect data.
Code: 2
Direct (with
qualifications) or strong
indirect data.
Code: 5
Direct (with
qualifications) or strong
indirect data.
Code: 8
LOW
"Possible"
Limited qualitative and
possibly contradictory
observations. More
data needed.
Code: 3
Limited qualitative and
possibly contradictory
observations. More
data needed.
Code: 6
Limited qualitative and
possibly contradictory
observations. More
data needed.
Code: 9

22. Example: Bridge Hill Ridge- post mining restoration
VAST-2 key attribute groups Reference
state
Transformation
site
Fire regime * *
Soil hydrology * *
Soil physical state * **
Soil nutrient state ** *
Soil biological state * *
Reproductive potential *** ***
Overstorey vegetation structure *** **
Understorey vegetation structure *** ***
Overstorey species composition *** ***
Understorey species composition *** ***
*** Quantitative data /info * Qualitative data /info

23. Example: Bridge Hill Ridge- post mining restoration
Predictions of mature forest
(Bunning’s Enquiry 1974)

24. Where to next?
• More sites
• Scaling up change to the landscape scale
– Indicators were chosen to scale up
– Soil Assets States and Trends (CSIRO)
– Modeling/remote sensing
• Narrative – Proposal submitted to Fenner School
– Historical
– Current
– Future

25. Paddock to national scale assessments
TERN AusCover and its
infrastructure is providing the
potential to monitor several key
ecological indicators across
Australia at the paddock scale
every month e.g. Ground cover
(other colours) and FPC (green)

26. List of VAST-2 attributes/ indicators (22)
Best source
spatial data
Time series or
modeled
Year/ RS source
1. Area /size of fire foot prints TERN AusCover Time series (RS) >2000 MODIS
2. Number of fire starts TERN AusCover Time series (RS) >2000 MODIS
3. Soil surface water availability CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
4. Ground water availability GA & CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
5. Depth of the A horizon CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
6. Soil structure CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
7. Nutrient stress – rundown (deficiency) relative to soil fertility CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
8. Nutrient stress – excess (toxicity) relative to soil fertility CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
9. Recyclers responsible for maintaining soil porosity and nutrient recycling ?? Modeled epochs NA
10. Surface organic matter, soil crusts CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
11. Reproductive potential of overstorey structuring species CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
12. Reproductive potential of understorey structuring species CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
13. Overstorey top height (mean) of the plant community TERN AusCover Snap shot (RS) 2009 Alos/Landsat/
ICESAT
14. Overstorey foliage projective cover (mean) of the plant community TERN AusCover Time series (RS) 2000-10 Landsat
15. Overstorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the stand TERN AusCover Snap shot (RS) 2009 Alos/Landsat/
ICESAT
16. Understorey top height (mean) of the plant community TERN AusCover Snap shot (RS) 2009 Alos/Landsat/
ICESAT
17. Understorey ground cover (mean) of plant community (fractional cover) TERN AusCover Time series (RS) 2000-10 Landsat
18. Understorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the plant CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
19. Densities of overstorey species functional groups (biomass) CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
20. Relative number of overstorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
21. Densities of understorey species functional groups (biomass) CSIRO Modeled epochs NA
22. Relative number of understorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp CSIRO Modeled epochs NA

27. Conclusions
VAST-2:
• VAST and VAST-2 are integrated
• Is a conceptual framework for assessing & reporting effects of
land management on plant communities over time
• Has been applied in a wide range of bioregional contexts, to:
– monitor outcomes
– evaluate progress towards targets
– inform the design of research and experimental programs re adaptive
management
– tell the story of landscape transformation
• Has relevance to managing biodiversity
• Should be applied at the landscape level

28. Summary of VAST-2 method (1/2)
• Establishes sites = ~ land unit i.e. homogeneous soil-landform
• Establishes a reference site and transformation site
• Change is assessed relative to a reference state
• Uses a multi-criteria assessment method
• Tracks the effects of LMP on core attributes of veg condition
to build a historical record for a site/s of change
• Uses an information hierarchy to assess change
– Level 1 = Single transformation score at a point in time
– Level 2 = VAST’s diagnostic attributes (VS, SC & RC)
– Level 3 = 10 attribute groups/ key ecological criteria
– Level 4 = 22 attributes/ core indicators

29. Summary of VAST-2 method (2/2)
• Sources of data /info many and varied
• Indicators are populated from qualitative and quantitative data
sources over time
• Dynamics are critical to assessing affects of LMP on natural
productivity = long-term average monthly rainfall (5km grid)
• Establishes a network of key collaborators for a site/s ecologists
and land managers
• Timeline starts ~1750 and assumes an indigenous managed
landscape
• Gaps in historical records are filled using expert elicitation
• Use peer review to assess the veracity and accuracy of the
assessment
• List of attributes derived from lit review and LUMIS
• List of attributes selected to operate at site and landscape levels

30. More info & Acknowledgements
More information http://www.vasttransformations.com/
Acknowledgements
• TERN ACEAS funded my sabbatical fellowship at the University of
Queensland, Brisbane in 2010-11
• CSIRO Ecosystems Sciences for hosting me as a visiting research
scientist, Canberra in 2010-11
• Many public and private land managers, land management agencies,
consultants and researchers have provided data and information