Regional ecosystem mapping

Regional ecosystems are defined as “vegetation communities in a bioregion that are consistently associated with a particular combination of geology, landform and soil.” Each regional ecosystem is given a three part code - this framework is based on Bioregion , Land zone , Vegetation

Accurate RE Maps are a particularly important tool given their statutory authority - RE maps are the foundations of the Vegetation Management Act (VMA) 1999 and are based on an assessment of the pre-clearing and remnant extent of a regional ecosystem. Vegetation management is administered by the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water. A high level of confidence in the mapping benefits a wide range of users, from industry, landholders, community groups and government.

In consultation with Queensland's EPA/Herbarium, remapping of the Townsville Coastal Plains and the Bogie River Hills has been identified as a regional priority. Prioritisation is based upon the following:

• Provinces located close to the coast are more densely populated. Potential for land use change is higher compared with inland areas, and consequently the need for accurate maps is at a premium.
• The current regional ecosystem mapping is known to be inaccurate due to misinterpretation of land zone information, and/or newly available information.

The overarching objective of this project is to undertake field and desktop assessments of REs and to produce two RE Maps for the Burdekin Dry Tropics Region:

1. Map the Regional Ecosystems of the Townsville Coastal Plains Biogeographic sub-region at 1:100,000 scale
2. Map the Regional Ecosystems of the Bogie River Hills Biogeographic sub-region at 1:100,000 scale

Regional ecosystem mapping is an essential part of baseline information for biodiversity management decisions. Biodiversity status of REs is defined by the Environmental Protection Agency and is based on an assessment of the condition of remnant vegetation in addition to the pre-clearing and remnant extent of a regional ecosystem. The current biodiversity status is given on the Regional Ecosystem Description Database . RE maps are used to p prioritise areas to retain connectivity and functionality at landscape and regional scales with strategic wildlife corridors and communicate the areas of value to land managers.  However, it is alos well recognised that non-remnant (regrowth) vegetation often has significant biodiverisity value too.

Project update:

The project commenced recently as a collaboration between EPA/Herbarium and a number of consultants with botanical and mapping expertise. Available data is being assembled and a desktop assessment is being undertaken in preparation for ground-truthing, refining, and potentially describing new regional ecosystems.

References and resources

Fact sheets

• Property Maps of Assessable Vegetation (PMAVs)
• Regional Ecosystems
• Vegetation management framework
• EPA fact sheet on interpreting RE Maps

Methodology for survey and mapping of regional ecosystems and vegetation communities in Queensland .

NRW information on regional ecosystems and vegetation management .

NRW essential habitat web page has information on how essential habitat is applied under the VMA Codes.

The Regional Ecosystem Description Database lists the status of regional ecosystems as gazetted under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (their Vegetation Management Status) and their Biodiversity Status as recognised by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Regional Ecosystems of the Desert Uplands

Sattler, P. S. and R. D. Williams (1999) (eds) The Conservation Status of Queensland’s Bioregional ecosystems. Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane.