1. A system for tracking the
anthropogenic changes in the
condition of Australia’s plant
communities
Richard Thackway
University of Queensland
TERN Symposium Feb 2013, Canberra

2. Outline
Drivers for vegetation condition information
Concepts and definitions
Why VAST-2 was developed
VAST-2 system
Case studies
Conclusions

3. Drivers for information on changes in
condition of vegetation types
• NRM policy and program design e.g.
• Implementing guidelines for conservation and management of
threatened species EPBC ACT
• Resource condition of native vegetation e.g.
• A measure of sustainable use and management (public & private)
• Monitoring and reporting and improvement e.g.
• National, state & regional reporting e.g. SoE & SOFR

4. What is vegetation condition and
transformation?
• Changes vegetation caused by landuse /management
• Structure
• Composition Vegetation condition
• Regenerative capacity
• Condition and transformation are relative to a reference
state for a plant community

5. VAST - A framework for reporting
changes in vegetation condition
Increasing vegetation modification from unmodified state
0 I II III IV V VI
Vegetation
thresholds
Naturally Unmodified Modified Transformed Replaced - Replaced - Replaced -
bare Adventive Managed Removed
Condition states Transitions = trend
Reference for Native vegetation Non-native vegetation
each veg type
(NVIS) cover cover
Diagnostic attributes of VAST states:
• Vegetation structure National Vegetation
• Species composition
Information System
• Regenerative capacity
Thackway & Lesslie (2008) Environmental
Vegetation Assets States and Transitions (VAST) framework Management, 42, 572-90

6. Vegetation condition – a snapshot
Thackway & Lesslie (2008) NB: Input dataset biophysical naturalness reclassified using
Environmental Management, 42, 572-90 VAST framework

7. Why VAST-2 was developed?
• To implement the ‘T’ (Transition) of the VAST framework
• i.e. track changes in vegetation condition over time
• To propose a standardised national system
• for compiling data on cause & effect of management on native
plant communities
• For reporting changes in vegetation condition over time

8. Models of ecosystem change
Reference
Settlement
Change in vegetation indicator
0 1000
Time
Source: Adamson and Fox (1982).

9. Models of ecosystem change
Reference
Anthropogenic change
Change in vegetation indicator
Net impact
Relaxation
Occupation
1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
Time
Based on Hamilton, Brown & Nolan 2008. FWPA PRO7.1050. pg 18
Land use impacts on biodiversity and Life Cycle Analysis

10. VAST-2 System

11. Aim to develop a national system
for reporting veg transformations
Long Long term
term disturbance
rainfall e.g. Reference state
Indigenous wildfire, cycl
land ones
management
Site 1
First
modification
explorers
Degree of
Grazing
Logging Revegetation
Site 2
Cropping
Site 3
Time

12. Extensive network of collaborators
used to compile an historical record
Inputs
• Land use
• Land management practices
• Natural events e.g. droughts, fires, floods, cyclones, average
rainfall 1900-2012 etc
• Observed interactions e.g. rabbits, sheep and drought
• Observations and quantitative measures of effects
• Include written, oral, artistic, photographic and remote sensing

13. General process for tracking changes
Transformation site
VAST-2 system
Reference state/sites
Step 1a Step 3a
Use a checklist of 22 indicators to compile Literature review to determine the
changes in LU & LMP* and plant baseline conditions for 22 indicators
community responses over time
Step 2 Step 4 Step 3b
Step 1b Document responses of 22 Document the reference Evaluate the influence of climate, soil
Evaluate the influence of climate, soil and indicators over time states for 22 indicators and landform for the reference site
landform on the historical record
Step 3c
Step 1c Compile indicator data for 22
Evaluate impacts on the plant community indicators for reference site
over time
Step 5
Score all 22 indicators for ‘transformation site’ relative to the
‘reference site’. 0 = major change; 1 = no change
Step 6
Derive weighted indices for the three components for the ‘transformation
site’ i.e. regenerative capacity (58%), vegetation structure (27%) and
species composition (18%) by adding predefined indicators
Step 7
Add the indices for the three components to generate total transformation
index for the ‘transformation site’ for each year of the historical record .
* LU Land use Validate using Expert Knowledge
LMP Land management practices

14. Condition Attribute
Description of loss or gain relative to pre settlement indicator reference state
components groups
(22)
(3) (10)
Fire regime Area /size of fire foot prints
Number of fire starts
Soil hydrology Soil surface water availability
Regenerative capacity
Ground water availability
Soil physical Depth of the A horizon
state Soil structure
Soil nutrient Nutrient stress – rundown (deficiency) relative to soil fertility
state Nutrient stress – excess (toxicity) relative to soil fertility
Soil biological Recyclers responsible for maintaining soil porosity and nutrient recycling
state Surface organic matter, soil crusts
Reproductive Reproductive potential of overstorey structuring species
potential Reproductive potential of understorey structuring species
Overstorey Overstorey top height (mean) of the plant community
Vegetation structure
structure Overstorey foliage projective cover (mean) of the plant community
Overstorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the stand
Understorey Understorey top height (mean) of the plant community
structure Understorey ground cover (mean) of the plant community
Understorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the plant
Overstorey Densities of overstorey species functional groups
Composition
composition
Species
Relative number of overstorey species (richness) of indigenous to exotic species
Understorey Densities of understorey species functional groups
composition Relative number of understorey species (richness) of indigenous to exotic species

15. 1
VAST-2 hierarchy
3
Vegetation
10 Transformation
score
22
Diagnostic
attributes
Regenerative Vegetation Species
Capacity Structure Composition
(55%) (27%) (18%)
Attribute
Reprod
groups
Fire Soil Overstorey Understorey Overstorey Understorey
potent
(3) (3) (2) (2)
(2) (2)
Structure Nutrients Biology Hydrology
(2) (2) (2) (2) Indicators

16. Case studies VAST-2

17. Qld, WT Bioregion, Wooroonooran Nature Refuge
Reference pre-European: Complex Mesophyll Vine Forest
VAST classes
Unmodified
Indigenous Logging Clearing & Start of Weeds & End Weed
people conversion to grazing rainforest grazing removal -
manage pasture pasture invading pastures Lantana
the area

18. NSW, NNC Bioregion, Big Scrub, Rocky Creek Dam
Reference pre-European: Complex notophyll vine forest
VAST classes
Unmodified
Indigenous Clearing and Start of grazing End Removal Commenced
people conversion to exotic pasture grazing of weeds monitoring of
manage pasture pastures Lantana - regeneration
the area Privet

19. NSW, NNC Bioregion, Big Scrub, Tintenbar
Reference pre-European: Complex notophyll vine forest
VAST classes
Unmodified
Indigenous Unmodified Clearing and Start of Start of End of Invasion of Rainforest
people and intact conversion ploughing grazing grazing weeds seedlings
manage rainforest & cropping exotic pastures including established
the area pasture Camphor under dense
laurel Camphor forest

20. ACT, SEH Bioregion, Blundells Flat, ex-coupe 424,
Reference pre-European: Brown Barrel open forest
VAST classes
Unmodified
Indigenous Water 1st rotation Coupe ripped and Area burnt by Site left to
people catchment Pinus radiata mounded. 2nd severe wildfire rehabilitate
manage area planted rotation P. radiata killed all pines.
the area declared for planted Dead pines,
Canberra pushed, heaped
and burnt

21. NSW, SB Bioregion, Cumberland SF, ex-comp 3a, 7a, 7b, 7c
Reference pre-European: Sydney Blue Gum High Forest
VAST classes
Unmodified
Explorers Commenced Area Cleared & Ceased Area Commenced Commenced
Indigenous
traverse grazing logged for sown to grazing. gazetted as managing area managing
people
the area native building improved Area State Forest, as a future area for
manage the
and site pastures houses pasture for purchased commenced production recreation.
area
selected and fences grazing & as a future planting forest. Weed Weed control.
orchard working arboretum control Arboretum
forest abandoned

22. NSW, SB Bioregion, Cumberland SF, ex-comp 8b, 9a, 9b
Reference pre-European: Sydney Blue Gum High Forest
VAST classes
Unmodified
Site fenced. Tree cover Trees Ceased Cleared and Commenced Initiated 1st
Indigenous Commenced
Commenced thinned logged for grazing. commenced managing hazard
people grazing cattle
continuous for cattle housing, f Purchased & regrowing area reduction
manage the
stocking grazing ences & declared as a forest as a primarily burn
area
with cattle fire wood State forest future forest for
production recreation

23. Impact and adoption
Invited case studies (in press):
• 2013 State of the Forests Report (DAFF) and
Invited case studies (in prep):
• Great Western Woodlands (WA DEC)
• Recreation and production forestry (Forests NSW)
• Mine site restoration (ALCOA Bauxite mine WA)
• Brigalow recovery plan (UQ BBS bioregion)

24. Demonstrating sustainable landuse/
management at paired sites
100
VAST-2 transformation index
80
Change due to land
management
60
Change due to other
40 causes including natural
processes
20
0
time now time n +
Production forestry continues unchanged
Change from production forestry to conservation

25. TERN data portals & DOI Minting
http://portal.tern.org.au/
http://aceas.org.au/portal/

26. Conclusions
• VAST-2 highlights the value and importance of engaging a
wide network of collaborators e.g.
• ecologists, academics, land managers, environmental historians,
educators, industry and community
• VAST-2 acknowledges the role of land managers i.e. cause and
effect of landuse/management
• As a system VAST-2 has value in:
• Synthesizing information and ‘telling the story’ of vegetation
transformation
• Reporting progress toward vegetation condition targets

27. More information
• VAST-2 sites plotted using Google earth
http://aceas.org.au/portal/
• Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for VAST-2 sites
http://portal.tern.org.au/search#!/q=(vegetation%20transfor
mation)/p=1/tab=collection/num=10
• VAST-2 Handbook and brochure
http://www.vasttransformations.com/

28. • University of Queensland, Department of Geography Planning and
Environmental Management for ongoing research support of the
• TERN ACEAS funded my sabbatical 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