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.