Appendix 3 Biodiversity indicators comprising the regional council – terrestrial biodiversity monitoring framework Regional council terrestrial biodiversity monitoring framework Objective: To provide a national, standardised, biodiversity monitoring programme, focusing on the assessment of biodiversity outcomes, to meet regional council statutory, planning, and operational requirements for sustaining terrestrial indigenous biodiversity Indicator Measures Element Ecological Driving Data required and Integrity potential sources Response State and Condition 1. Land area Indigenous Spatial depiction of : Environ- State Data: The Land under landcover (i) indigenous cover mental Cover Database is indigenous (ha, %) of classes; foundational for vegetation cover classes, (ii) habitat/vegetation this indicator, and habitat types, types; (iii) stratified regular across LENZ by LENZ comparable and updates are Ecological required to District units, detect change regions over time. This is currently the responsibility of the Ministry for the Environment. Habitat types require a standardised national classification. Some regional councils have their own habitat classifications, and these can change over time. Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ) and Ecological Regions/Districts are available 2. Vegetation Presence of suitable Species State Data: Requires Biodiversity structure and indigenous occupancy standardised field condition composition sampling, e.g.
Appendix 3 – Biodiversity indicators comprising the regional council terrestrial biodiversity monitoring framework Regional council terrestrial biodiversity monitoring framework Objective: To provide a national, standardised, biodiversity monitoring programme, focusing on the assessment of biodiversity outcomes, to meet regional council statutory, planning, and operational requirements for sustaining terrestrial indigenous biodiversity Indicator Measures Element Ecological Integrity Driving Data required and potential sources State and Condition 1. Land area under indigenous vegetation Indigenous landcover (ha, %) of cover classes, habitat types, across LENZ and Ecological District units, regions Spatial depiction of : (i) indigenous cover classes; (ii) habitat/vegetation types; (iii) stratified by LENZ State Data: The Land Cover Database is foundational for this indicator, and regular comparable updates are required to detect change over time. This is currently the responsibility of the Ministry for the Environment. Habitat types require a standardised national classification. Some regional councils have their own habitat classifications, and these can change over time. Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ) and Ecological Regions/Districts are available 2. Biodiversity condition Vegetation structure and composition Presence of suitable indigenous Species occupancy State Data: Requires standardised field sampling, e.g. Environ- mental Response