(Basin Plan S. inundation but dependent 8.05) on Selected Area. Exotic taxa mostly constrained by Commonwealth Mortality, reduced environmental water establishment and inundation but a few cases spread of xeric taxa where exotic cover promoted by short-duration inundation. Mostly, but not consistently, increased diversity and cover Increased richness and of vegetation communities. productivity of wetland Highly dependent on timing vegetation communities of survey and community type (e.g. wetland versus floodplain). Consistently shifted Greater Ecosystem vegetation composition Vegetation vegetation diversity Shifts in composition of towards dominance by range diversity floodplain and wetland of hydrophilic species (often vegetation communities emergent grasses and sedges) and reduced cover of exotic forbs. Increased heterogeneity Consistently increased of vegetation heterogeneity of vegetation communities at at landscape scales. landscape scales Species with presence/extent/abundance Enhanced resilience to positively influenced by Greater plant drought among plant Commonwealth species taxa benefitting from environmental water will resilience to Commonwealth have greater resilience to drought environmental water drought over next 1–5 years Resilience and should exhibit greater Ecosystem responses to further wetting. Vegetation (Basin Plan S. resilience Vegetation communities 8.07) influenced by Enhanced resilience to Greater Commonwealth drought among vegetation environmental water will vegetation assemblages resilience to have greater resilience to from Commonwealth drought drought over next 1–5 years environmental water and should exhibit greater responses to further wetting. References Brock MA, Capon SJ, Porter JL (2006) Disturbance of plant communities dependent on desert rivers. In: Kingsford RT (ed) Ecology of desert rivers. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 100–132.
(Basin Plan S. 8.05) inundation but dependent on Selected Area. Mortality, reduced establishment and spread of xeric taxa Exotic taxa mostly constrained by Commonwealth environmental water inundation but a few cases where exotic cover promoted by short-duration inundation. Ecosystem diversity Vegetation Greater vegetation diversity Increased richness and productivity of wetland vegetation communities Mostly, but not consistently, increased diversity and cover of vegetation communities. Highly dependent on timing of survey and community type (e.g. wetland versus floodplain). Shifts in composition of floodplain and wetland vegetation communities Consistently shifted vegetation composition towards dominance by range of hydrophilic species (often emergent grasses and sedges) and reduced cover of exotic forbs. Increased heterogeneity of vegetation communities at landscape scales Consistently increased heterogeneity of vegetation at landscape scales. Resilience (Basin Plan S. 8.07) Ecosystem resilience Vegetation Greater plant species resilience to drought Enhanced resilience to drought among plant taxa benefitting from Commonwealth environmental water Species with presence/extent/abundance positively influenced by Commonwealth environmental water will have greater resilience to drought over next 1–5 years and should exhibit greater responses to further wetting. Greater vegetation resilience to drought Enhanced resilience to drought among vegetation assemblages from Commonwealth environmental water Vegetation communities influenced by Commonwealth environmental water will have greater resilience to drought over next 1–5 years and should exhibit greater responses to further wetting. References Brock MA, Capon SJ, Porter JL (2006) Disturbance of plant communities dependent on desert rivers. In: Kingsford RT (ed) Ecology of desert rivers. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 100–132.
2014-15-basin-scale-evaluation-cew-vegetation-diversity.docx