vegetation but regime affected by where impacts hydrology, limited other has been subject water result in short or resulting in the pressures (e.g. to other infrastructure extended term establishment of catchment pressures development or stress but not some secondary invasive (invasive extraction e.g. long-term chronic pressures (weeds, species, water species, peak overbank strain, generating water quality resource development, flood flows altered but still decline and development) grazing) that reduced by dams, functional condition and operating. have resulted in are key drivers of wetlands. function impacts Moderate structural and wetland functions associated with floristic changes (e.g. connectivity) Secondary short or extended sensitivity will be that have and habitat pressures (weeds, term stress but experienced by introduced fire condition (e.g. water quality not long-term wetlands that fall into the wetland channel scouring). decline) can chronic strain, within the range of and make it establish during generating altered conditions prone to ongoing stressful periods but still functional described for low burning. which are often wetlands. (above) or High mitigated by (below) sensitivity. climatic Sensitivity to such conditions, with stressful periods This will include stress occurring are often wetlands in during more mitigated by higher, evenly extreme weather climatic distributed rainfall and being conditions, with regions but with reduced by habitat stress occurring greater levels of resetting events during more other operating (e.g. flushing flood extreme weather pressures that can events, extended and being be exacerbated by base flows) under reduced by habitat climate change or better weather resetting events alternatively conditions. (e.g. flushing flood wetlands in more events, extended seasonal climatic High Very base flows) under regions but with – High: better weather less or few other Where exposure conditions. pressures to development operating that can pressure is high Extreme weather be exacerbated by and wetland has events climate change. been impacted by droughts/floods
vegetation but has been subject to other pressures (invasive species, development, grazing) that have resulted in structural and floristic changes that have introduced fire into the wetland and make it prone to ongoing burning. regime affected by water infrastructure development or extraction e.g. peak overbank flood flows reduced by dams, are key drivers of wetland functions (e.g. connectivity) and habitat condition (e.g. channel scouring). where impacts result in short or extended term stress but not long-term chronic strain, generating altered but still functional wetlands. Secondary pressures (weeds, water quality decline) can establish during stressful periods which are often mitigated by climatic conditions, with stress occurring during more extreme weather and being reduced by habitat resetting events (e.g. flushing flood events, extended base flows) under better weather conditions. High – Very High: Where exposure to development pressure is high and wetland has been impacted by hydrology, resulting in the establishment of some secondary pressures (weeds, water quality decline and condition and function impacts associated with short or extended term stress but not long-term chronic strain, generating altered but still functional wetlands. Sensitivity to such stressful periods are often mitigated by climatic conditions, with stress occurring during more extreme weather and being reduced by habitat resetting events (e.g. flushing flood events, extended base flows) under better weather conditions. Extreme weather events droughts/floods limited other pressures (e.g. catchment invasive species, water resource development) operating. Moderate sensitivity will be experienced by wetlands that fall within the range of conditions described for low (above) or High (below) sensitivity. This will include wetlands in higher, evenly distributed rainfall regions but with greater levels of other operating pressures that can be exacerbated by climate change or alternatively wetlands in more seasonal climatic regions but with less or few other pressures operating that can be exacerbated by climate change.
Vulnerability_Assessment_Freshwater_wetlands.docx