remaining species groups were considered to be strongly influenced by climate and geomorphology and were considered referential to IBRA bioregions. 1C Diversity of aquatic ecosystem vegetation types (Queensland only) Metrics: Prioritisation based on higher biological organisation A 200 m buffer levels, such as vegetation communities, can help surrounding the • number of aquatic ecosystem overcome some of the shortfalls associated with sample areas used to vegetation types within an bias in species-level data by using data at a scale for delineate the riverine assessment unit (referential which uniform information is available across the typology and to IBRA region). landscape (Maddock & Du Plessis 1999). Conservation wetland typology of vegetation communities is likely to benefit species was used to identify indirectly (including known ones) as well as capturing the ‘aquatic diversity in function and natural processes (Noss & ecosystem’ Harris 1986). vegetation. This data was sourced from the Remnant Ecosystem Mapping v6b. Queensland was the only jurisdiction with maps of aquatic ecosystem vegetation types (from mapped regional ecosystems) and able to apply this attribute. Criterion 2: Distinctiveness: The asset is a rare/threatened or unusual aquatic ecosystem; and/or supports rare/threatened species/communities and/or exhibits rare or unusual geomorphological or hydrological features/processes and/or environmental conditions, and is likely to support unusual assemblages of species adapted to these conditions. 2A Threatened species Metrics: Threatened species (and communities) are a common Populated with point feature in the identification of high ecological value data of species • accumulated scores based on ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic) and feature in most records (based on the presence of aquatic international schemes e.g. Ramsar Convention on presence only, not ecosystem-dependent Wetlands, World Heritage Convention, International abundance). This threatened species Union for Conservation of Nature. It is important to attribute requires (referential to the LEB)—a recognise that this attribute suffers from the same identification of scoring system was aquatic
remaining species groups were considered to be strongly influenced by climate and geomorphology and were considered referential to IBRA bioregions. 1C Diversity of aquatic ecosystem vegetation types (Queensland only) Metrics: • number of aquatic ecosystem vegetation types within an assessment unit (referential to IBRA region). Prioritisation based on higher biological organisation levels, such as vegetation communities, can help overcome some of the shortfalls associated with sample bias in species-level data by using data at a scale for which uniform information is available across the landscape (Maddock & Du Plessis 1999). Conservation of vegetation communities is likely to benefit species indirectly (including known ones) as well as capturing diversity in function and natural processes (Noss & Harris 1986). A 200 m buffer surrounding the areas used to delineate the riverine typology and wetland typology was used to identify the ‘aquatic ecosystem’ vegetation. This data was sourced from the Remnant Ecosystem Mapping v6b. Queensland was the only jurisdiction with maps of aquatic ecosystem vegetation types (from mapped regional ecosystems) and able to apply this attribute. Criterion 2: Distinctiveness: The asset is a rare/threatened or unusual aquatic ecosystem; and/or supports rare/threatened species/communities and/or exhibits rare or unusual geomorphological or hydrological features/processes and/or environmental conditions, and is likely to support unusual assemblages of species adapted to these conditions. 2A Threatened species Metrics: • accumulated scores based on the presence of aquatic ecosystem-dependent threatened species (referential to the LEB)—a scoring system was Threatened species (and communities) are a common feature in the identification of high ecological value ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic) and feature in most international schemes e.g. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, World Heritage Convention, International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is important to recognise that this attribute suffers from the same Populated with point data of species records (based on presence only, not abundance). This attribute requires identification of aquatic
ae-toolkit-case-study-1-lake-eyre-basin.docx