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Identification

Field Value

Title

Flying-Fox Foraging Habitat 2019

Abstract

Mapping of the foraging habitat areas of the Grey-headed, Black and Little Red Flying-foxes in New South Wales. The grey-headed flying-fox is listed as a threatened species under state and Commonwealth legislation. A key threatening process for the species is loss and degradation of foraging habitat. This project provides contemporary mapping of potential foraging habitat for all three species across New South Wales, expanding on previous foraging habitat mapping for the Grey-headed Flying-fox. Digital maps and databases from the previous project were updated and methods consistent with the previous project were then applied across inland zones. The state-wide native diet list for flying-foxes comprises 60 species in the blossom diet and 51 species in the fruit diet. Temporal and spatial flowering patterns and productivity of diet species are significant components of the assessment of foraging habitat. Species in the flower diet of flying-foxes were characterised using the productivity and reliability of flowering patterns and seasonal flowering phenology scored at bi-monthly intervals. Habitats were defined by the vegetation types described in vegetation classifications and spatial layers. Digital vegetation maps from across NSW were compiled and merged to create a single, seamless habitat map. Ultimately 39 vegetation mapping projects were included. The state map was divided into 19 regional datasets distributed across three zones to create a final product with practical file sizes. Numeric assessments of flowering characteristics were combined with estimates of plant densities in the vegetation data to score the quality of nectar-producing habitat. Data on flowering phenology was used to produce bi-monthly maps illustrating spatial and temporal variations in food resources. The accuracy and reliability of the habitat map is directly linked to the spatial accuracy and quality of floristic information and line work contained in the spatial layers and classifications available to the project. Every effort was made to use the best available data. Flying-fox records and data on diet and flowering characteristics become progressively sparse to the west, which introduces an unmeasured level of uncertainty to habitat assessments in these zones, particularly in the far west of the state. Insufficient data were available on the characteristics of fleshy fruits to allow comparisons to be drawn between species. Fruit-producing habitats were assessed by a separate method based on the species richness of diet plants. Broad spatial patterns of habitat quality illustrated in the map of total habitat scores are consistent with records of flying-fox distribution. Bi-monthly maps of nectar habitat illustrate the importance of coastal lowlands and ranges throughout the year, the near absence of productive habitat in the western zone and the relative productivity of small remnants of grassy woodlands in the central zone, particularly in colder bi-months. Summaries of seasonal habitat quality emphasise the paucity of foraging options during winter. These broad temporal and spatial patterns illustrated by the maps are consistent with the habitat requirements of various nectar-feeding birds, including species listed as threatened in NSW, and emphasise the potential utility of the maps for assessing habitats of other canopy-feeding nectarivores. It is hoped that the outputs of this project will guide the protection and restoration of flying-fox foraging habitat across the state.

Resource locator

Data Quality Statement

Name: Data Quality Statement

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

Data quality statement for Flying-fox Foraging Habitat 2019

Function: download

Download Package

Name: Download Package

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

Data (Geodatabase format) 4.9GB

Function: download

Download Package

Name: Download Package

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

Data (Shapefile) 7.5GB

Function: download

Report - Flying-fox Foraging Habitat Mapping NSW

Name: Report - Flying-fox Foraging Habitat Mapping NSW

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

Report describing the methodology and outputs of the project

Function: download

Appendix 1 - Eby and Law (2008) Chapters 1-6

Name: Appendix 1 - Eby and Law (2008) Chapters 1-6

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

Appendix 1 to report

Function: download

Appendix 2 - Preliminary validation of Eby and Law (2008)

Name: Appendix 2 - Preliminary validation of Eby and Law (2008)

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

Appendix 2 to report

Function: download

Appendix 3 - Guide to spatial data

Name: Appendix 3 - Guide to spatial data

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

Appendix 3 to report

Function: download

Appendix 4 - Lookup tables of habitat attributes

Name: Appendix 4 - Lookup tables of habitat attributes

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

Appendix 4 of Report

Function: download

Unique resource identifier

Code

ff01266b-761c-48df-b8d2-5be957339ac7

Presentation form

Map digital

Edition

1

Dataset language

English

Metadata standard

Name

ISO 19115

Edition

2016

Dataset URI

https://datasets.seed.nsw.gov.au/dataset/ff01266b-761c-48df-b8d2-5be957339ac7

Purpose

Legislative and Regulatory

Status

Completed

Spatial representation

Type

vector

Spatial reference system

Code identifying the spatial reference system

4283

Spatial resolution

25 m

Classification of spatial data and services

Field Value

Topic category

Keywords

Field Value

Keyword set

keyword value

FAUNA-Native

Originating controlled vocabulary

Title

ANZLIC Search Words

Reference date

2008-05-16

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

140.712891

East bounding longitude

153.544922

North bounding latitude

-37.579413

South bounding latitude

-27.916767

Vertical extent information

Minimum value

-100

Maximum value

2228

Coordinate reference system

Authority code

urn:ogc:def:cs:EPSG::

Code identifying the coordinate reference system

5711

Temporal extent

Begin position

2019-04-01

End position

N/A

Dataset reference date

Resource maintenance

Maintenance and update frequency

Unknown

Contact info

Contact position

Data Broker

Organisation name

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Telephone number

131555

Email address

data.broker@environment.nsw.gov.au

Web address

https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/dcceew

Responsible party role

pointOfContact

Quality and validity

Field Value

Lineage

To allow management actions for conserving flying-foxes to be incorporated into land use decisions, the New South Wales and Australian governments jointly funded the project Ranking the feeding habitats of grey-headed flying-foxes for conservation management (Eby and Law 2008). This work mapped foraging habitat within the range of the threatened grey-headed flying-fox. The current project, funded by the New South Wales government and administered by Local Government New South Wales, expands the 2008 resource to provide contemporary mapping of potential foraging habitat for all three species across New South Wales. Digital maps and databases from the Eby and Law (2008) study were updated and methods consistent with the 2008 project were then applied across inland zones. The state-wide native diet list for flying-foxes comprises 60 species in the blossom diet and 51 species in the fruit diet. Temporal and spatial flowering patterns and productivity of diet species are significant components of the assessment of foraging habitat. Species in the flower diet of flying-foxes were characterised using the productivity and reliability of flowering patterns and seasonal flowering phenology scored at bi-monthly intervals. Habitats were defined by the vegetation types described in vegetation classifications and spatial layers. Digital vegetation maps from across NSW were compiled and merged to create a single, seamless habitat map. Ultimately 39 vegetation mapping projects were included. The state map was divided into 19 regional datasets distributed across three zones to create a final product with practical file sizes. Numeric assessments of flowering characteristics were combined with estimates of plant densities in the vegetation data to score the quality of nectar-producing habitat. Data on flowering phenology was used to produce bi-monthly maps illustrating spatial and temporal variations in food resources. The accuracy and reliability of the habitat map is directly linked to the spatial accuracy and quality of floristic information and line work contained in the spatial layers and classifications available to the project. Every effort was made to use the best available data. Flying-fox records and data on diet and flowering characteristics become progressively sparse to the west, which introduces an unmeasured level of uncertainty to habitat assessments in these zones, particularly in the far west of the state. Insufficient data were available on the characteristics of fleshy fruits to allow comparisons to be drawn between species. Fruit-producing habitats were assessed by a separate method based on the species richness of diet plants. Broad spatial patterns of habitat quality illustrated in the map of total habitat scores are consistent with records of flying-fox distribution. Bi-monthly maps of nectar habitat illustrate the importance of coastal lowlands and ranges throughout the year, the near absence of productive habitat in the western zone and the relative productivity of small remnants of grassy woodlands in the central zone, particularly in colder bi-months. Summaries of seasonal habitat quality emphasise the paucity of foraging options during winter. These broad temporal and spatial patterns illustrated by the maps are consistent with the habitat requirements of various nectar-feeding birds, including species listed as threatened in NSW, and emphasise the potential utility of the maps for assessing habitats of other canopy-feeding nectarivores.

Constraints related to access and use

Field Value

Limitations on public access

Responsible organisations

Field Value

Responsible party

Contact position

Data Broker

Organisation name

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Telephone number

131555

Email address

data.broker@environment.nsw.gov.au

Web address

https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/dcceew

Responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Field Value

Metadata point of contact

Contact position

Data Broker

Organisation name

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Telephone number

131555

Email address

data.broker@environment.nsw.gov.au

Web address

https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/dcceew

Responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2024-02-26T13:52:15.360477

Metadata language