Title

NSW Sheep-Wheat Belt Box-Gum Woodland Biodiversity Survey Sites 2004-2007 . VIS_ID 4091

Data Quality Statement

Name: Data Quality Statement

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

Description:

DQS - NSW Sheep-Wheat Belt Box-Gum Woodland Biodiversity Survey Sites 2004-2007 . VIS_ID 4091

Function: download

Vegetation_SheepWheatBeltNSW_EEC_4091

Name: Vegetation_SheepWheatBeltNSW_EEC_4091

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

Description:

File for Download

Function: download

Code

09d2bbff-6344-47a6-9a0f-392f933bf474

Name

ISO 19115

Edition

2016

Type

vector

Code identifying the spatial reference system

4283

Topic category

Title

ANZLIC Search Words

Reference date

2008-05-16

Coordinate reference system

Authority code

urn:ogc:def:cs:EPSG::

Code identifying the coordinate reference system

5711

End position

N/A

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

Lineage

Source data is derived from project specific biodiversity surveys conducted between November 2004 and February 2007. The great majority of surveys were conducted in the November-December periods of 2004, 2005 and 2006 survey seasons. It was necessary to survey a small number of sites in January-February 2006 and 2007 to ensure inclusion in the project time frame. The great majority sites were surveyed by qualified contractors. DECC Queanbeyan staff surveyed the remainder the survey contractors were unable to complete. Data was manually recorded onto custom designed proforma survey sheets. This was then collated and checked for errors, omissions and consistency before being manually entered into electronic spreadsheets by a data entry operator. This data was then further checked by the coordinating project officer prior to being exported into a custom designed relational database. Flora species and fauna species common names, scientific names, legal status, native/non-native status have been standardised to the Atlas of NSW Wildlife CAPS Plant Taxa and Atlas of NSW Wildlife CAVS Vertebrate Taxa listings sourced from the NSW National Parks & Wildlife website (www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au). In a few instances species common names have been modified or added to copies of these listings built into the survey database. Where it has been necessary to add species names there are no assigned CAPS, CAVS and PATN codes within the relevant survey database tables.

Attributes table field names and data contents are described below. Unless explained otherwise blank fields in the spatial layer attributes table indicate no relevant data has been recorded or supplied for that field. Fields have also been left blank in place of "No" where a Yes/No answer is only required.

1. SiteID - relates to each survey site on a property for a given Property ID. To assign each survey site a unique and anonymous identifier each property has been given an ID number which has then been combined with the suffix A, B, C etc added for each subsequent site surveyed on the property. For example if two sites were surveyed on property number 12 the resulting SiteID numbers would be 12A and 12B.

2. Propty_ID - unique identifier for each property. A landholder with more than one property will generally have a separate ID for each property. It is possible that there may be a few cases where adjoining properties of different tenure have mistakenly been given the same Property ID.

3. Count - this indicates the total number of survey sites occuring within the same 5km x 5km polygon.

4. UTM_Zone - Is the Universal Transverse Mercator map projection zone. The project study area straddles UTM Zones 55 and 56 over its extent from the Victorian border to the Queensland border.

5. East_AMG, Nthg_AMG - Australian Map Grid site coordinate GPS (Global Positioning System) Easting and Northing readings georeferenced to Australian Geodetic Datum 1966 (AGD66). Typically represent corner or centre of the plant survey 20m x 50m quadrat (if carried out). For the 2004 surveys these coordinates relate to the centre of the plant survey quadrat. In most cases these coordinates also relate to the approximate centre of the 2ha, 20minute formal bird survey area.

6. Survey - Lists the survey method used. For example, SWBP2006 stands for the project specific Sheep-Wheat Belt Project surveys conducted in the 2006 survey season. The survey methods have employed the same approach from year to year with successive refinements and addition of further survey parameters (mainly in 2005 for site abiotic features and vegetation structure). See the accompanying copy of each year's survey proforma for more details of the survey methods and parameters. The 2004 results have been standardised to the later year survey categories in those instances where category values differed.

7. Year, Month, Day - date of survey.

8. Tenure - this relates to property ownership and /or management and is described in more detail below. 8.1 Private - Formally Protected encompasses properties mainly with DECC Voluntary Conservation Agreements (VCAs) but also includes one with a Property Vegetation Plan (PVP) and several belonging to private conservation trusts. 8.2 Private - Not Formally Protected is freehold/leasehold land with no formalised protection agreement or protection status. 8.2 Public - Local Govt properties are mainly Council owned and/or managed cemeteries, reserves, parks, commons with a couple of wetlands. 8.3 Public - NSW Dept of Lands properties are mainly those surrounding large lakes and dams on the NWS and CWS plus a leased out crown reserve on the SWS 8.4 Public - C'wlth, NSW DPI and NSW DNR is land belonging to research institutions although the land itself is not necessarily used for agricultural or other research. 8.5 Public - Protected properties are mainly recently declared formal NSW Conservation Reserves for which there is little or no data on their Box-Gum Woodland vegetation. Also included are five cemeteries on the SWS with DEC VCAs, a Nature Conservation Trust property and an Australian native plant arboretum. 8.6 Public - RLPB properties are almost exclusively Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) with a few Travelling Stock Routes included as well as best can be determined. The lack of availability of a suitable GIS polygon layer for RLPB land often made it difficult readily delineate a TSR from a Route or other type of land tenure and difficult to delineate property size. 8.7 Public - Unknown includes roadside easements and corridors, reserves and commons held in trust, and other crown land for which the relevant public owner and/or managing authority has yet to be determined.

9. CMN Memb - sites surveyed on properties of landholders currently listed as members of the Grassy Box Woodland Conservation Management Network have a "Yes" in this field. Public landholder organisations, are generally not listed here as CMN members even though in many cases they have individual employees that are listed as members of the CMN. The CMN has ongoing communication with many public landholder organisations, particularly Local Government Authorities and Rural Lands Protection Boards, whose properties constitute the majority of surveyed public land sites.

10. Patch_ha - Estimated patch area in hectares of vegetation of the same type and condition in which the 20m x 50m veg survey quadrat is located. In many cases the patch extends onto adjoining properties. In cases where there has been more than one site surveyed on a particular property and the estimated patch area is only given for one site (typically site A) it is reasonable for users to assume that all sites surveyed on that property are in what is essentially one contiguous patch of similar vegetation type. In some cases the patch areas of intergrading vegetation types have been too difficult to readily estimate.

The area estimates are derived from a variety of sources including the surveyor's own estimate, listed property sizes (eg. for TSRs), measurements off satellite imagery (SPOT 5 XI 22 Jan 05 GDA94) for most of the 2004 survey areas, and DECC Queanbeyan's held cadastral map shape files. Area estimate accuracy will vary, with more accurate sizes for smaller areas, typically those less than 20ha. In most cases the area estimates represent a minimum size. For example, in some areas there has been extensive clearing of the tree overstorey and shrub layers, leaving an adjoining and sometimes much larger area of native groundlayer within a scattered paddock tree matrix. Where "0" is shown, no estimate of patch area has been provided. In most cases it is likely the patch area is significantly greater than 2ha, as it was too difficult for the surveyor to estimate on-ground, especially if intergrading into a much larger patch e.g. adjoining a National Park or part of an extensive travelling stock route with adjoining wooded reserves.

1. Veg_type - This is primarily based on the characteristic dominant Overstorey (>4m high), Shrublayer (0.5m - 4m high) and Groundlayer (<0.5m high) plant species identified at each site. Reference to survey quadrat plant species listings was also made where considered necessary. Those sites classified as belonging to the White Box / Yellow Box / Blakely's Red Gum Endangered Ecological Community (aka Box-Gum Woodland) meet the criteria under DECC's interpretation of the relevant NSW Scientific Committee Determination dated 15/3/2002 (see NPWS website http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/content/list+of+scientific+committee+determinations).

It is reasonable to assume that most of these sites also meet the Commonwealth's EEC definition as per the decision tree in the EPBC Act policy statement May 2006. However there are likely to be some that do not meet the Commonwealth criteria. For example, in some cases, particularly for sites surveyed during the 2006 season on the SWS and CWS and the western parts of the associated Tablelands, drought conditions combined with overgrazing made it difficult to determine the compostion of groundlayer plant species. This made it difficult to determine whether or not these sites met the Commonwealth criterion of at least 50% perennial native vegetation cover. The default position taken in these cases was to assume that it is EEC in line with a "Precautionary Principle" approach.

Other EECs identified are based on the relevant NSW Scientific Committee Determinations listed at the above website. EEC Ecotone sites are those where the characteristic dominant tree species of the EEC occur as sub-dominants. EEC White Box, Yellow Box or Blakely's Red Gum trees as overstorey sub-dominants and Western Grey Box or Coastal Grey Box as sub-dominants in the Nandewar Bioregion.

1. Overstry1, Overstry2, Overstry3 - The dominant three overstorey tree species (or less if applicable) in descending order of cover abundance. In some cases there may be more than three tree species present.

2. Shrub_1, Shrub_2, Shrub_3 - The dominant three shrublayer plant species (or less if applicable) in descending order of cover abundance. In some cases there may be more than three species present.

3. Ground_1, Ground_2, Ground_3 - The dominant three groundlayer plant species (or less if applicable) in descending order of cover abundance.

4. Veg_Spp - Total number of plant species identified in a 20m x 50m quadrat selected to representatively sample the patch vegetation type. It is usually located near the centre of the 2ha bird survey area (see Bird_Spp below). Groundlayer species are surveyed in 20m x 20m quadrat nested within the larger quadrat.

5. Ntv_Spp - Total number of native plant species identified in the 20m x 50m survey.

6. Veg_TSpp - Combined number of threatened plant species (as per NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995) identified in the 20m x 50m quadrat and in opportunistic observations. Opportunistic sightings are those outside the quadrat. They are usually located in the immediate area, however, on occasions they may be in another area of the property (e.g. when travelling to and from site) or close by on an adjacent property.

7. Bird_Spp - number of different bird species (or species richness) seen or heard to be in a 20 minute walk through a 2ha site (nominally 200m x 100m). Includes birds hawking or flying over.

8. NTV_Birds - Number of native bird species (or species richness) seen or heard heard to be in the 20 minute, 2ha survey.

9. Fauna_TS - Number of threatened bird species identified in the formal (2ha, 20minute) survey plus the number of opportunistic sightings of threatened fauna (bird & non-bird) species as per NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Opportunistic sightings includes birds and other fauna observed either directly or indirectly (nests, scats, tracks, feathers, fur, bones etc) in the 2 ha area outside the formal 20 minute survey period or those observed at any time outside the 2 ha bird survey area. It also applies to other fauna (non-bird) observed in the 2ha area during the formal 20 minute bird survey.

10. HB_Trees - number of hollow bearing trees in 20m x 50m quadrat. Corresponds to a designated category text on the survey form and in the survey database.

11. Tree_Regn - number of regenerating overstorey trees in 20m x 50m quadrat. Generally =10cm diameter occurring within the 20m x 50m quadrat. Corresponds to a designated category text on the survey form and in the survey database.

12. Rocks - Number of rock outcrops and/or large boulders within 20m x 50m quadrat. Corresponds to a designated category text on the survey form and in the survey database.

13. Litter - % projective cover of dead on-ground vegetation (leaves, dead grass, twigs, bark, small branches etc ) within 20m x 50m quadrat. Corresponds to a designated category text on the survey form and in the survey database.

14. Condition, Flora_CV, Fauna_CV, Oall_CV - These are qualitative assessments of patch condition and conservation value in most cases directly provided by the surveyors themselves or inferred from their comments and survey data. They are subjective and will vary depending on surveyor bias and interpretation, nevertheless they provide a useful guide until a more quantitative and systematic assessment can be made. For the 2004 surveys the surveyors were not specifically asked to provide these qualitative assessments. In 2005 surveyors were asked to provide assessments of conservation value (Low, Medium, High) in the General Comments section of the survey form. Not all surveyors did this. In 2004 and 2005 surveyors often only commented on condition and conservation value for sites that were of particularly good quality. As a result these assessments for 2004 and 2005 surveys tend to be biased toward higher condition and conservation sites. In view of the 2005 survey results the 2006 survey form was modified to specifically ask surveyors to select from relevant scales provided for assessment of site condition, vegetation conservation value and fauna habitat conservation value. This approach proved successful for most of the 2006 surveys where surveyors used the correct (ie. final) version of the survey proforma. Oall_CV is the overall qualitative assessment of conservation value for a site based on the higher of the Flora_CV and Fauna_CV ratings where assessed.

15. Bioregion - IBRA v6 bioregion in which the site is located. See Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), Version 6 URL: http://www.deh.gov.au/erin/

16. Bot_Div - NSW Botanic Gardens Trust botanic division boundary (see Flora of New South Wales) in which the site is located.

17. CMA - Catchment Management Authority boundary in which the site is located. See Catchment Management Boards of NSW http://canri.nsw.gov.au/nrdd/records/ANZNS0359000838.html

18. LGA - Local Government Area boundary in which the site is located. See NEW SOUTH WALES DCDB LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA BOUNDARIES http://canri.nsw.gov.au/nrdd/records/ANZNS0404000748.html

19. RLPB - Rural Lands Protection Board boundary in which the site is located. See NEW SOUTH WALES DCDB RURAL LANDS DISTRICT BOUNDARIES http://canri.nsw.gov.au/nrdd/records/ANZNS0404000753.html

Limitations on public access

Effective date

1901-01-01

Effective date

1901-01-01

Effective date

1901-01-01

Effective date

1901-01-01

Effective date

1901-01-01

Effective date

1901-01-01

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

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