Using VAST to inform the development
regional environmental accounts
Richard Thackway
Regional Environmental Accounts Technical Workshop, ABS House, Belconnen, ACT
24-25 June, 2013
Outline
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Concepts and definitions
What is VAST
VAST-2 methodology
VAST-2 case studies
Potential to use VAST for regional accounts
Where to from here?
More information
VAST = Vegetation Assets States and Transitions
Land managers affect native veg condition
Process:
Land managers use land management practices (LMP) to
influence ecological function at sites and the landscape by:
•
•
•
•
•
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Modifying
Removing and replacing
Enhancing
Restoring
Maintaining
Improving
Purpose/s:
To achieve the desired mix of ecosystem services (space & time)
VAST focuses on affects of land management on
plant communities
Regenerative capacity/ function
LMP are used to influence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Soil hydrological status
Soil physical status
Soil chemical status
Soil biological status
Fire regime
Reproductive potential
Overstorey structure
Understorey structure
Overstorey composition
Understorey composition
Soil
Vegetation
Vegetation structure &
Species composition
Condition and transformation - VAST
•
Change in a plant community (type) due to effects of land
management practices:
–
Structure
–
Composition
–
Regenerative capacity
Vegetation condition
•
Transformation = changes to vegetation condition over time
•
Condition and transformation are assessed relative to fully
natural a reference state
Model of ecosystem change i.e. cause & effect
Reference
Change in vegetation
indicator od index
Anthropogenic change
Net impact
Relaxation
Occupation
1800
1850
1900
Time
Based on Hamilton, Brown & Nolan 2008. FWPA PRO7.1050. pg 18
Land use impacts on biodiversity and Life Cycle Analysis
1950
2000
VAST - A framework for assessing & reporting
vegetation condition
Increasing modification caused by use and management
0
I
II
Naturally
bare
Residual or
unmodified
Modified
III
IV
Transformed
Replaced Adventive
V
Replaced managed
VI
Replaced removed
Vegetation
thresholds
Condition states
Reference for
each veg type
(NVIS)
Native vegetation
cover
Transitions = trend
Non-native vegetation
cover
Diagnostic attributes of VAST states:
• Vegetation structure
• Species composition
• Regenerative capacity
Vegetation Assets States and Transitions (VAST) framework
NVIS
Thackway & Lesslie (2008) Environmental
Management, 42, 572-90
Current datasets are snapshots but not time series
VAST 2009
Veg condition derived
from classifying &
mapping effects of land
management practices
/ unmodified
Native
/ replaced
Thackway & Lesslie (2008)
Environmental Management, 42, 572-90
NB: Input dataset biophysical naturalness reclassified using
VAST framework
VAST-2 System*
Tracking change in vegetation condition
* Thackway 2012 – VAST-2 handbook
Condition
components (3)
[VAST]
Attribute groups
(10)
[LUMIS]
Fire regime
Description of loss or gain relative to pre settlement indicator reference state
(22)
1. Area /size of fire foot prints
2. Number of fire starts
Regenerative capacity
Soil hydrology 3. Soil surface water availability
4. Ground water availability
Soil physical
state
5. Depth of the A horizon
Soil nutrient
state
7. Nutrient stress – rundown (deficiency) relative to soil fertility
6. Soil structure
8. Nutrient stress – excess (toxicity) relative to soil fertility
Soil biological 9. Recyclers responsible for maintaining soil porosity and nutrient recycling
state
10. Surface organic matter, soil crusts
Species
Composition
Vegetation
structure
Reproductive 11. Reproductive potential of overstorey structuring species
potential
12. Reproductive potential of understorey structuring species
Overstorey
structure
13. Overstorey top height (mean) of the plant community
14. Overstorey foliage projective cover (mean) of the plant community
15. Overstorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the stand
Understorey
structure
Overstorey
composition
Understorey
composition
16. Understorey top height (mean) of the plant community
17. Understorey ground cover (mean) of the plant community
18. Understorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the plant
19. Densities of overstorey species functional groups
20. Relative number of overstorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp
21. Densities of understorey species functional groups
22. Relative number of understorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp
1
VAST-2 hierarchy
3
Vegetation
Transformation
score
10
Attribute
groups
Diagnostic
attributes
22
Regenerative
Capacity
(55%)
Fire
Soil
(2)
Structure
(2)
Vegetation
Structure
(27%)
Reprod
potent
Overstorey
(3)
(2)
Nutrients
Biology
(2)
(2)
Species
Composition
(18%)
Understorey
(3)
Overstorey
(2)
Hydrology
(2)
Indicators
Understorey
(2)
General process for tracking changes
VAST-2 system
Transformation site
Reference state/sites
Step 1a
Use a checklist of 22 indicators to compile
changes in LU & LMP* and plant
community responses over time
Step 1b
Evaluate the influence of climate, soil and
landform on the historical record
Step 3a
Literature review to determine the
baseline conditions for 22 indicators
Step 2
Step 4
Document responses of 22
indicators over time
Document the reference
states for 22 indicators
Step 3b
Evaluate the influence of climate, soil
and landform for the reference site
Step 3c
Step 1c
Compile indicator data for 22
indicators for reference site
Evaluate impacts on the plant community
over time
Step 5
Score all 22 indicators for ‘transformation site’ relative to the
‘reference site’. 0 = major change; 1 = no change
Step 6
Derive weighted indices for the three components for the ‘transformation
site’ i.e. regenerative capacity (58%), vegetation structure (27%) and
species composition (18%) by adding predefined indicators
Step 7
* LU Land use
LMP Land management practices
Add the indices for the three components to generate total transformation
index for the ‘transformation site’ for each year of the historical record .
Validate using Expert Knowledge
Importance of dynamics
Rainfall assumed to be main driver of system dynamics
• Period 1900 - 2013
• Average seasonal rainfall (summer, autumn, …)
• Rainfall anomaly is calculated above and below the mean
• Two year running trend line fitted
NB: Must calibrate remote sensing to account for dynamics
• e.g ground cover, greenness and foliage projective cover
Rainfall
anomaly
relative to
mean
WA Wheatbelt
BOM rainfall
anomaly
1900-2010
(modelled 5 km
resolution)
Derived from
monthly
modelled
rainfall data
obtained from
http://www.lon
gpaddock.qld.go
v.au/silo/
Case studies VAST-2
Case study 1
• Region:
Credo Station, Great Western Woodlands
(GWW), WA
• Reference state:
Salmon Gum woodland overstorey , saltbush &
bluebush understorey and ground layer
More info: http://www.vasttransformations.com/
Salmon Gum reference state
Photo: Harry Recher
Case study 2
Region:
Taroom Shire, Brigalow Belt South, Qld
Reference state:
Brigalow woodland overstorey , mixed open
shrubland understorey , grassy and forb ground
layer
More info: http://www.vasttransformations.com/
Brigalow woodland reference state
Photo: Griffith University
VAST classes
Wanaringa, Taroom Shire, Qld
Potential to use VAST-2 to produce whole
landscape regional accounts
Potential to use VAST-2 for
whole landscape accounting
Integrated ecological classification (algorithm)
• Scores and weights
• Enables meaningful simplified reporting over time
Relevant ecological indicators (22)
• Indicators designed to target key national datasets incl. several time series
Historical site-based records a basis for modeling &
validating
• Using GIS and remote sensing
• Reference state
Best source
spatial data
Time series or
modeled
Year/ RS source
1. Area /size of fire foot prints
TERN AusCover
Time series (RS)
>2000 MODIS
2. Number of fire starts
TERN AusCover
Time series (RS)
>2000 MODIS
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
GA & CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
5. Depth of the A horizon
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
6. Soil structure
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
7. Nutrient stress – rundown (deficiency) relative to soil fertility
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
8. Nutrient stress – excess (toxicity) relative to soil fertility
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
??
Modeled epochs
NA
10. Surface organic matter, soil crusts
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
11. Reproductive potential of overstorey structuring species
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
12. Reproductive potential of understorey structuring species
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
13. Overstorey top height (mean) of the plant community
TERN AusCover
Snap shot (RS)
14. Overstorey foliage projective cover (mean) of the plant community
TERN AusCover
Time series (RS)
2009 Alos/Landsat/
ICESAT
2000-10 Landsat
15. Overstorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the stand
TERN AusCover
Snap shot (RS)
16. Understorey top height (mean) of the plant community
TERN AusCover
Snap shot (RS)
17. Understorey ground cover (mean) of plant community (fractional cover)
TERN AusCover
Time series (RS)
2009 Alos/Landsat/
ICESAT
2009 Alos/Landsat/
ICESAT
2000-10 Landsat
18. Understorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the plant
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
19. Densities of overstorey species functional groups (biomass)
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
20. Relative number of overstorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
21. Densities of understorey species functional groups (biomass)
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
22. Relative number of understorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp
CSIRO
Modeled epochs
NA
List of VAST-2 indicators (22)
3. Soil surface water availability
4. Ground water availability
9. Recyclers responsible for maintaining soil porosity and nutrient recycling
Monitoring Burnt Area and Approximate Day of Burn
VAST-2 indicators 1 & 2
http://data.auscover.org.au/xwiki/bin/view/Product+pages/BurntArea+DoB+MODIS+CDU
Monitoring Foliage Projective Cover
VAST-2 indicator 14
100
FPC
80
60
40
20
0
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Year
Source: Tim Danaher
2010
Overstorey height, cover & structural types
VAST-2 indicators 13, 14 & 15
Polygons based on Landsat FPC (persistent green) and Allos radar backscatter at 25m
Vertical structure from IceSat . Mantuan Downs, Qld
Source: Peter Scarth
Monitoring Ground Cover
VAST-2 indicator 17
1988
1991
1995
1999
2003
2004
1993
2001
Source: Tim Danaher
What about info for the other indicators?
• Most info for these indicators are not dynamic e.g.
– Most regenerative capacity indicators will require
models rather than remote sensing
– Most species composition indicators will require expert
elicitation (workshops) & modeling of site data
Conclusions (1)
• VAST is a useful accounting tool for tracking change and
trend in the condition of vegetated landscapes –
– Change is due to use and management
We can do this at sites
X, Y Tas Midlands
0
1
2
X, Y Tas Midlands
3
X, Y Tas Midlands
4
0
5
1
0
6
2
7
1750
3
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2
2050
4
4
5
6
6
7
1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2050
1750
1800
1850
1900
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1750
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
1800
1850
1900
2000
2050
X, Y Tas Midlands
X, Y Tas Midlands
7
1750
1950
1950
2000
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2050
X, Y Tas Midlands
0
1
2
3
4
X, Y Tas Midlands
5
X, Y Tas Midlands
6
0
1
7
1750
0
2
3
2
4
4
5
6
7
1750
6
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2050
1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2050
Potential transformations
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2050
2050
We can monitor veg condition across small
areas e.g. properties
VAST states
250 hectare ‘Talaheni’, Murrumbateman, NSW
1962
1983
1986
1997
2004
Reporting condition states ‘Talaheni’
300
VAST states
250
2
hectares
200
31
32
150
33
5
100
6
50
0
1962
1983
1986
1997
Year of VAST assessment
2004
We cannot annualize monitoring of veg
condition whole landscapes
VAST states
Legend
/unmodified
Removed managed
Removed replaced
2014
2012
Source: http://app.monitor.abares.gov.au/map.html
2009
Conclusions (2)
• VAST also has value for:
– Synthesizing information (quantitative and qualitative)
– ‘Telling the story’ of landscape transformation
– Engaging land managers and ecologists as equal players
VAST helps in ‘telling the story’
VAST
classes
Organ Pipes National Park –
ex cropping paddock
Residual/ unmodified
Modified
Transformed
Trajectories of
vegetation status
and VAST classes
reflect choices
and drivers
Adventive
Replaced and
managed
Replaced /removed
More information
http://www.vasttransformations.com/
http://portal.tern.org.au/search
http://aceas-data.science.uq.edu.au/portal/
Acknowledgements
• University of Queensland, Department of Geography Planning and
Environmental Management for ongoing research support
• Many public and private land managers, land management agencies,
consultants and researchers have provided data and information