australian native vegetation assessment 2001 - National Program ...

Implementing the National Vegetation
Information System
Data compilation
Guidelines for classifying Australia’s vegetation
were agreed and potential sources of vegetation
mapping for inclusion in the data collation
program were documented. Each State and
Territory nominated vegetation maps to be used,
preferably those that met minimum
requirements of the National Vegetation
Information System. Where mapping was
unable to comply with standards but otherwise
provided an important coverage of part of a
State, the best available mapped information was
provided as ‘interim coverage’.
State and Territory compilation activities were
supported by expert advice on translation and
interpretation of vegetation mapping and on
information products required by decision
makers.
Activities were constrained by available financial
resources and time frames. Time frames were
extended by a year beyond that specified in the
Audit strategic plan, doubling the actual
resources dedicated to the initiative. Data sets
incorporated into the National Vegetation
Information System are summarised in
Appendix 8; methods used to implement the
various components of the framework are
documented in Appendix 9.
Quality assurance
Activities in building, checking, editing,
documenting and finalising the database
(Version 1) for Levels I–III included:
reviewing and resolving loading errors from
the data compiler to the database;
providing data custodians with detail of
errors and requesting resupply of
outstanding map units;
preparing plots of Levels I–III to visualise
the data and attempt to resolve spatial
errors;
checking database entries against known
code sets; and
incorporating changes into the database in
consultation with data custodians.
The majority of inconsistencies in classification
and mapping across jurisdictions were unable to
be resolved with data custodians in the time
frame for the project. This required an intensive
process of consultation with vegetation experts
across each jurisdiction resulting in a resolution
to change vegetation descriptions and mapped
boundaries.
Version 1 of the database was used in the
development of products for the Australian
National Vegetation Assessment 2001.
Information gaps
Detailed vegetation mapping available for the
2001 assessment was incomplete for the entire
continent and a number of gaps occur in our
knowledge and on the coverage at regional scales
(see Knowledge, data and information gaps
section). An analysis of these gaps by users
provides a rigorous basis for setting priorities for
further investment in native vegetation
mapping.
Great Cumbung Swamp
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