Using VAST to inform the development regional environmental accounts

Richard Thackway

Regional Environmental Accounts Technical Workshop, ABS House, Belconnen, ACT24-25 June, 2013

Outline

• 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:• 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

Soil

Vegetation

Regenerative capacity/ function

Vegetation structure & Species composition

1. Soil hydrological status2. Soil physical status3. Soil chemical status4. Soil biological status5. Fire regime6. Reproductive potential7. Overstorey structure8. Understorey structure9. Overstorey composition10. Understorey composition

LMP are used to influence

Condition and transformation - VAST

• Change in a plant community (type) due to effects of land management practices:

– Structure

– Composition

– Regenerative capacity

• Transformation = changes to vegetation condition over time• Condition and transformation are assessed relative to fully

natural a reference state

Vegetation condition

Occupation

Relaxation

Anthropogenic change

Net impact

Time

1800 1850 1900 1950 2000

Based on Hamilton, Brown & Nolan 2008. FWPA PRO7.1050. pg 18Land use impacts on biodiversity and Life Cycle Analysis

Reference

Model of ecosystem change i.e. cause & effect Ch

ange

in v

eget

ation

indi

cato

r od

inde

x

Vegetation Assets States and Transitions (VAST) framework

VIVIVIIIIII0

Native vegetationcover

Non-native vegetationcover

Increasing modification caused by use and management

Transitions = trend

Vegetation thresholds

Reference for each veg type (NVIS)

VAST - A framework for assessing & reporting vegetation condition

Condition states

Residual or unmodified

Naturally bare

Modified Transformed Replaced -Adventive

Replaced - managed

Replaced - removed

Thackway & Lesslie (2008) Environmental Management, 42, 572-90

Diagnostic attributes of VAST states:• Vegetation structure• Species composition• Regenerative capacity

NVIS

Current datasets are snapshots but not time series

Thackway & Lesslie (2008) Environmental Management, 42, 572-90

NB: Input dataset biophysical naturalness reclassified using VAST framework

/ replaced

/ unmodified

VAST 2009

Veg condition derived from classifying &

mapping effects of land management practices

Native

VAST-2 System*

Tracking change in vegetation condition

* Thackway 2012 – VAST-2 handbook

Condition components (3)

[VAST]

Attribute groups (10)

[LUMIS]Description of loss or gain relative to pre settlement indicator reference state

(22)

Regenerative capacity

Fire regime 1. Area /size of fire foot prints

2. Number of fire starts

Soil hydrology 3. Soil surface water availability

4. Ground water availability

Soil physical state

5. Depth of the A horizon

6. Soil structure

Soil nutrient state

7. Nutrient stress – rundown (deficiency) relative to soil fertility

8. Nutrient stress – excess (toxicity) relative to soil fertility

Soil biological state

9. Recyclers responsible for maintaining soil porosity and nutrient recycling

10. Surface organic matter, soil crusts

Reproductive potential

11. Reproductive potential of overstorey structuring species

12. Reproductive potential of understorey structuring species

Vegetation structure

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

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

Species Composition

Overstorey composition

19. Densities of overstorey species functional groups

20. Relative number of overstorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp

Understorey composition

21. Densities of understorey species functional groups

22. Relative number of understorey species (richness) of indigenous :exotic spp

1

3

10

22

Dia

gnos

ticatt

ribut

es

VegetationTransformation

score

Attrib

ute

grou

ps

VegetationStructure

(27%)

Overstorey

(3)

Understorey

(3)

SpeciesComposition

(18%)

(2)

UnderstoreyOverstorey

(2)

RegenerativeCapacity

(55%)

Fire

(2)

Reprodpotent

(2)

Soil

Hydrology

(2)

Biology

(2)

Nutrients

(2)

Structure

(2) Indicators

VAST-2 hierarchy

Step 7Add 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

Step 1aUse a checklist of 22 indicators to compile

changes in LU & LMP* and plant community responses over time

Transformation site

Step 1cEvaluate impacts on the plant community

over time

Step 1bEvaluate the influence of climate, soil and

landform on the historical record

Step 2Document responses of 22

indicators over time

Step 4Document the reference states for 22 indicators

Step 3aLiterature review to determine the

baseline conditions for 22 indicators

Step 3cCompile indicator data for 22 indicators for reference site

Step 3bEvaluate the influence of climate, soil and landform for the reference site

Reference state/sites

Step 5Score all 22 indicators for ‘transformation site’ relative to the

‘reference site’. 0 = major change; 1 = no change

Step 6Derive 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

General process for tracking changes VAST-2 system

* LU Land useLMP Land management practices

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

WA Wheatbelt BOM rainfall anomaly 1900-2010(modelled 5 km resolution)

Derived from monthly modelled rainfall data obtained from http://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/

Rainfall anomaly relative to mean

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/

Photo: Harry Recher

Salmon Gum reference state

VAST

clas

ses

Case study 2

Region: Taroom Shire, Brigalow Belt South, Qld

Reference state: Brigalow woodland overstorey , mixed open shrubland understorey , grassy and forb groundlayer

More info: http://www.vasttransformations.com/

Photo: Griffith University

Brigalow woodland reference state

Wanaringa, Taroom Shire, Qld

VAST

cla

sses

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

List of VAST-2 indicators (22) 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

3. Soil surface water availability CSIRO Modeled epochs NA

4. Ground water availability 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

9. Recyclers responsible for maintaining soil porosity and nutrient recycling ?? 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) 2009 Alos/Landsat/ ICESAT

14. Overstorey foliage projective cover (mean) of the plant community TERN AusCover Time series (RS) 2000-10 Landsat

15. Overstorey structural diversity (i.e. a diversity of age classes) of the stand TERN AusCover Snap shot (RS) 2009 Alos/Landsat/ ICESAT

16. Understorey top height (mean) of the plant community TERN AusCover Snap shot (RS) 2009 Alos/Landsat/ ICESAT

17. Understorey ground cover (mean) of plant community (fractional cover) TERN AusCover Time series (RS) 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

Monitoring Burnt Area and Approximate Day of BurnVAST-2 indicators 1 & 2

http://data.auscover.org.au/xwiki/bin/view/Product+pages/BurntArea+DoB+MODIS+CDU

0

20

40

60

80

100

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

YearF

PC

Monitoring Foliage Projective CoverVAST-2 indicator 14

Source: Tim Danaher

Overstorey height, cover & structural typesVAST-2 indicators 13, 14 & 15

Source: Peter ScarthPolygons based on Landsat FPC (persistent green) and Allos radar backscatter at 25mVertical structure from IceSat . Mantuan Downs, Qld

1988 1991 1993

1995

2003 2004

20011999

Monitoring Ground CoverVAST-2 indicator 17

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 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

1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

X, Y Tas Midlands

1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

0

1

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3

4

5

6

7

X, Y Tas Midlands

1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

0

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7

X, Y Tas Midlands

1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

0

1

2

3

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7

X, Y Tas Midlands

1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

0

1

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7

X, Y Tas Midlands

1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

0

1

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7

X, Y Tas Midlands

1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

0

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X, Y Tas Midlands

1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050

0

1

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X, Y Tas Midlands

Potential transformations

We can do this at sites

1962 1983 1986 1997 2004

250 hectare ‘Talaheni’, Murrumbateman, NSW

We can monitor veg condition across small areas e.g. propertiesVAST states

Reporting condition states ‘Talaheni’

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1962 1983 1986 1997 2004

Year of VAST assessment

hecta

res

2

31

32

33

5

6

VAST states

2009

Source: http://app.monitor.abares.gov.au/map.html

Legend

20122014

We cannot annualize monitoring of veg condition whole landscapes

Removed managed

Removed replaced

/unmodified

VAST states

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’

Residual/ unmodified

Modified

Transformed

Adventive

Replaced and managed Replaced /removed

Organ Pipes National Park – ex cropping paddock

Trajectories of vegetation status and VAST classes

reflect choices and drivers

VAST

cl

asse

s

More info & Acknowledgements

More informationhttp://www.vasttransformations.com/http://portal.tern.org.au/searchhttp://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