Ecological Vegetation Classes
determining_evc's_for_sites.pdf | |
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Biodiversity Interactive Map (BIM) has been decommissioned as it is based on obsolete software that can no longer be supported by DELWP.
A new web mapping and reporting tool known as NatureKit has been developed to replace it. NatureKit displays information on Victoria's:
NatureKit allows you to zoom in and out, pan around the map, identify features, perform queries, generate reports, and create printable maps (in PDF) based on themes. NatureKit has far greater capabilities for extracting data and creating reports than BIM provided in the past. |
Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVC) are the standard unit for classifying vegetation types in Victoria,. EVCs are described through a combination of floristics, lifeforms and ecological characteristics, and through an inferred fidelity to particular environmental attributes. Each EVC includes a collection of floristic communities (i.e. lower level in the classification) that occur across a biogeographic range, and although differing in species, have similar habitat and ecological processes operating. To view the distribution of EVCs across the state see the Biodiversity Interactive Map.
Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) benchmarks relate to a single EVC within one bioregion. They have been developed to assess the vegetation quality of EVCs at the site scale in comparison to a 'benchmark' condition. These benchmarks have been developed to assess native vegetation using the method for Vegetation Quality Assessment (VQA). Link to BioEVC Benchmarks. The EVC mapping includes units called mosaics, complexes and aggregates and generic wetland mapping units. These are mapping units only, and should not be used to assess a site using the VQA. As such, there are no benchmarks available for these units. In these cases, the site should be assessed using the component EVC that is dominant on-site. EVC 'variants' and those EVCs that are known to exhibit structural variation across their range will also need to utilise on-site information to determine the appropriate benchmark to apply. The EVC benchmarks contain a subset of "typical" but not comprehensive lists of species for each EVC in a bioregion. It should also be noted that not all species listed in the benchmark will be appropriate to all sites across the range of an EVC in a bioregion nor readily available through local nurseries. The table below provides information for mapped wetland areas that have not yet been assigned a wetland EVC type or are known to comprise an aggregate of wetland EVCs due to their temporal nature. Please keep in mind your purpose for assessing a wetland area and make sure you use the appropriate benchmark. |