National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) Version 5.1 - AUSTRALIA - Extant Vegetation

CAUTION: NVIS datasets are large and computationally intensive! Please allow sufficient time to plan and execute any geoprocessing of NVIS datasets.

This dataset is a vector layer delineating the extant ('present') native vegetation types across Australia made available for release under CC BY. This dataset is part of a larger compilation of Australian states and territories for the latest release (Version 5.1) of the National Vegetation Information System (NVIS). Each state/territory is available for separate download, due to size limitations.

This dataset comprises part of NVIS Version 5.0. This dataset was also used to develop previous Major Vegetation Groups and Subgroup products (version 3.0 to present). Note that the interpretation of vegetation descriptions (i.e. in the lookup table) may differ between versions. 

The comparable estimated Pre-1750 ('pre-clearing', 'pre-European') vegetation are in the following separate dataset(s):
NVIS5_1_AUST_PRE_

Feature classes are named - NVIS5_1_AUST_EXT_ or NVIS5_1_AUST_PRE_ .

To use this dataset and display the Level 1-6 hierarchy  the field "NVISDSC1" must be joined to the field "NVIS_ID" in the lookup table, available for separate:
NVIS5_1_LUT_AUST_DETAILn > where n is an integer incremented with minor updates - see metadata for this table for instructions.

Once this table has been joined, a simple display option is to use the field "MVG_NAME" which includes the names of the NVIS Major Vegetation Groups (MVGs) as described at: http://www.environment.gov.au/land/publications/factsheets-vegetation-profiles-major-vegetation-groups. The most detailed account of the pre-clearing vegetation is in the field L6_SUB_ASSOCIATION following the NVIS scheme.
[A legend or 'shadesets' for the MVGs and MVSs can be found 

For internal users - N:\Veg\NVIS_V5_1_\MVG_MVS\Symbology\Vector

For external users - in this package: 
- MVG5_1_BY_NAME.lyr
- MVG5_1_BY_NUMBER.lyr
- MVS5_1_BY_NAME.lyr
- MVS5_1_BY_NUMBER.lyr
Use the field “MVG_NUMBER/MVS_NUMBER” or “MVG_NAME/MVS_NAME” for the symbology.]

The NVIS vegetation attributes contain information on vegetation structure (growth form, height and cover) and floristics (genus and species) as documented in the Australian Native Vegetation Assessment (NLWRA, 2001) and the Australian Vegetation Attribute Manual Version 7.0 (NVIS Technical Working Group, 2017). Levels 1 to 6 of the NVIS Information Hierarchy are present in this dataset, where provided by the custodian.

Attribute data for the above datasets marked "Level 6" were supplied in the XML Transfer System, which checks for consistency throughout the NVIS Information Hierarchy (NVIS Technical Working Group, 2017). Attribute data was loaded into an Oracle database at ERIN, where each vegetation type in the source data was allocated a unique NVIS identifier (NVIS_ID). Some attribute data, principally that coming from the Native Vegetation Mapping Program (NVMP), met the standard NVIS quality assurance tests.

The spatial data were supplied with SOURCE_CODEs, which were converted to NVIS identifiers (NVISDSC1-6). Please note that vegetation mapping can be quite complex and a single polygon may contain a "mosaic" of up to six vegetation associations. Other NVIS attributes were also updated on the basis of the supplied data.

For this update, Version 5.1, the extant dataset for Tasmania has been updated, with gapfilling work being completed for the NSW extant dataset. Some of the rulesets underpinning the assignment of MVGs and MVSs have also been updated to improve consistency for their allocation. Version 5.0 substantially standardised the lookup tables (NVIS5_1_LUT_DETAILxxxx and NVIS5_1_LUT_AUST_FLATxxxx). For more detail refer to the associate lookup tables. Previously, Version 4.2 updated NSW. For version 4.1 most agencies supplied data to the update.

This dataset is not comparable with earlier versions of NVIS, such as the 2001 Native Vegetation Assessment (which used a different structure and vegetation typology).

Reference:
NVIS Technical Working Group (2017) Australian Vegetation Attribute Manual: National Vegetation Information System, Version 7.0. Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Prep by Bolton, M.P., de Lacey, C. and Bossard, K.B. (Eds)CC - Attribution (CC BY)
This data has been licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. More information can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
 
You are free to:
Share - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format 
Adapt - remix, transform, and build upon the material 

for any purpose, even commercially.
You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.

**The Victorian EVCs (source data for Victorian NVIS) are currently under redevelopment. This data should be USED WITH CAUTION until the new data is incorporated into a future version of NVIS. Once available, it may be worth obtaining the new source data from the State Custodian in order to have the most up to date and relevant data. This may be the case with other states also, given the timing of NVIS releases, and thus considered when using any NVIS product.**
© Commonwealth of Australia (Department of the Environment and Energy) 2018

Tags: Downloadable Data, ECOLOGY Ecosystem, VEGETATION, VEGETATION Floristic, VEGETATION Structural, VEGETATION_Classification, VEGETATION_Distribution, VEGETATION_Mapping
Organization: Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water