Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00253:schedule:3:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00253
Segment Type: schedule
Provision Reference: sch 3 (pt 1/2)
Character Range: 138753–145774

Schedule 3—The point intercept method
  This Schedule sets out the point intercept method of measuring plant cover in an area.

Step 1—Select sampling plots
  Use a laser pointer or small diameter sampling pole to designate 50 sampling points at 1 metre intervals along the centre line of each permanent sampling plot, starting 1 metre in from one end of the centre line, with each sampling point located either at ground level or on the ground cover that lies above the ground.

Step 2—Assign groundcover categories and subcategories
 (1) Assign each sampling point to a groundcover category, and subcategory where appropriate, in the following table:
   Table
Category   Subcategory  Groundcover                                                                                                                                                                                              Description
A                       Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                      Living ground vascular plant

           A1           Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                      Living grass from a species that is native to the local area

A2         Yes          Living herbaceous vascular plant, other than a grass, from a species that is native to the local area

A3         Yes          Living woody plant within the ground layer (less than 1 metre tall) from a species that is native to the local area. Includes seedlings, vines and other small plants of native tree and shrub species.

A4         Yes          Living ground layer plant from a species that is not native to the local area, other than non-pasture crop species

A5         Yes          Living ground layer plant from a species that is a non-pasture crop species

B                       Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cryptogamic soil crust or non-vascular plants

C                       Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                      Dead native ground layer plant

D                       Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                      Dead non-native ground layer plant

E                       Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                      Litter (dead plant material including leaves, bark, twigs)

F                       Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                      Bare ground

G                       Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                      Rock

H                       Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                      Ground cover – not otherwise specified

I                       No                                                                                                                                                                                                       Living predominant native canopy tree

J                       No                                                                                                                                                                                                       Living native understorey tree

K                       No                                                                                                                                                                                                       Living native shrub

L                       No                                                                                                                                                                                                       Living native vine

M                       No                                                                                                                                                                                                       Dead native tree, shrub or vine

N                       No                                                                                                                                                                                                       Living canopy tree that is not native to the local area

O                       No                                                                                                                                                                                                       Living understorey tree or shrub that is not native to the local area

P                       No                                                                                                                                                                                                       Living vine that is not native to the local area

Q                       No                                                                                                                                                                                                       Dead tree, shrub or vine that is not native to the local area

R                       N/A                                                                                                                                                                                                      Other – not otherwise specified

 (2) Assign any ground area occupied by roots, stems or foliage of plants that are not part of the ground layer to category H.
 (3) Where possible, identify and record the species of ground layer plants at each sampling point.

Step 3—Classify sample points
  Classify each sampling point as falling beneath or outside of each of the following:
 (a) the crowns of native plants in the canopy layer;
 (b) the crowns of native plants in the mid-storey layer;
 (c) the crowns of non-native plants in the canopy