Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVC's)

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EVCs found in the East Gippsland region include:

Coastal Dune Scrub Coast Banksia Woodland Coastal Grassy Forest Coastal Vine-rich Forest Coastal Sand Heathland Sand Heathland Clay Heathland Wet Heathland Coastal Saltmarsh Estuarine Wetland Coastal Lagoon Wetland Wet Swale Herbland Brackish Sedgeland Rocky Outcrop Scrub Damp Forest Cool Temperate Rainforest Dry Rainforest Montane Dry Woodland Montane Damp Forest Montane Riparian Woodland Sub-alpine Shrubland Sub-alpine Treeless Complex

Banksia Woodland Limestone Box Lowland Forest Riparian Scrub Complex Riparian Forest Riparian shrubland Heathy Dry Forest Shrubby Dry Forest Grassy Dry Forest Herb-rich Forest Foothill Box-Ironbark Forest Limestone Grassy Woodland Rain shadow Woodland Rocky Outcrop Shrubland Wet Forest Warm Temperate Rainforest Tableland Damp Forest Montane Grassy Woodland Montane Wet Forest Montane Riparian Thickett Sub-alpine Woodland Cool/Warm Temperate Rainforest Overlap

(C of A and State of Victoria 1996).

The conservation status of EVCs in Gippsland has been assessed using the criteria derived from the National Forest Reserve Criteria (JANIS 1997). These are indicative only of the East Gippsland CMA (external link) region since some of these EVCs are to be found in the West Gippsland region.

The National Forest Reserve (JANIS) Criteria Used to Assess the Conservation Status of EVCs:

Status of EVC	Criteria
Rare	R1. Total range generally less than 10 000 ha. R2. Total area generally less than 1 000 ha. R3. Patch sizes generally less than 100 ha.
Vulnerable	V1. Approaching greater than 70 % lost (depletion) and remains subject to threatening processes. V2. Includes EVCs where threatening processes have caused significant changes in species composition, loss or significant decline in species that play a major role within the ecosystem, or significant alteration to ecosystem processes. V3. Not depleted but subject to continuing threatening processes which may reduce its extent.
Endangered	E1. Distribution has contracted to less than 10 % of original range. E2. Less than 10 % of original area remaining. E3. 90 % of area is in small patches subject to threatening processes and unlikely to persist.

From a total of 103 EVCs, 59 have been classified as endangered, vulnerable or rare within the Gippsland RFA region - these are listed in the table below.

Endangered, Vulnerable and Rare Ecological Vegetation Classes in Gippsland, their per cent Reservation in the Region, and Threatening Processes:

EVC Name	Criteria	% Res.	Threatening Processes
Coast Banksia Woodland	V2, V3	23.1	Recreation, clearing, inappropriate fire regimes, residential and commercial development
Damp Sands Herb-rich Woodland	V1, V2, V3, E3	19.3	Grazing, weed invasion, inappropriate fire regimes, clearing, agriculture, plantation development
Coastal Sand Heathland	R1, R2, R3, V3	73.2	Recreation
Clay Heathland	R2	46.7
Coastal Saltmarsh	R2, E3, V2, V3	57.0	Alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, recreation, clearing, residential and commercial development
Estuarine Wetland	V2, V3, E3	79.3	Residential and commercial development, alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, recreation
Coastal Lagoon Wetland	R1, R2, R3	100.0
Wet Swale Herbland	R2, R3	112.5
Limestone Box Forest	R1, R2, V2, V3	9.2	Grazing, clearing, minor forest produce, weed invasion, habitat loss, timber harvesting, fragmentation, inappropriate fire regimes
Riparian Forest	V2, V3	36.0	Weed invasion, grazing, recreation, mining, clearing, fire, indirect impacts of road construction and maintenance and timber harvesting
Riparian Shrubland	R3	8.9	Weed invasion
Rocky Outcrop Shrubland	R3	36.3	Weed invasion, inappropriate fire regimes
Cool Temperate Rainforest	R2, R3, E3, V2, V3	15.3	Fire, clearing, indirect effects of timber harvesting and of road construction and maintenance
Warm Temperate Rainforest	R3, E3,V2	21.8	Fire, clearing, indirect effects of timber harvesting and of road construction and maintenance
Dry Rainforest	R1, R2, R3, V2, V3, E3	9.6	Fire
Montane Riparian Woodland	E3	13.2	Weed invasion, grazing, indirect impacts of road construction and maintenance, inappropriate fire regimes
Montane Riparian Thicket	R3	15.4	Indirect impacts of road construction and maintenance, indirect impacts of timber harvesting
Sub-alpine Shrubland	R2, R3,E3	96.7	Recreation
Treeless Sub-alpine Mosaic	R2, R3, E3, V2, V3	100.0	Grazing, recreation, weed invasion
Shrubby Foothill Forest	V1	4.7	Minor forest produce, timber harvesting, inappropriate fire regimes
Valley Grassy Forest	V1, V2, V3	4.8	Weed invasion, grazing, clearing, minor forest produce, agriculture, minor forest produce
Swamp Scrub	E2, E3	2.0	Grazing
Plains Grassy Woodland	R3, E2, E3, V2, V3	0.5	Habitat loss, clearing, agriculture, fragmentation, grazing, weed invasion, road construction and maintenance, minor forest produce, timber harvesting, inappropriate fire regimes
Floodplain Riparian Woodland	R2, E2, E3, V2, V3	0.0	Habitat loss, clearing, agriculture, fragmentation, timber harvesting, minor forest produce, alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, grazing, weed invasion, indirect impacts of road construction and maintenance, agriculture
Box Ironbark Forest	R1, V1, V2, V3	2.6	Timber harvesting, firewood and post and pole production, mining, habitat loss, fragmentation, weed invasion, clearing, inappropriate fire regimes
Swampy Riparian Woodland	R2, R3, V3, E2, E3	0.1	Clearing for agriculture, grazing, weed invasion, alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, indirect impacts of road construction and maintenance
Lake Bed Herbland	R1, R2, E3, V2, v3	117.7	Grazing, alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, weed invasion
Swampy Riparian Complex	R2, E2, V3	0.0	Clearing for agriculture, grazing, weed invasion, alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, indirect impacts of road construction and maintenance
Valley Heathy Forest	R2, R3, V2	0.0	Clearing, agriculture, habitat loss, weed invasion, inappropriate fire regimes
Grassy Forest	R1, R2, R3, E2, E3, V2, V3	0.0	Grazing, weed invasion, clearing, agriculture, timber harvesting, minor forest produce
Plains Grassland	R2, R3, E2, E3, V2, V3	0.8	Inappropriate grazing regime, clearing, agriculture, habitat loss, fragmentation, weed invasion, road construction and maintenance, inappropriate fire regimes
Limestone Pomaderris Shrubland	R2, R3, V2, V3, E3	0.1	Grazing, weed invasion, mining
Gallery Rainforest	R2, R3, V1, V2, V3, E3	4.4	Fire, clearing, indirect effects of timber harvesting and of road construction and maintenance,
Sedge Wetland	R2, R3, V3, E3	17.0	Grazing, alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, weed invasion
Mangrove Shrubland	E3, V2, V3	85.6	Alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, recreation, earthworks and construction associated with development
Sandy Flood Scrub	R1, R2, V1	4.1	Inappropriate fire regimes
Estuarine Wetland/Coastal Saltmarsh Mosaic	R1, R2, V2, V3	-	Alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, recreation
Plains Grassy Forest	V1, V2, V3	1.6	Grazing, minor forest produce, agriculture, clearing, weed invasion, timber harvesting
Bird Colony Shrubland	R2, R3	100.0	Soil erosion
Coastal Dune Scrub	R2, R3	100.0
Coastal Headland Scrub	R1, R2, R3, V3, E3	67.0	Recreation, soil erosion, weed invasion, residential development, clearing
Coastal Tussock Grassland	R3	70.4	Soil erosion
Grassy Woodland	V1, E3, V2, V3	11.1	Grazing, weed invasion, habitat loss, fragmentation, clearing, agriculture, timber harvesting, minor forest produce
Valley Slopes Dry Forest	R1, R3	26.7	Soil erosion, weed invasion
Riparian Scrub	R1, R3, V1, V3	18.5	Clearing, weed invasion, recreation, alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes
Montane Rocky Shrubland	R1, R3	92.0	Inappropriate fire regimes, weed invasion
Montane Grassy Shrubland	R2, R3, V1, V2, V3	0.0	Grazing, weed invasion
Sub-alpine Wet Heathland	R1, R3, V2, V3	22.2	Grazing, fire, recreation
Calcareous Swale Grassland	R1, R2, R3	55.3
Wet Rocky Outcrop Scrub	R1, R2, R3	100.0
Montane Swamp	R2, R3, V1, V2, V3, E3	2.8	Grazing, alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, weed invasion
Billabong Wetland	R2, R3, V2, V3, E2, E3	0.0	Grazing, altered water/drainage regimes, weed invasion, habitat loss, salination, clearing, agriculture
Deep Freshwater Marsh	E3, V2, V3	14.7	Alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes, weed invasion
Gippsland Plains Grassy Woodland/Gilgai Wetland Mosaic	R2, R3, E2, E3, V2, V3	0.0	Altered drainage patterns and flooding regimes, weed invasion, clearing, agriculture, grazing, minor forest produce, fragmentation, habitat loss, road construction and maintenance
Montane Grassland	V1, R1, R2, R3, E2, E3, V2, V3	1.0	Grazing, weed invasion
Calcarenite Dune Woodland	R1	107.3	Recreation
Blocked Coastal Stream Swamp	R1, R2, R3,	110.8	Alteration of drainage patterns and flooding regimes
Spray-zone Coastal Shrubland	R2, R3,	100.0	Soil erosion
Coastal Dune Grassland	R1, R2, R3, V3, E3	97.6	Recreation, soil erosion

Notes:

1. Percent Reservation in Conservation Parks and Reserves is based on pre-1750 extent.
2. Threatening processes are those which have occurred in the past, and may or may not be current threatening processes for these EVCs. Minor forest produce includes produce harvested other than sawlogs or residual logs. It is often collected by small operators or individuals and includes products such as sleepers, posts and poles, craftwood, firewood, and honey. 3. Extinct EVCs and EVC mosaics of small extent which are artefacts of mapping methods have not been included.

Management mechanisms currently available to address the threatening processes tabulated above include: the Code of Practice for Fire Management on Public Land, Native Vegetation Retention Controls, weed control, fencing, and the Land for Wildlife scheme. Further details are included in section 12.7 of the Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement Comprehensive Regional Assessment.

Several relatively common EVCs are subject to a variety of threatening processes but are not currently judged to be impacted to a sufficiently significant degree (ie. in extent and/or severity) to be considered endangered, vulnerable or rare in accordance with the JANIS criteria. For example, EVCs with heathy understoreys (Heathy Dry Forest, Heathy Woodland, Granitic Hills Woodland) are particularly sensitive to altered fire regimes and the resulting decline in diversity is commonly identified across the study area. The understorey composition of mountain forest EVCs (Damp Forest, Wet Forest, Montane Wet Forest, Shrubby Damp Forest, Shrubby Wet Forest), particularly old individuals of some prominent understorey species (e.g. tree ferns), is significantly impacted by mechanical disturbance associated with timber harvesting. Open fertile EVCs (Montane Grassy Woodland, Sub-alpine Grassland) are favoured for grazing and are relatively more prone to weed invasion. The conservation status of these EVCs is analogous to the “near threatened” category that is applied to some species. Stabilising the status of these EVCs relies on a range of management strategies aimed at minimising any long-term impacts.

References

Commonwealth of Australia and State of Victoria (1996). East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement: Comprehensive Regional Assessment. AGPS, Canberra.

Commonwealth of Australia (C of A) and State of Victoria (1999). Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement: Comprehensive Regional Assessment. AGPS, Canberra.

JANIS (1997). Nationally Agreed Criteria for the Establishment of a Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative Reserve System for Forests in Australia. Joint ANZECC/MCFFA National Forest Policy Statement Implementation Sub-committee. Canberra

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