Register      Login
Australian Journal of Botany Australian Journal of Botany Society
Southern hemisphere botanical ecosystems
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Data-informed sampling and mapping: an approach to ensure plot-based classifications locate, classify and map rare and restricted vegetation types

Stephen A. J. Bell https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9315-724X A C and Colin Driscoll B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.

B School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: stephen.bell@newcastle.edu.au

Australian Journal of Botany 69(7) 357-374 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT20024
Submitted: 28 February 2020  Accepted: 20 July 2020   Published: 18 August 2020

Abstract

A new approach to vegetation sample selection, classification and mapping is described that accounts for rare and restricted vegetation communities. The new method (data-informed sampling and mapping: D-iSM) builds on traditional preferential sampling and was developed to guide conservation and land-use planning. It combines saturation coverage of vegetation point data with a preferential sampling design to produce locally accurate vegetation classifications and maps. Many existing techniques rely entirely or in part on random sampling, modelling against environmental variables, or on assumptions that photo-patterns detected through aerial photographic interpretation or physical landscape features can be attributed to a specific vegetation type. D-iSM uses ground data to inform both classification and mapping phases of a project. The approach is particularly suited to local- and regional-scale situations where disputes between conservation and development often lead to poor planning decisions, as well as in circumstances where highly restricted vegetation types occur within a wider mosaic of more common communities. Benefits of the D-iSM approach include more efficient and more representative floristic sampling, more realistic and repeatable classifications, increased user accuracy in vegetation mapping and increased ability to detect and map rare vegetation communities. Case studies are presented to illustrate the method in real-world classification and mapping projects.


References

Alani H, Jones CB, Tudhope D (2001) Voronoi-based region approximation for geographical information retrieval with gazetteers. International Journal of Geographical Information Science 15, 287–306.
Voronoi-based region approximation for geographical information retrieval with gazetteers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Allard A, Nilsson B, Pramborg K, Ståhl G, Sundquist S (2003) ‘Manual for aerial photo interpretation in the National Inventory of Landscapes in Sweden.’ (Department of Forest Resource Management and Geomatics, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet: Umeå, Sweden)

Bedward M, Keith DA, Pressey RL (1992) Homogeneity analysis: assessing the utility of classifications and maps of natural resources. Australian Journal of Ecology 17, 133–139.
Homogeneity analysis: assessing the utility of classifications and maps of natural resources.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Belbin L (1995) ‘PATN Pattern Analysis Package: Users Guide.’ (CSIRO Division of Wildlife Rangelands Research: Canberra, ACT, Australia)

Bell SAJ (2009) Vegetation and floristics of Columbey National Park, lower Hunter Valley, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 11, 241–275.

Benson J (1989) Establishing priorities for the conservation of rare or threatened plants and plant associations in New South Wales. In ‘The Conservation of Threatened Species and Their Habitats’. (Eds M Hicks, P Eiser) pp. 17–82. (Australian Committee for IUCN: Canberra, ACT, Australia)

Benson JS (2006) New South Wales vegetation classification and assessment: introduction – the classification, database, assessment of protected areas and threat status of plant communities. Cunninghamia 9, 331–382.

Benson JS (2008) Classifying ecological communities and synthesising data for natural resource management: some problems and potential solutions. Ecological Management & Restoration 9, 86–87.
Classifying ecological communities and synthesising data for natural resource management: some problems and potential solutions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Bowen GA (2008) Naturalistic inquiry and the saturation concept: a research note. Qualitative Research 8, 137–152.
Naturalistic inquiry and the saturation concept: a research note.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Bradter U, Thom TJ, Altringham JD, Kunin WE, Benton TG (2011) Prediction of national vegetation classification communities in the British uplands using environmental data at multiple spatial scales, aerial images and the classifier random forest. Journal of Applied Ecology 48, 1057–1065.
Prediction of national vegetation classification communities in the British uplands using environmental data at multiple spatial scales, aerial images and the classifier random forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Breuste JH (2004) Decision making, planning and design for the conservation of indigenous vegetation within urban development. Landscape and Urban Planning 68, 439–452.
Decision making, planning and design for the conservation of indigenous vegetation within urban development.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Brook RK, Kenkel NC (2002) A multivariate approach to vegetation mapping of Manitoba’s Hudson Bay Lowlands. International Journal of Remote Sensing 23, 4761–4776.
A multivariate approach to vegetation mapping of Manitoba’s Hudson Bay Lowlands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Cawsey EM, Austin MP, Baker BL (2002) Regional vegetation mapping in Australia: a case study in the practical use of statistical modelling. Biodiversity and Conservation 11, 2239–2274.
Regional vegetation mapping in Australia: a case study in the practical use of statistical modelling.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Chiarucci A (2007) To sample or not to sample? That is the question … for the vegetation scientist. Folia Geobotanica 42, 209–216.
To sample or not to sample? That is the question … for the vegetation scientist.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Clarke KR, Gorley RN (2006) ‘PRIMER v6: User Manual/Tutorial.’ (PRIMER-E: Plymouth, UK)

Congalton RG (2005) Putting the map back in map accuracy assessment. In ‘Remote Sensing and GIS Accuracy Assessment’. (Eds RS Lunetta, JG Lyon) pp. 1–11. (CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA)

Congalton RG, Green K (1993) A practical look at the sources of confusion in error matrix generation. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 59, 641–644.

Cronje HP, Panagos MD, Reilly BK (2008) The plant communities of the Andover Game Reserve, South Africa. Koedoe 50, 184–201.
The plant communities of the Andover Game Reserve, South Africa.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

De Cáceres M, Wiser SK (2012) Towards consistency in vegetation classification. Journal of Vegetation Science 23, 387–393.
Towards consistency in vegetation classification.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Diekmann M, Kühne A, Isermann M (2007) Random vs non-random sampling: effects on patterns of species abundance, species richness and vegetation-environment relationships. Folia Geobotanica 42, 179–190.
Random vs non-random sampling: effects on patterns of species abundance, species richness and vegetation-environment relationships.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Dominy NJ, Duncan B (2002) GPS and GIS methods in an African rain forest: applications to tropical ecology and conservation. Conservation Ecology 5, art6
GPS and GIS methods in an African rain forest: applications to tropical ecology and conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Drever CR, Snider J, Drever MC (2010) Rare forest types in northeastern Ontario: a classification and analysis of representation in protected areas. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 40, 423–435.
Rare forest types in northeastern Ontario: a classification and analysis of representation in protected areas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Egler FE (1954) Philosophical and practical considerations of the Braun-Blanquet system of phytosociology. Castanea 19, 45–60.

Elith J, Graham CH, Anderson RP, Dudik M, Ferrier S, Guisan A, Hijmans RJ, Huettmann F, Leathwick JR, Lehmann A, Li J, Lohmann LG, Loiselle BA, Manion G, Moritz C, Nakamura M, Nakazawa Y, Overton JM, Peterson AT, Phillips SJ, Richardson K, Scachetti-Pereira R, Schapire RE, Soberón J, Williams S, Wisz MS, Zimmermann NE (2006) Novel methods improve prediction of species’ distributions from occurrence data. Ecography 29, 129–151.
Novel methods improve prediction of species’ distributions from occurrence data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Executive Steering Committee for Australian Vegetation Information (2003) Australian vegetation attribute manual: national vegetation information system, ver. 6.0. (Department of the Environment and Heritage: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/06613354-b8a0-4a0e-801e-65b118a89a2f/files/vegetation-attribute-manual-6.pdf [Verified 24 July 2020]

Faber-Langendoen D, Aaseng N, Hop K, Lew-Smith M, Drake J (2007) Vegetation classification, mapping and monitoring at Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota: an application of the US National Vegetation Classification. Applied Vegetation Science 10, 361–374.
Vegetation classification, mapping and monitoring at Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota: an application of the US National Vegetation Classification.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Fallding M (2014) Biodiversity offsets: practice and promise. Environmental and Planning Law Journal 31, 11–33.

Fallding M, Kelly AHH, Bateson P, Donovan I (2001) ‘Biodiversity Planning Guide for NSW Local Government’. (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Sydney, NSW, Australia)

Fassnacht KS, Cohen WB, Spies TA (2006) Key issues in making and using satellite-based maps in ecology: a primer. Forest Ecology and Management 222, 167–181.
Key issues in making and using satellite-based maps in ecology: a primer.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Federal Geographic Data Committee (2008) National vegetation classification standard, ver. 2. (Vegetation Subcommittee, FGDC: Reston, VA, USA) Available at https://www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/vegetation/NVCS_V2_FINAL_2008-02.pdf [Verified 24 July 2020]

Forestry Commission of New South Wales (1989) Research note number 17: Forest Types in New South Wales. Forestry Commission of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Garzón-Machado V, del Arco Aguilar M-J, Pérez-de-Paz P-L (2011) A tool set for description and mapping vegetation on protected natural areas: an example from the Canary Islands. Biodiversity and Conservation 20, 3605–3625.
A tool set for description and mapping vegetation on protected natural areas: an example from the Canary Islands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Gellie NJH, Hunter JT, Benson JS, Kirkpatrick JB, Cheal DC, McCreery K, Brocklehurst P (2018) Overview of plot-based vegetation classification approaches within Australia. Phytocoenologia 48, 251–272.
Overview of plot-based vegetation classification approaches within Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Gooding RF, Rackham D, Holland JP, Robertson D (1997) Detailed surveying and mapping of plant communities on featureless terrain. Grass and Forage Science 52, 439–444.
Detailed surveying and mapping of plant communities on featureless terrain.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Green DR, Hartley S (2000) Integrating photointerpretation and GIS for vegetation mapping: some issues of error. In ‘Vegetation Mapping: From Patch to Planet’. (Eds R Alexander, AC Millington) pp. 103–134. (Wiley: Chichester, UK)

Griffith SJ, Wilson R, Maryott-Brown K (2000) Vegetation and flora of Booti Booti National Park and Yahoo Nature Reserve, lower North Coast of New South Wales. Cunninghamia 6, 645–715.

Hager TC, Benson JS (1994) Review of the conservation status of vegetation communities in New South Wales. Part 3. Assessment of the conservation status of forest plant communities in north eastern NSW. Final report, Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Harrison S, Viers JH, Thorne JH, Grace JB (2008) Favorable environments and the persistence of naturally rare species. Conservation Letters 1, 65–74.
Favorable environments and the persistence of naturally rare species.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Hebblewhite M, Haydon DT (2010) Distinguishing technology from biology: a critical review of the use of GPS telemetry data in ecology. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 365, 2303–2312.
Distinguishing technology from biology: a critical review of the use of GPS telemetry data in ecology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20566506PubMed |

Hédl R (2007) Is sampling subjectivity a distorting factor in surveys for vegetation diversity? Folia Geobotanica 42, 191–198.
Is sampling subjectivity a distorting factor in surveys for vegetation diversity?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Heiskanen J, Nilsson B, Mäki A, Allard A, Moen J, Holm S, Sundquist S, Olsson H (2008) Aerial photo interpretation for change detection of treeline ecotones in the Swedish mountains. Arbetsrapport 242, Institutionen för skoglig resurshushållning, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, Umeå, Sweden.

Hill MO (1979) TWINSPAN – A FORTRAN program for arranging multivariate data in an ordered two-way table by classification of the individuals and attributes. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.

Holdaway RJ, Wiser SK, Williams PA (2012) Status assessment of New Zealand’s naturally uncommon ecosystems. Conservation Biology 26, 619–629.
Status assessment of New Zealand’s naturally uncommon ecosystems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22731663PubMed |

Horn G (2010) Segmentation of multi temporal radar for wetland inventory. In ‘15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference Proceedings’, 13–17 September 2010, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. (Eds B Sparrow, G Bhalia) pp. 1–10. (Spatial Sciences Institute)

Hunter JT (2016) Validation of the Greater Hunter native vegetation mapping as it pertains to the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales. Ecological Management & Restoration 17, 40–46.
Validation of the Greater Hunter native vegetation mapping as it pertains to the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Hunter JT, Clarke PJ (1998) The vegetation of granitic outcrop communities on the New England Batholith of eastern Australia. Cunninghamia 5, 547–618.

Hunter JT, Kingston J, Croft P (1999) Vegetation and floristics of Kwiambal National Park and surrounds, Ashford, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 6, 351–378.

Izco J (1998) Types of rarity of plant communities. Journal of Vegetation Science 9, 641–646.
Types of rarity of plant communities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Jennings M, Loucks O, Glenn-Lewin D, Peet R, Faber-Langendoen D, Grossman D, Damman A, Barbour M, Pfister R, Walker M, Talbot S, Walker J, Hartshorn G, Waggoner G, Abrams M, Hill A, Roberts D, Tart D, Rejmanek M (2003) Guidelines for describing associations and alliances of the US National Vegetation Classification. The Ecological Society of America, Vegetation Classification Panel. Ver. 2.0, 28 March 2003. Available at http://vegbank.org/vegdocs/panel/NVC_guidelines_v4.pdf [Verified 24 July 2020]

Kardoulas NG, Bird AC, Lawan AI (1996) Geometric correction of SPOT and Landsat imagery: a comparison of map and GPS-derived control points. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 62, 1173–1177.

Keith DA (2009) The interpretation, assessment and conservation of ecological communities. Ecological Management & Restoration 10, S3–S15.
The interpretation, assessment and conservation of ecological communities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Kelleway J, Williams RJ, Laegdsgaard P (2009) Mapping, assessment and monitoring of saltmarshes. In ‘Australian Saltmarsh Ecology’. (Ed. N Saintilan) pp. 211–229. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic., Australia)

Kent M, Coker P (2001) ‘Vegetation Description and Analysis. A Practical Approach’. (Wiley: Chichester, UK)

Kontula T, Raunio A (2009) New method and criteria for national assessments of threatened habitat types. Biodiversity and Conservation 18, 3861–3876.
New method and criteria for national assessments of threatened habitat types.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Koroleva NE (1999) Snow-bed plant communities of the Lapland Nature Reserve (Murmansk region, Russia). Chemosphere. Global Change Science 1, 429–437.
Snow-bed plant communities of the Lapland Nature Reserve (Murmansk region, Russia).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Kruckeberg AR, Rabinowitz D (1985) Biological aspects of endemism in higher plants. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 16, 447–479.
Biological aspects of endemism in higher plants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Küchler AW (1951) The relation between classifying and mapping vegetation. Ecology 32, 275–283.
The relation between classifying and mapping vegetation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Kumi-Boateng B, Yakubu I (2010) Assessing the quality of spatial data. European Journal of Scientific Research 43, 507–515.

Langford WT, Gergel SE, Dietterich TG, Cohen W (2006) Map misclassification can cause large errors in landscape pattern indices: examples from habitat fragmentation. Ecosystems 9, 474–488.
Map misclassification can cause large errors in landscape pattern indices: examples from habitat fragmentation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Lawson BE, Ferrier S, Wardell-Johnson G, Beeton RJS, Pullar DV (2010) Improving the assessment of species compositional dissimilarity in a priori ecological classifications: evaluating map scale, sampling intensity and improvement in a hierarchical classification. Applied Vegetation Science 13, 473–484.
Improving the assessment of species compositional dissimilarity in a priori ecological classifications: evaluating map scale, sampling intensity and improvement in a hierarchical classification.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Leeson KE, Kirkpatrick JB (2004) Ecological and physiological explanations for the restriction of a Tasmanian species of Ozothamnus to a single population. Australian Journal of Botany 52, 39–45.
Ecological and physiological explanations for the restriction of a Tasmanian species of Ozothamnus to a single population.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Lunetta RS, Lyon JG (2005) ‘Remote Sensing and GIS Accuracy Assessment’. (CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA)

Maguire O, Armstrong RC, Benson JS, Streeter R, Paterson C, McDonald P, Salter N, East M, Webster M, Sheahan M, Young D (2012) Using high resolution digital aerial imagery interpreted in a 3-D digital GIS environment to map predefined plant communities in central-southern New South Wales. Cunninghamia 12, 247–266.
Using high resolution digital aerial imagery interpreted in a 3-D digital GIS environment to map predefined plant communities in central-southern New South Wales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Medd RW, Bower CC (2019) Biodiversity and endemism within the Mount Canobolas volcanic complex. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 141, S45–S83.

Michalcová D, Lvončík S, Chytrý M, Hájek O (2011) Bias in vegetation databases? A comparison of stratified-random and preferential sampling. Journal of Vegetation Science 22, 281–291.
Bias in vegetation databases? A comparison of stratified-random and preferential sampling.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Moen R, Pastor J, Cohen Y, Schwartz CC (1996) Effects of moose movement and habitat use on GPS collar performance. Journal of Wildlife Management 60, 659–668.
Effects of moose movement and habitat use on GPS collar performance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Morgan JL, Gergel SE, Coops NC (2010) Aerial photography: a rapidly evolving tool for ecological management. Bioscience 60, 47–59.
Aerial photography: a rapidly evolving tool for ecological management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Muttlak HA, Khan A (2002) Adjusted two-stage adaptive cluster sampling. Environmental and Ecological Statistics 9, 111–120.
Adjusted two-stage adaptive cluster sampling.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Neldner VJ, Wilson BA, Thompson EJ, Dillewaard HA (2005) Methodology for survey and mapping of regional ecosystems and vegetation communities in Queensland. Ver. 3.1. (Queensland Herbarium, Environmental Protection Agency: Brisbane, Qld, Australia) Available at https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/redd/resource/6dee78ab-c12c-4692-9842-b7257c2511e4 [Verified 24 July 2020]

Nilsen L, Brossard T, Joly D (1999) Mapping plant communities in a local Arctic landscape applying a scanned infrared aerial photograph in a geographical information system. International Journal of Remote Sensing 20, 463–480.
Mapping plant communities in a local Arctic landscape applying a scanned infrared aerial photograph in a geographical information system.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008) Vegetation of the Cessnock–Kurri region: survey, classification and mapping. Cessnock LGA, New South Wales. (NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change: Sydney, NSW, Australia.) Available at http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4504723 [Verified 24 July 2020]

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (1999) ‘Forest ecosystem classification and mapping for the Upper and Lower North East Comprehensive Regional Assessment’. A project undertaken for the Joint Commonwealth-NSW Regional Forest Agreement Steering Committee as part of the NSW Comprehensive Regional Assessments. CRA Unit, Northern Zone NPWS. (Commonwealth Government: Canberra, ACT, Australia)

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2000) Vegetation survey, classification and mapping: Lower Hunter and Central Coast region. A project undertaken for the Lower Hunter and Central Coast Regional Environmental Management Strategy by CRA Unit, Sydney Zone, NSWNPWS, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (2017) Biodiversity assessment method. (Office of Environment and Heritage for the NSW Government: Sydney, NSW, Australia) Available at https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Animals-and-plants/Biodiversity/biodiversity-assessment-method-170206.pdf [Verified 24 July 2020]

Nusser SM, Klaas EE (2003) Survey methods for assessing land cover map accuracy. Environmental and Ecological Statistics 10, 309–331.
Survey methods for assessing land cover map accuracy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Okabe A, Boots B, Sugihara K, Chiu SN (2000) ‘Spatial Tessellations: Concepts and Applications of Voronoi Diagrams’, 2nd edn. (Wiley: Chichester, UK)

Paal J (1998) Rare and threatened plant communities of Estonia. Biodiversity and Conservation 7, 1027–1049.
Rare and threatened plant communities of Estonia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Payne R, Harty C (1998) Wetland vegetation mapping using a global positioning system. Cunninghamia 5, 633–643.

Pitt AL, Baldwin RF, Lipscomb DJ, Brown BL, Hawley JE, Allard-Keese CM, Leonard PB (2012) The missing wetlands: using local ecological knowledge to find cryptic ecosystems. Biodiversity and Conservation 21, 51–63.
The missing wetlands: using local ecological knowledge to find cryptic ecosystems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Pressey RL, Bedward M (1991) Mapping the environment at different scales: benefits and costs for nature conservation. In ‘Nature Conservation: Cost Effective Biological Surveys and Data Analysis’. (Eds C Margules, M Austin) pp. 7–13. (CSIRO: Canberra, ACT, Australia)

Preston BJ, Adam P (2004) Describing and listing threatened ecological communities under the Threatened Species Conservation Act, 1995 (NSW): part 1 – the assemblage of species and the particular area. Environmental and Planning Law Journal 250, 250–263.

Rabinowitz DS, Cairns S, Dillon T (1986) Seven forms of rarity and their frequency in the flora of the British Isles. In ‘Conservation biology: the science of scarcity and diversity’. (Ed M. Soule) pp. 182–204. (Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA, USA)

Richardson SJ, Williams PA, Mason NWH, Buxton RP, Courtney SP, Rance BD, Clarkson BR, Hoare RJB, St John MG, Wiser SK (2012) Rare species drive local trait diversity in two geographically disjunct examples of a naturally rare alpine ecosystem in New Zealand. Journal of Vegetation Science 23, 626–639.
Rare species drive local trait diversity in two geographically disjunct examples of a naturally rare alpine ecosystem in New Zealand.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Rodríguez JP, Balch JK, Rodríguez-Clark KM (2007) Assessing extinction risk in the absence of species-level data: quantitative criteria for terrestrial ecosystems. Biodiversity and Conservation 16, 183–209.
Assessing extinction risk in the absence of species-level data: quantitative criteria for terrestrial ecosystems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Rodwell JS (2006) NVC users’ handbook. (Joint Nature Conservation Committee: Peterborough, UK). Available at https://hub.jncc.gov.uk/assets/a407ebfc-2859-49cf-9710-1bde9c8e28c7 [Verified 24 July 2020]

Roff A, Sivertsen D, Denholm B (2010) Object-based native vegetation mapping of the Murray catchment. In ‘15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference Proceedings’. 13–17 September 2010, Alice Springs, NT, Australia. (Eds B Sparrow, G Bhalia) pp. 1–12. (Spatial Sciences Institute)

Schofield G, Bishop CM, MacLean G, Brown P, Baker M, Katselidis KA, Dimopoulos P, Pantis JD, Hays GC (2007) Novel GPS tracking of sea turtles as a tool for conservation management. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 347, 58–68.
Novel GPS tracking of sea turtles as a tool for conservation management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Scott D (1989) Description of vegetation using visual ranking of species. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 12, 77–89.

Sivertsen D (2010) Native vegetation interim type standard. (Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia) Available at https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/research-and-publications/publications-search/native-vegetation-interim-type-standard [Verified 24 July 2020]

Smartt PFM (1978) Sampling for vegetation survey: a flexible systematic model for sample location. Journal of Biogeography 5, 43–56.
Sampling for vegetation survey: a flexible systematic model for sample location.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Specht RL, Roe EM, Broughton VH (1974) Conservation of major plant communities in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Australian Journal of Botany Supplement Series 7, 1–667.

Specht RL, Specht A, Whelan MB, Hegarty EE (1995) ‘Conservation atlas of plant communities in Australia’. ('Centre for Coastal Management, Southern Cross University, in association with Southern Cross University Press: Lismore, NSW, Australia)

Spjelkavik S (1995) A satellite based map compared to a traditional vegetation map of arctic vegetation in the Ny-Alesund area, Svalbard. The Polar Record 31, 257–269.
A satellite based map compared to a traditional vegetation map of arctic vegetation in the Ny-Alesund area, Svalbard.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Tichý L (2002) JUICE, software for vegetation classification. Journal of Vegetation Science 13, 451–453.
JUICE, software for vegetation classification.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Tierney DA, Wardle GM, Erskine PD (2018) The intersection of diversity metrics and spatial mapping: a case study of regional vegetation patterns for a complex community. Plant Ecology 219, 1169–1183.
The intersection of diversity metrics and spatial mapping: a case study of regional vegetation patterns for a complex community.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Van Niel KP, Laffan SW, Lees BG (2004) Effect of error in the DEM on environmental variables for predictive vegetation modelling. Journal of Vegetation Science 15, 747–756.
Effect of error in the DEM on environmental variables for predictive vegetation modelling.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Walsh N (1998) Mount Buffalo: Botanical bridge or island? Victorian Naturalist 115, 186–187.

Wardell-Johnson G, Horwitz P (1996) Conserving biodiversity and the recognition of heterogeneity in ancient landscapes. Forest Ecology and Management 85, 219–238.
Conserving biodiversity and the recognition of heterogeneity in ancient landscapes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Wardell-Johnson G, Horwitz P (2000) The recognition of heterogeneity and restricted endemism in the management of forested ecosystems in south-western Australia. Australian Forestry 63, 218–225.
The recognition of heterogeneity and restricted endemism in the management of forested ecosystems in south-western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Wardell-Johnson G, Williams M (1996) A floristic survey of the Tingle Mosaic, south-western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 79, 249–276.

Wardell-Johnson GW, Lawson BE, Coutts RH (2007) Are regional ecosystems compatible with floristic heterogeneity? A case study from Toohey Forest, south-east Queensland, Australia. Pacific Conservation Biology 13, 47–59.
Are regional ecosystems compatible with floristic heterogeneity? A case study from Toohey Forest, south-east Queensland, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Webster TM, Cardina J (1997) Accuracy of a global positioning system (GPS) for weed mapping. Weed Technology 11, 782–786.
Accuracy of a global positioning system (GPS) for weed mapping.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Welch R, Madden M, Doren RF (1999) Mapping the Everglades. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 65, 163–170.

Williams PA, Wiser S, Clarkson B, Stanley MC (2007) New Zealand’s historically rare terrestrial ecosystems set in a physical and physiognomic framework. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 31, 119–128.

Wiser SK, Buxton RP, Clarkson BR, Richardson SJ, Rogers GM, Smale MC, Williams PA (2010) Climate, landscape, and microenvironments interact to determine plant composition in naturally discrete gravel beach communities. Journal of Vegetation Science 21, 657–671.
Climate, landscape, and microenvironments interact to determine plant composition in naturally discrete gravel beach communities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Woinarski JCZ, Connors G, Oliver B (1996) The reservation status of plant species and vegetation types in the Northern Territory. Australian Journal of Botany 44, 673–689.
The reservation status of plant species and vegetation types in the Northern Territory.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Xie Y, Sha Z, Yu M (2008) Remote sensing imagery in vegetation mapping: a review. Journal of Plant Ecology 1, 9–23.
Remote sensing imagery in vegetation mapping: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Yates CJ, Robinson T, Wardell-Johnson GW, Keppel G, Hopper SD, Schut AGT, Byrne M (2019) High species diversity and turnover in granite inselberg floras highlight the need for a conservation strategy protecting many outcrops. Ecology and Evolution 9, 7660–7675.
High species diversity and turnover in granite inselberg floras highlight the need for a conservation strategy protecting many outcrops.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 31346430PubMed |