Growth stage and habitat analysis

Growth stage and habitat analysis - modelling the relationships between flora, fauna, habitat attributes and vegetation growth stages in Victorian foothill forests, and using these models to refine the ecosystem resilience inputs into adaptive fire management.

This research is being undertaken for the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI).

Project Brief (Growth stage and Habitat Analysis)

The project aims to:

• provide new and collate existing data to test and model the relationships between flora, fauna, habitat attributes and vegetation growth stages in Victorian foothill forests;
• use these models to refine the ecosystem resilience inputs into adaptive fire management and planning; and
• test the models as part of a fire planning case study in the foothill forests.

The project will provide DEPI with:

• field-based data on plant and animal (vertebrate) species, vegetation density, structure and habitat attributes for the fire-treatable EVDs for Victorian foothill forests.
• cross-referenced tables linking above species and their relative (geometric mean) abundances (and if possible various habitat parameters) to the recognised vegetation growth stages for each EVD as described in Cheal 2010.
• models of the relationships between flora, fauna, habitat attributes and vegetation growth stages
• growth stage distribution ‘targets’ for each EVD derived from optimisation modelling of geometric mean abundances of all species.
• testing and refining of the models and targets in a fire planning case study.
• initial, progress and final project communications materials, including briefs and presentations developed - partners and stakeholders informed.