Ecological Assessment

General Habitat Assessment Matrix
ASSESSMENT                                                               Habitat Ranking
MATRIX
                            Very High                  High                  Moderate                   Low                 Very Low

  Broad Fauna
   Group/Type
 Arboreal and or        Abundant or very        Common or high          Common to                Occasional or low        Absent, rare or
hollow dependent         high quality for      quality for factors 1    Occasional or           quality for factors 1     very low quality
                          factors 1 & 3         & 3 (factors 2 & 4      medium quality for       & 3 (factors 2 & 4      for factors 1 & 3
                       (factors 2 & 4 may      may or may not be        factors 1 & 3           may or may not be       (factors 2 & 4 may
                          or may not be        present). Low for 5.     (factors 2 & 4 may       present). High for        or may not be
                       present). Very low                               or may not be                     5.               present). Very
                              for 5.                                    present). Low to                                     high for 5.
                                                                        moderate for 5.
    Terrestrial &      Abundant or very         Common or high          Common to               Occasional or low        Absent, rare or
  Ground dwelling        high quality for      quality for factors 1,   Occasional or           quality for factors      very low quality
(reptiles, mammals       factors 1, 2 & 3      2 & 3 (factor 4 may      medium quality for       1, 2 & 3 (factor 4     for factors 1, 2 &
     and birds)         (factor 4 may or          or may not be         factors 1, 2 & 3        may or may not be       3 (factor 4 may or
                           may not be          present). Low for 5.     (factor 4 may or        present). High for          may not be
                       present). Very low                               may not be                       5.               present). Very
                              for 5.                                    present). Low to                                    high for 5.
                                                                        moderate for 5.
   Amphibious or       Abundant or very         Common or high          Common to               Occasional or low        Absent, rare or
 water dependent         high quality for      quality for factors 1,   Occasional or           quality for factors      very low quality
life stage/wetland       factors 1, 2 & 4      2 & 4 (factor 3 may      medium quality for       1, 2 & 4 (factor 3     for factors 1, 2 &
     dependent          (factor 3 may or          or may not be         factors 1, 2 & 4        may or may not be       4 (factor 3 may or
                           may not be          present). Low for 5.     (factor 3 may or        present). High for          may not be
                       present). Very low                               may not be                       5.               present). Very
                              for 5.                                    present). Low to                                    high for 5.
                                                                        moderate for 5.


Factors

1 - Vegetation Integrity and connectivity

2 - Diversity in Ground Layer components (logs, leaf litter, rocks, boulders)

3- Hollows (ground or arboreal in trees, stags, decorticating bark, rock crevices)

4 - Wetlands and/or Waterways

5 - Disturbance Levels (weeds, clearing, fire, grazing)
Note: Specific habitat factors for individual species (especially threatened species) are dealt with separately.