Attachment 3 - Regional Ecosystem Assessment

                                                                                             Native Foresters


2.2.3 ORP Reference Sites

Remnant status was assessed by comparison of the vegetation condition against a local
remnant vegetation reference site to compensate for regional differences within a single
RE type. The local remnant vegetation reference site summary is shown below in Table
2.

Table 3: Reference Site Remnant Vegetation data, taken from Table 2 – Summary of reference
Site Information from ORP report (NC, 2006) (Appendix A)

 Reference                                                 Species         Dominant/
                             Canopy          Canopy
 Site           RE type                                    Richness        Characteristic
                             Height (m)      Cover (%)
 Number                                                    (no.)           Species
                                                                           Waterhousea
 1&2            12.3.1a      18, 20          85, 85        41, 45          floribunda
                                                                           Flindersia schottiana
                                                                           Eucalyptus grandis
 5              12.3.2       30              65            52              Lophostemon confertus
                                                                           Syncarpia glomulifera
                                                                           Eucalyptus tereticornis
                                                                           Corymbia intermedia
 6              12.3.11      25              60            42              Lophostemon
                                                                           suaveolens




3.0 RE KIT ASSESSMENT
The Regional Ecosystem (RE) Assessment of the offset areas (OA) was undertaken
following the methods outlined in the Queensland Herbarium Regional Ecosystem
Assessment Kit Version 1.0, (DES, 2022) and in conjunction with the ‘Methodology for
surveying and mapping regional ecosystems and vegetation communities in Queensland’
(Neldner et al. 2022).

The RE Assessment Kit states that:

          ‘A full assessment of regional ecosystems at a site requires information on
         species, structure (height and crown cover by strata), geology, soils and landform
         and other information detailed in the survey and mapping method (Neldner et al.
         2022).

         However, verification of changes to an existing regional ecosystem map need only
         require enough information to justify the particular change. For example a change
         to remnant status may only require detailed information on canopy height
         compared to a reference site’ (DES, 22).

Sheets A to E in the RE Kit are used assess the regional ecosystem mapping for an area,
with only certain sheets relevant to a change in remnant status.




Regional Ecosystem Assessment – Noosa Council Offset Site – Lake Macdonald Catchment                 10