Attachment 3 - Regional Ecosystem Assessment

                                                                                           Native Foresters



Reference site data was used to obtain characteristic species of the RE’s and benchmarks
for 70% of the EDL canopy height and 50% of the EDL canopy cover for comparison
against restored vegetation in the OA’s.

The established benchmarks for the reference sites for RE 12.3.1, 12.3.2 and 12.3.11
including dominant canopy species for each RE type are shown below in Table 4. A full
list of characteristic species from the reference sites, obtained during the development of
the ORP are included in Appendix A.

Table 4: Reference sites RE Benchmarks for remnant vegetation


 REMNANT VEGETATION           RE TYPE
 BENCHMARKS
                              12.3.1a                  12.3.2                    12.3.11
 Canopy
 >50% of Height (m)
                              14                       21                        17.5
 >70% of Cover (%)
                              42.5                     32.5                      30
                                                                                 Eucalyptus tereticornis
                              Waterhousea floribunda   Eucalyptus grandis        Corymbia intermedia
 Characteristic species       Flindersia schottiana    Lophostemon confertus     Lophostemon
                                                       Syncarpia glomulifera     suaveolens


Plot sites were used to assess small areas of vegetation that are representative of a larger
homogenous area. Based on the desktop assessment through GIS (ArcGIS pro, v. 3.0) of
vegetation cover mapped on QLD Globe within the offset receiving site, it was determined
that 10 plot sites were required over 6 homogenous areas to capture the variation in
ecosystem types, condition, and status of vegetation within the OA’s.

Plot site assessment methodology followed the RE Assessment Kit Version 1.0, (DES,
2022) and (Neldner et al. 2022), and involved setting up a plot 50mx10m within
representative areas of the OA’s and using a transect method to assess canopy species,
median canopy height of the EDL and median canopy cover % of the EDL.

4.3.1 Vegetation Structure - Benchmark Attributes

Tree canopy heights were measured using the clinometer method as per the ‘Methodology
for surveying and mapping regional ecosystems and vegetation communities in
Queensland’ (Neldner et al. 2022).

Canopy cover was measured using the PFC method as per section 4 of RE Assessment
Kit Version 1.0, (DES, 2022). Crown cover is measured as the percentage of a site within
the vertical projection of the crowns taken as opaque. For remnant/non-remnant changes
where crown cover is not a determining attribute, is the appropriate scenario where
regrowth is clearly denser than the normal canopy but may not yet attained 70% of the
vegetation’s normal height is to use a crown cover estimate method.




Regional Ecosystem Assessment – Noosa Council Offset Site – Lake Macdonald Catchment                       13