Koala Modelling Regions

The Koala Habitat Suitability Models were developed across nine koala modelling regions. This was important because the environmental drivers that dictate habitat suitability vary across NSW. For example, koala’s prefer different tree species on the North Coast compared to the Southern Tablelands. By developing regional KHSMs that are independent of one another, users can consistently compare habitat suitability scores at any given location within a region. \r\n\r\nThis dataset defines the region boundaries or study areas for the models. The regions were defined by an agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis of the turnover patterns of koala food and shelter species, where aggregation units were represented by local government areas (LGAs) on the coast and tablelands, and Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) subregions in western NSW. The nine regions fall into two divisions and so eastern and western division values have been added to the attribute table.\r\n\r\nTree species patterns are likely to best capture changes in habitat choice and food selection at a regional scale, where it is expected that the key drivers of habitat suitability are much the same within a region (where food choices are similar) but may differ between regions (different food choices). \r\n\r\nThe Koala Habitat Information Base can help prioritise the establishment of new koala reserves and private land conservation agreements, ensure local actions are based on the best available information, and improve the management of threats and disease. It will be an important resource to assist government agencies, local councils and private land holders with koala conservation decisions. The Koala Habitat Information Base is not a regulatory instrument, meaning the data layers do not categorise land for regulatory purposes. It does provide the best available scientific information to support decision makers, rehabilitators, land managers and community members involved in koala conservation.

考拉栖息地适宜性模型（Koala Habitat Suitability Models）基于9个考拉建模区域开发。此举意义重大，因为决定栖息地适宜性的环境驱动因子在新南威尔士州（New South Wales, NSW）各地存在差异。例如，北海岸地区的考拉偏好的树种与南部台地有所不同。通过开发相互独立的区域级KHSMs，用户可对任意区域内任意给定位置的栖息地适宜性得分进行标准化比对。

本数据集定义了上述模型的区域边界与研究范围。上述区域通过凝聚层次聚类分析，基于考拉食源与庇护树种的物种更替格局划定：沿海及台地区域的聚合单元为地方政府区域（Local Government Areas, LGAs），新南威尔士州西部的聚合单元则采用澳大利亚临时生物地理分区（Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia, IBRA）亚区。9个区域可划分为两个分区，因此属性表中已添加东、西分区标识字段。

在区域尺度上，树种分布格局能够最优地反映栖息地选择与食物选择的变化——同一区域内，由于考拉的食物选择相近，栖息地适宜性的关键驱动因子大体一致；而不同区域间，由于食物选择存在差异，驱动因子也会有所不同。

考拉栖息地信息库（Koala Habitat Information Base）可助力优先规划新建考拉保护区与私人土地保护协议，确保地方管理决策基于现有最优科学依据，并提升威胁防控与疾病管理水平。该信息库将成为协助政府机构、地方议会及私人土地所有者开展考拉保护决策的重要资源。需特别说明的是，考拉栖息地信息库并非监管工具，即其数据图层不会出于监管目的对土地进行分类；但其仍可提供现有最优的科学信息，为参与考拉保护工作的决策者、野生动物康复人员、土地管理者及社区成员提供支撑。