Murray-Darling Basin floodplain vegetation mapping, Darling - VIS_ID 4454

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan (available at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2012L02240) was developed under the Commonwealth Water Act 2007 and aims to deliver a coordinated approach to water use by States and Territories in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), underpinned by a commitment to restoring the long-term health of rivers and wetlands in the Basin. To achieve this, the Basin Plan sets a long term average Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) for surface water and groundwater use across the major valleys in the MDB, and incorporates an Environmental Watering Plan (EWP) that ensures surplus water beyond SDLs is made available for the natural floodplain and wetland systems. The EWP is central to the Basin Plan as it aims to achieve the best possible environmental outcomes in its use of environmental water, in terms of size, timing and nature of river flows. The EWP is supported by the Environmental Water Recovery Strategy, a voluntary water buyback instrument (SEWPAC 2012).\r\n\r\nThe long term average SDL for surface water flow is currently set by the Basin Plan at 10,873 gigalitres per year (GL/y). This includes 3,468 GL/y for the northern Basin, which establishes a water ‘saving’ of 390 GL/y from water allocations previously set under the Living Murray initiative (MDBA 2011). These savings are available as ‘environmental water’ which is regulated by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO) via the EWP.\r\n\r\nWater allocations in the northern Basin are currently under review via the Northern Basin Review, which is due for finalisation in mid-2016. This review is expected to improve environmental science in relation to floodplain systems in the Condamine-Balonne and Barwon-Darling River systems, and may recommend changes to the Basin Plan accordingly. A key part of the Review is to improve knowledge about environmental assets within river systems of the northern Basin (e.g. floodplain and wetland vegetation, fish, water birds), and how they respond and interact to fluctuations in surface water flow. Improved knowledge about the native vegetation of inland floodplain systems is fundamental to the Northern Basin Review.\r\n\r\nTo improve information about the distribution and extent of floodplain and wetland vegetation types in the northern Basin, Eco Logical Australia (ELA) was commissioned by the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) to map the distribution of plant community types (PCTs) within a large section of the Darling floodplain west of Louth, and within the Condamine-Balonne system south of the NSW-Queensland border. An improved knowledge about the distribution and extent of floodplain PCTs will inform how environmental water allocations might be refined, and is thus an important component of the Northern Basin Review.\r\n\r\nFor more information please refer to the technical report Eco Logical Australia 2015. Vegetation of the Barwon-Darling and Condamine-Balonne floodplain systems of New South Wales: Mapping and survey of plant community types. Prepared for Murray-Darling Basin Authority. \r\n\r\nAttributes: \r\nPCT_ID = NSW Plant Community Type Code \r\nPCT_LABEL = Plant Community Type Label \r\nBROAD_VEG = Broad Vegetation Type \r\nHYDROL_ECOL = Hydro-Ecological Functional Group \r\nVEG_FORMAT = Vegetation Formation \r\nVEG_CLASS = Vegetation Class \r\nFloodplain = Floodplain vegetation (yes or no) \r\nMAP_LABEL = Short vegetation label suitable for display on map products \r\nRE = Regional Ecosystem Code RE_LABEL = Regional Ecosystem Label ACCURACY = Attribute accuracy (values 1 to 5) \r\n5 - Verified in the field by either full floristic, rapid or API (observational) site \r\n4 - Not verified in the field but likely to be correct due to extrapolation from similar verified pattern or verified in field but uncertain of boundary \r\n3 - Probably correct although could be one of a few related communities \r\n2 - Possibly correct but might be one of several other communities \r\n1 - Unlikely to be correct\r\nVIS_ID 4454\r\n\r\n

墨累-达令流域计划（Murray-Darling Basin Plan）可于http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2012L02240查阅，其依据《2007年联邦水法》（Commonwealth Water Act 2007）制定，旨在为墨累-达令流域（Murray-Darling Basin，简称MDB）内各州与领地的用水提供协同治理方案，核心承诺是恢复流域内河流与湿地的长期生态健康。为实现该目标，本流域计划设定了墨累-达令流域各主要流域地表水与地下水取用的长期平均可持续引水限额（Sustainable Diversion Limit，简称SDL），并纳入环境补水计划（Environmental Watering Plan，简称EWP），确保超出可持续引水限额的剩余水量可用于自然泛滥平原与湿地生态系统。环境补水计划是流域计划的核心组成部分，其旨在通过环境用水的科学调配，在河流流量的规模、时机与属性维度实现最优的生态环境效益。该计划得到了环境水恢复策略的支撑，后者是一项自愿水回购工具（SEWPAC 2012）。

当前，流域计划将地表水长期平均可持续引水限额设定为每年10873吉升（gigalitres，单位GL/y）。其中北流域占3468 GL/y，较此前《墨累倡议》（Living Murray initiative）设定的用水配额减少了390 GL/y的“节水”额度。上述节余水量可作为“环境水”，由联邦环境水办公室（Commonwealth Environmental Water Office，简称CEWO）通过环境补水计划进行统一管控。

北流域的用水配额目前正通过北流域审查（Northern Basin Review）开展评估，该审查预计于2016年中期完成。本次审查旨在优化康达米恩-巴朗河（Condamine-Balonne）与巴尔旺-达令河（Barwon-Darling River）流域泛滥平原系统相关的环境科学研究，并可能据此对流域计划提出修订建议。审查的核心内容之一是深化对北流域内河流生态资产的认知，例如泛滥平原与湿地植被、鱼类、水鸟种群，以及它们对地表水流量波动的响应与相互作用机制。提升对内陆泛滥平原系统本土植被的认知，是北流域审查的基础环节。

为优化北流域内泛滥平原与湿地植被类型的分布与覆盖范围相关信息，墨累-达令流域管理局（Murray Darling Basin Authority，简称MDBA）委托澳大利亚生态逻辑公司（Eco Logical Australia，简称ELA），对劳斯（Louth）以西的达令河泛滥平原大片区域，以及新南威尔士州-昆士兰州边界以南的康达米恩-巴朗河流域内的植物群落类型（plant community types，简称PCTs）分布情况开展测绘工作。深化对泛滥平原植物群落类型分布与覆盖范围的认知，可为环境用水配额的优化调整提供科学依据，因此是北流域审查的重要组成部分。

详细信息请参阅技术报告《澳大利亚生态逻辑公司2015：新南威尔士州巴尔旺-达令河与康达米恩-巴朗河泛滥平原系统植被：植物群落类型测绘与调查》，该报告为墨累-达令流域管理局编制。

属性说明：
PCT_ID = 新南威尔士州植物群落类型编码
PCT_LABEL = 植物群落类型标签
BROAD_VEG = 广义植被类型
HYDROL_ECOL = 水文生态功能群
VEG_FORMAT = 植被形成型
VEG_CLASS = 植被类群
Floodplain = 是否为泛滥平原植被（是/否）
MAP_LABEL = 适用于地图产品的简短植被标签
RE = 区域生态系统代码
RE_LABEL = 区域生态系统标签
ACCURACY = 属性精度（取值范围1至5）
5 - 经野外实地验证，验证方式包括完整区系调查、快速实地调查或样点观测（API）
4 - 未经过野外实地验证，但基于相似已验证区域的外推结果可信度较高；或经野外实地验证但边界存在不确定性
3 - 大概率正确，但可能属于若干相关群落之一
2 - 存在正确可能性，但也可能属于其他多种群落之一
1 - 可信度极低
VIS_ID 4454