Potential vegetation distribution: New South Wales - 3arcsecond gridded 1990-centred baseline predictions of the pre-clearing extents of "Keith" Vegetation Classes using kernel regression with GDM-scaled environments for Vascular Plants

This collection contains 3-arcsecond gridded datasets (ESRI binary float format in WGS84) showing the baseline (1990-centred) predicted potential distribution of 102 (class numbers range between 1 and 125) "Keith" Vegetation Classes for New South Wales based on their correlation with baseline ecological environments (c.1990 climates, substrate and landform). The vegetation patterns and classification derive from a map for NSW compiled by David Keith. A kernel regression was used with a geographically even sample of 9,951 locations of training classes for the 102 classes attributed with 21 GDM-scaled environmental predictors for Vascular Plants representing baseline ecological environments. The training class data input to the kernel regression is provided with this package. The GDM-scaled environmental predictors, source biological data and model fit parameters are also provided with the data package. Using the 1990 baseline training class data, and without constraining the prediction to pre-existing map boundaries, the kernel regression predicted the potential distribution of the 102 Vegetation Classes using 1990-centred (30 year average) baseline climates derived from ANUCLIM v6.1 (Xu and Hutchinson 2011) and soil/geology/landform attributes. The kernel regression generates unconstrained probabilities varying in the range from 0 and up to 1 for each of the 102 classes. The data are provided as 3-arcsecond (approximately 90m), ESRI binary float grid format in WGS84. Each class is denoted “UNCON###”, where the number refers to the code originally assigned to that class in the vegetation map. A lookup table linking the vegetation classes to the output codes and descriptive title is provided. The methods are described in "Doerr, VAJ, Williams, KJ, Drielsma, M, Doerr, ED, Davies, MJ, Love, J, Langston, A, Low Choy, S, Manion, G, Cawsey, EM, McGinness, HM, Jovanovic, T, Crawford, D, Austin, M & Ferrier, S 2013, Designing landscapes for biodiversity under climate change: Final report, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, 260 pp.". A plain English description of the method used (but applied Nationally) can be found in the AdaptNRM Guide “Helping biodiversity adapt to climate change: a community-level modelling approach”, available online at: www.adaptnrm.org. Source of vegetation class data: KEITH, D. A. (2002) A compilation map of native vegetation for New South Wales. NSW Biodiversity Strategy, New South Wales Government. KEITH, D. A. (2004) Ocean shores to desert dunes, Hurstville, Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW).