National Intertidal-Subtidal Benthic NISB Habitat Distribution Map Series

The National ECM Key Habitat Distribution Map Series were derived from the NISB\r\nHabitat Map created by the University of Tasmania for a partnership between the\r\nDepartment of Climate Change and the National Land and Water Resources Audit. It\r\nsupports the DCC/Audit partnership by providing a nationally consistent set of the\r\navailable mapping data that show the distribution of habitats that occur between the\r\napproximate position of the highest astronomical tide mark (HAT) and the location of\r\nthe outer limit of the photic benthic zone (approximately at the 50-70 m depth contour).\r\nThis area is broadly equivalent to the “inner” and “mid-shelf” regions identified by\r\nGeoscience Australia. The resulting map data set forms a core component of the ECM\r\nNational Habitat Map Series.\r\nThe habitat classes include: coral reef, rock dominated habitat, sediment dominated\r\nhabitat, mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass, macroalgae and filter feeders (e.g. sponges), as\r\ndefined in the NISB Habitat Classification Scheme. The scheme is designed to support\r\nthe development of marine ‘ecoregions’ or bioregional subregions. Details of the\r\nscheme and the process of its development are available in National Intertidal/Subtidal\r\nBenthic (NISB) Habitat Classification Scheme Version 1 (Mount, Bricher and Newton,\r\n2007).\r\nThe 10 km and 50 km tiles distribution maps that form the National ECM Key Habitat\r\nDistribution Map Series were derived from the NISB Habitat Map in order to produce\r\nmaps at resolutions that are easy to interpret at state and national extents. For each state,\r\ntwo layers were produced, one with 10 km and one with 50 km tiles. In each layer, new\r\nfields were created listing the presence, absence, unknown distribution or nonapplicability\r\nof the Habitats of Interest (HOI). The HOI are rock substrate (Class 1.2),\r\nunconsolidated substrates (Class 2.0), coral habitat (classes 1.1 and 1.2.2.3), sediment\r\ndominated habitats (Class 2.0.1), seagrass dominated habitats (Classes 1.2.2.4 and\r\n2.0.2.1), mangrove dominated habitats (Class 2.0.2.2) and saltmarsh dominated habitats\r\n(Class 2.0.2.3).\r\nThere are technical geographic and cartographic issues that arise when comparing\r\nmapped data sets of multiple scales, as is the case for this compiled and derived data\r\nset. The two derived information products were generated to provide a simplified\r\nspatial representation of the broad distribution patterns of each of the key habitats\r\nNational ECM Habitat Map Series User Guide_v7.doc 30/04/2008 Page 32 of 156 \r\nacross large areas. These derived products are designed to enable the visualisation of\r\nthe habitat distributions at the regional and national extents. It is extremely important\r\nto note that they are definitely NOT able to be used to calculate areas of habitat\r\ntypes.

国家ECM关键生境分布图集源自塔斯马尼亚大学为气候变化部与国家土地与水资源审计署的合作项目所制作的NISB生境地图。该图集为上述合作项目提供一套全国统一的现有制图数据，用以展示大致介于天文大潮高潮位（Highest Astronomical Tide Mark, HAT）与透光底栖带外缘（大致对应50-70米等深线）之间的生境分布。这一区域大致等同于澳大利亚地质调查局划定的“近岸陆架”与“中陆架”区域。最终生成的地图数据集是ECM国家生境图集的核心组成部分。生境分类包含珊瑚礁、以岩石为主的生境、以沉积物为主的生境、红树林、盐沼、海草、大型藻类以及滤食性生物（如海绵），上述分类均遵循NISB生境分类方案。该方案旨在支撑海洋“生态区”或生物区亚区的划定工作，其详细信息与制定流程可参考《国家潮间带/潮下带底栖（National Intertidal/Subtidal Benthic, NISB）生境分类方案 第1版》（Mount、Bricher与Newton，2007）。构成国家ECM关键生境分布图集的10千米与50千米格网瓦片分布图，均源自NISB生境地图，旨在生成便于在州级与国家级尺度下解读的分辨率地图。针对每个州，均生成了两套图层：一套采用10千米瓦片，另一套采用50千米瓦片。每套图层中均新增了字段，用以标注目标生境（Habitats of Interest, HOI）的存在、缺失、分布未知或不适用情况。目标生境包括：岩石基质（分类1.2）、非固结基质（分类2.0）、珊瑚生境（分类1.1与1.2.2.3）、以沉积物为主的生境（分类2.0.1）、以海草为主的生境（分类1.2.2.4与2.0.2.1）、以红树林为主的生境（分类2.0.2.2）以及以盐沼为主的生境（分类2.0.2.3）。在对比多尺度制图数据集时，会遇到地理与制图学技术层面的问题，本次编译与衍生的数据集正属于此类情况。开发这两类衍生信息产品的目的，是为各类关键生境的整体分布格局在大尺度下提供简化的空间表达形式。《ECM国家生境图集用户指南_v7.doc》，2008年4月30日，第32页/共156页。此类衍生产品旨在支持在区域与国家级尺度下实现生境分布的可视化。需要特别注意的是，此类产品绝对不可用于计算生境类型的面积。