In the Goulburn Broken Catchment a vast majority of the native vegetation has been historically cleared for agricultural development and timber supply.
In the Goulburn Broken Catchment a vast majority of the native vegetation has been historically cleared for agricultural development and timber supply. Today only 30% (715,000 ha) of the pre-European coverage remains. Most of this vegetation is on public land in the south of the catchment with up to 97% being cleared in the Victorian Riverina bioregion.
A vast majority of the native vegetation remaining is found on private land and is of poor quality (limited diversity, lack of understorey and ground layer vegetation). The remaining 30% of vegetation is polarised into remnant blocks of over 1000 ha or under 1ha in size, with 98% of remaining patches of vegetation measuring less than 1ha.
Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs)
Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) are units that describe and map the local patterns of vegetation diversity. EVCs represent one or more plant (floristic) communities that occur in a similar environmental niche (geology, soil, aspect, rainfall etc). Mapping of EVCs has been undertaken across Victoria as part of the Regional Forest Agreement process at a 1:100,000 scale.
In some areas individual EVCs cannot be distinguished due to the scale of current mapping available. These areas are described as an EVC complex or an EVC mosaic. A complex is an area of the landscape where floristic components are unable be distinguished accurately so is described as a complex of more than one EVC. A mosaic, on the other hand, is an area of the landscape where one EVC is broken up with smaller areas of another EVC and can't be distinguished due to the scale of current mapping.
The conservation status of remaining patches of EVCs are determined for each bioregion. EVC maps can be used to give advice on the nature and significance of remaining vegetation, to quantify and spatially demonstrate native vegetation loss, and identify priority areas and locations for remnant protection, enhancement or revegetation. To view a map of the Goulburn Broken catchment showing the conservation status and location of the remaining patches of vegetation click here.
To see a summary of the conservation status of EVCs in the catchment by bioregion, including the remaining remnant vegetation cover in each bioregion, click here. For a full list of all EVCs, complexes and mosaics in the Goulburn Broken catchment click here.
To learn more about some of the features of a sample of EVCs in the Goulburn Broken click a link below in the section "Managing your Patch of Bush".
Managing your Patch of Bush
Native Flora
The Goulburn Broken Catchment has a wide variety of native flora (plants).
There are 2105 species of vascular and non-vascular plants in the Goulburn Broken Catchment. Of these 217 species are recognised as being threatened with extinction in Victoria and 43 are recognised as threatened with extinction at a National level.
For a list of indigenous plant species in the Goulburn Broken Catchment click here.
