Project Code

Principal Investigator

Dr Sue McIntyre

Mr David Tongway

Dr Robert Lambeck

Research Organisation

CSIRO - Sustainable Ecosystems

Greening Australia Western Australia

Project Summary

This project used Landscape Function Analysis to evaluate the performance of two existing approaches to vegetation planning: the 'Focal Species Approach' and 'Thresholds Approach'.

The adequacy of these two existing approaches to vegetation planning was examined in terms of landscape functioning. The project used Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) to analyse water and nutrient movement in the landscape and potential for loss of these resources from the landscape via watercourses. Using LFA, the project assessed the health of landscapes in terms of the maintenance of soil health, surface water quality and farm productivity.

Project Objectives

1. To review the broad array of factors that influence landscape function and identify the relative importance of those processes addressed by Landscape Function Analysis;
2. Using Landscape Function Analysis, to examine how native vegetation helps to maintain landscape processes in the wheatbelt
   of Western Australia and in grazed subtropical woodlands of Queensland;
3. Using Landscape Function Analysis, to assess the Focal Species and Thresholds approaches to landscape planning in terms of ecosystem function;
4. To modify these two approaches to landscape planning in order to improve the overall functioning of the ecosystems in terms of soil, water and biotic processes.

Reports and Resources