A. Assess conservation significance
Identify and record the physical characteristics of the site, the condition and quality of its vegetation and the presence of habitat for native species in order to determine its conservation significance.
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An assessment process can:
- Identify what is present on the site.
- Help compare between regions, catchments, paddocks or areas within a paddock.
- Help short–term and long–term planning and management by making it easier to work out the most appropriate management activities for different areas and which sites should receive management before others.
Steps 1 to 6 identify the physical and natural characteristics of the area being assessed. These are used to divide the area into ‘management units’. A management unit is an area or patch of land that is characterised by having relatively uniform landform, vegetation and management history. This allows for management to be applied that is most suitable to the conditions present in the patch.
PROCESS | STEP | RESULTS |
Identify what is on the site Identify conservation condition |
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Site characteristics and condition are described Management units are identified and mapped |
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Vegetation community and plant characteristics and condition are identified | |
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Existing habitats are identified Conservation significance of each management unit is evaluated |