Experimental ecosystem accounts and supplementary data for the Murray-Darling Basin. A data collection from the Regional Ecosystem Accounting Pilot projects

Brief description

This data collection comprises experimental ecosystem accounts for the Murray-Darling Basin.

These experimental accounts are a proof of concept offering methods and data that could potentially be used in national ecosystem accounts. While the account-ready data are currently the ‘best available’, further validation is required before being used for decision making.

The data collection includes account tables, supplementary data, maps and charts derived from account-ready data (provided in related data collections). The ‘synthear’ package in R (http://doi.org/10.25919/kx7z-sh64) was used to compile the account-ready data into account tables for the Ecosystem Accounting Area (EAA): the Murray-Darling Basin. Accounts are provided for the following reporting areas (subdivisions of the EAA): (1) ecosystem types; (2) biomes, as defined by the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting framework; and (3) Local Government Areas. Stock accounts open and close a 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019, respectively, which in some cases is represented by an annual average of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 financial years, respectively. Longer time series are provided as supplementary data where available. Flow accounts are for 2018-19.

See the 'Supporting documentation' section on this page for additional metadata for these accounts, including a data quality statement.

Sub-folders are provided for:

1. Spatial data for all accounts (the Basal Spatial Units, Ecosystem Accounting Area (EAA) and Reporting Areas)

2. Ecosystem extent: This is a collection of stock accounts for ecosystem extent. This collection includes ecosystem extent account tables; maps of ecosystem extent in 2017-18, 2018-19 and a change map; and plots and tabular data of the change in ecosystem extent across the full time series of the account-ready data, from 1988-89 to 2020-21. The collection includes image files (.png), pdf files and Excel spreadsheets grouped by the reporting areas.

3. Ecosystem site condition: This is a collection of stock accounts for ecosystem site condition, including stage 1 variable accounts, stage 3 sub-index accounts and stage 3 index accounts. The account-ready data derive from the Habitat Condition Assessment System v2.2. The index of ecosystem site condition varies continuously from a theoretical minimum of 0.0 (ecosystem integrity extinguished) to a maximum of 1.0 (ecosystem integrity in reference condition). The methods statement (provided as a supporting file) describes the compilation of these accounts; the development of time series from 2001-02 to 2018-19; and trends, maps and charts.

4. Biodiversity: The biodiversity features considered were vascular plants, reptiles, birds, waterbirds, nationally listed threatened species and four focal species (river red gum, lignum, royal spoonbill, straw-necked ibis). The methods statement (provided as a supporting file) describes the compilation of biodiversity accounts; the development of maps for biodiversity features from 2001-02 to 2018-19; and a change map for each yearly interval; and charts and tabular data of the change in biodiversity across the 2001-02 to 2018-19 time series.

5. Ecosystem services: This collection comprises account tables and supplementary tables for the following ecosystem services: (1) terrestrial carbon storage, sequestration and emissions; (2) water provisioning and sediment retention; (3) biomass provisioning; and (4) recreational fishing. Supplementary socio-economic and climate data are also provided. It includes physical and monetary ecosystem service supply and use account tables for 2018-19; maps of ecosystem service flows; and plots and tabular data of the ecosystem service flows and supplementary data across the full time series. The collection is provided as images (.png) and Excel spreadsheets grouped by different reporting areas. Longer time series are provided as supplementary data where available. Flow accounts are for 2018-19.
Lineage: As described in the supporting files (methods statements for compiling accounts).