Macquarie Marshes Vegetation Mapping, 1991. VIS_ID 794

Brief description

Vegetation Map of the Macquarie Marshes - This map includes a vegetation survey for 1991 carried out by Bob Wilson as a contract for NSW NPWS. All surveys provide a detailed map of upper canopy vegetation that has been interpreted from aerial photography. Mapping shows major vegetation associations and dominant flora. The complete set of maps and surveys is referenced as 'Macquarie Marshes Vegetation Surveys' in the Status Report, Vegetation Mapping in the Central West Region, Department of Land and Water Conservation 1998. pp73-75.



Historical Vegetation Mapping in the Macquarie Marshes 1949-1991.

This study aimed to quantify changes in the distribution of nine tree species in the Macquarie Marshes from 1949 to 1991. Aerial photography was digitised to produce GIS maps from both years, which were then compared to determine the changes in distribution over the 42 year period. Changes in distribution did not follow the same pattern for all tree species over the mapped period. While the River Red Gum community was found to be stable in its distribution, Black Box recorded a 38% decline in distribution over the same period. Land clearing represented the single greatest impact upon eucalypt distribution between the years 1949-1991. By contrast the acacias and dryland species expanded in ditribution over the same period, often exploiting areas from which eucalypts had been cleared. VIS_ID 794