• Change text size
• Skip to content

Australian Natural Resources Atlas

Natural Resource Topics

• About us
• Contact us

Search:

• ANRA home
  • ARO
  • Map maker
  • Natural resource topics
  • Data Library

• Natural resource topics
  • Agriculture
  • Coasts
  • Dryland Salinity
  • Irrigation
  • Land
  • Natural resource economics
  • People
  • Rangelands
  • Soils
  • Vegetation and biodiversity
  • Water
  • Publications

• Vegetation and biodiversity
  • Overview
  • Assessment
    • New South Wales
    • Victoria
    • Queensland
    • South Australia
    • Western Australia
    • Tasmania
    • Northern Territory
    • Australian Capital Territory
  • Landscape health
  • NVIS framework
  • Extent
    • New South Wales
    • Victoria
    • Queensland
    • South Australia
    • Western Australia
    • Tasmania
    • Northern Territory
    • Australian Capital Territory
  • Clearing
    • New South Wales
    • Victoria
    • Queensland
    • South Australia
    • Western Australia
    • Tasmania
    • Northern Territory
    • Australian Capital Territory
  • Management

Appendix 7: NVIS classification information

National Vegetation Information System System structural formation nomenclature

Cover characteristics
	Foliage cover*	70-100	30-70	10-30	<10	0	0-5
	Crown cover**	> 80	50-80	20-50	0.25-20	< 0.25	0-5
	Percent cover***	> 80	50-80	20-50	0.25-20	< 0.25	0-5
Growth form	Height range	Structural formation classes
Tree	< 10, 10-30,> 30	closed forest	open forest	woodland	open woodland	isolated trees	isolated clumps of trees
Tree mallee	< 3, < 10 (3-10)	closed mallee forest	open mallee forest	mallee woodland	open mallee woodland	isolated mallee trees	isolated clumps of mallee trees
Shrub	< 1, 1-2,> 2	closed shrubland	shrubland	open shrubland	sparse shrubland	Isolated shrubs	Isolated clumps of shrubs
Mallee shrub	< 3, < 10 (3-10)	closed mallee shrubland	mallee shrubland	open mallee shrubland	sparse mallee shrubland	isolated mallee shrubs	isolated clumps of mallee shrubs
Heath shrub	< 1, 1-2,> 2	closed heathland	heathland	open heath	sparse heath	isolated heath shrubs	isolated clumps of heath shrubs
Chenopod shrub	< 1, 1-2,> 2	closed chenopod shrubland	chenopod shrubland	open chenopod shrubland	sparse chenopod shrubland	isolated chenopod shrubs	isolated clumps of chenopod shrubs
Samphire shrub	< 0.5,> 0.5	closed samphire shrubland	samphire shrubland	open samphire shrubland	sparse samphire shrubland	isolated samphire shrubs	isolated clumps of samphire shrubs
Hummock grass	< 2,> 2	closed hummock grassland	hummock grassland	open hummock grassland	sparse hummock grassland	isolated hummock grasses	isolated clumps of hummock grasses
Tussock grass	< 0.5,> 0.5	closed tussock grassland	tussock grassland	open tussock grassland	sparse tussock grassland	isolated tussock grasses	isolated clumps of tussock grasses
Sod grass	< 0.5,> 0.5	closed sod grassland	sod grassland	open sod grassland	sparse sod grassland	isolated sod grasses	isolated clumps of sod grassland
Sedge	< 0.5,> 0.5	closed sedgeland	sedgeland	open sedgeland	sparse sedgeland	isolated sedges	isolated clumps of sedges
Rush	< 0.5,> 0.5	closed rushland	rushland	open rushland	sparse rushland	isolated rushes	isolated clumps of rushes
Forb	< 0.5,> 0.5	closed forbland	forbland	open forbland	sparse forbland	isolated forbs	isolated clumps of forbs
Fern	< 1, 1-2,> 2	closed fernland	fernland	open fernland	sparse fernland	isolated ferns	isolated clumps of ferns
Moss	< 0.5	closed mossland	mossland	open mossland	sparse mossland	isolated mosses	isolated clumps of mosses
Lichen	< 0.5	closed lichenland	lichenland	open lichenland	sparse lichenland	isolated lichens	isolated clumps of lichens
Liverwort	< 0.5	closed liverwort land	liverwortland	open liverwortland	sparse liverwortland	isolated liverworts	isolated clumps of liverworts
Vine	< 10, 10-30,> 30	closed vineland	vineland	open vineland	sparse vineland	isolated vines	isolated clumps of vines
Palm	< 10, 10-30,> 30	closed palmland	palmland	open palmland	sparse palmland	isolated palms	isolated clumps of palms
Xanthorrhoea	< 1, 1-2,> 2	closed xanthorrhoealand	xanthorrhoealand	open xanthorrhoealand	sparse xanthorrhoealand	isolated xanthorrhoeas	isolated clumps of xanthorrhoeas
Cycad	< 1, 1-2,> 2	closed cycadland	cycadland	open cycadland	sparse cycadland	isolated cycads	isolated clumps of cycads
Seagrass	0-0.5, < 1	closed seagrass bed	seagrassbed	open seagrassbed	sparse seagrassbed	isolated seagrasses	isolated clumps of seagrass
Notes: * Foliage cover is defined for each stratum as 'the proportion of the ground, which would be shaded if sunshine came from directly overhead'. It includes branches and leaves and is similar to the crown type of Walker and Hopkins (1990) but is applied to a stratum or plot rather than an individual crown. It is generally not directly measured in the field for the upper stratum, although it can be measured by various line interception methods for ground layer vegetation. In the data compiler (attributes STR. 11 COVER CODE) the ground cover category refers to ground foliage cover not percentage cover ** Crown cover (canopy cover) as per Walker and Hopkins (1990). The relationship between foliage cover and crown cover has come from Walker and Hopkins (1990). Although relationships between the two are dependent on factors such as season, species and species age, the crown cover category classes have been adopted as the defining measure *** The percentage cover is defined as the percentage of a strictly defined plot area, covered by vegetation. This can be an estimate and is a less precise measure than using, for example, a point intercept transect methods on ground layer, or overstorey vegetative cover. That is for precisely measured values (e.g. crown densitometer or point intercept transects) the value measured would be 'foliage' cover. Where less precise or qualitative measures are used these will most probably be recorded as 'percentage' cover.

NVIS height classes (after Walker & Hopkins 1990)

Growth form
Height class	Height range (m)	Trees, vines, palms	Cycads, xanthorrhoea	Mallee, Mallee shrub	Shrubs, heath shrub, chenopod shrub, ferns, samphire	Tussock and hummock grasses, sedges, rushes, forbs	Sod grass, liverwort, lichen, moss and seagrasses
8	> 30	tall	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
7	10-30	-	n/a	tall	n/a	n/a	n/a
6	< 10	low	-	-	n/a	n/a	n/a
5	< 3	n/a	n/a	low	n/a	n/a	n/a
4	> 2	n/a	tall	n/a	tall	tall	n/a
3	1-2	n/a	-	n/a	-	tall	n/a
2	0.5-1	n/a	low	n/a	low	-	tall
1	< 0.5	n/a	low	n/a	low	low	-
Note: n/a not applicable

• Next
• Contents
• Previous