Pre-1750 Vegetation Complexes of South West Western Australia

1998 mapping by Mattiske and Havel provides a 1:50,000 scale coverage of pre-European vegetation complexes in the south west forest region of Western Australia. The dataset was reviewed and corrected in 2015, incorporating a unique numerical identifier (SWFor_ID), and further refined in 2016 to align with soil-landscape mapping and consolidate boundaries.

Use Cases

• Analyze the spatial distribution and continuity of vegetation complexes defined by Mattiske and Havel (1998) across the Whicher and Darling Scarp interface.
• Integrate the SWFor_ID unique numerical identifier with other ecological datasets for regional biodiversity assessments.
• Model pre-1750 vegetation extents using the 1:50,000 scale mapping as a historical baseline for conservation planning.

Strengths

• Provides a detailed 1:50,000 scale historical baseline of pre-1750 vegetation distribution.
• Dataset integrity was enhanced through a 2015 review correcting attributing errors and adding the SWFor_ID field.
• Mapping methodology is documented, originating from a 1998 biodiversity assessment for the Regional Forest Agreement.

Limitations

• The dataset represents a historical reconstruction (pre-1750) and may not reflect current on-ground vegetation.
• Specific quantitative metrics like total area or number of distinct complexes are not provided in the description.
• Updates appear to be event-driven (2015, 2016) rather than part of a regular maintenance schedule.

Provenance

Source

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), Western Australia.

Collection Method

Original 1:50,000 scale mapping by Mattiske and Havel (1998) for a biodiversity assessment, with subsequent reviews and corrections.

Time Range

Pre-1750 (historical reconstruction).

Freshness

null

Geography

South west forest region of Western Australia.