Australian National Aquatic Ecosystem (ANAE) Classification Scheme Christopher Auricht and Sarah Imgraben Overview and Status Estuarine-Marine Workshop, Canberra 14 th May 2013

Why do we need a national Classification?  Not possible to manage aquatic systems if you don’t know where they are, what they are, and how they function. (Plus information on values, threatening processes & changes over time)  Need to represent the broad range of systems in simple meaningful, discrete and ecologically relevant groups

Lake – Lacustrine Vegetated swamp – Palustrine Riverine (+ fringing vegetation) Estuarine & Marine Aquatic Systems

Reasons for lack of Integration  Many different classifications systems due to differing reasons / drivers  Riverine – water quality and quantity  Lac and Pal – biodiversity and birds  Estuarine – fisheries and coastal processes  Subterranean – water quantity  Different directions each with specific needs  fragmented and inconsistent national picture

Lac Riv (GDE) SUB (GDE) Pal (GDE) Pal Riv Lac (GDE) Mar Est Integrated System

Adaptive Management Framework Current Understanding Vision Plan Act Monitor Evaluate Report Communication Project Management Information Management Tools

Mapping Overall AE Adaptive Mgmt Framework - Where Classification Fits (Current Understanding) Where they are What they are How they function How are they changing - monitoring Applications for classification HEVAE Mgmt EWR’s Threatened Sp NRS Climate Change CfoC Values, services, threats & pressures

Requirements for Generic National System  Applicable at multiple scales (spatial and temporal)  Integrate between different aquatic habitats (functional aspects and connectivity)  Utilise and integrate existing national datasets (remote sensing)  Translation with jurisdictional databases / systems  Workable with different levels of data availability (data rich, data poor)  Transparent, comprehensive, inclusive, easy to use  Scientifically rigorous

Classification Approaches  Unstructured – list e.g. Ramsar, DIWA  Abiotic - driver based e.g. River Styles, estuarine, hydrogeomorphic  Biological - bottom-up, species e.g. State-based bioregionalisations  Holistic – combination of abiotic and biotic e.g. Cowardin, IBRA, IMCRA, ANAE e.g. Cowardin, IBRA, IMCRA, ANAE

ANAE: Key Features  Based on clearly defined and described attributes at three levels (two regionalisations)  Attributes are key drivers of ecological functioning at different levels  Attributes link to each other in different systems  Allows for a combination of attributes (system) used to determine habitat ‘type’ but types are not specified within the system  Structured but non-hierarchical at system and habitat level  Not all attributes are needed or available all the time

Spatial Scales Level 3 Site / Asset Delineation Classification

ANAE Structure

Structure - unpacked

Level 1 A broad driver based AE Regionalisation:  Landform – broad scale physiographic units from existing national regionalisation datasets provide the bio- geographic and evolutionary context for aquatic ecosystems and habitats  Climate – existing broad scale climate regionalisations e.g. Köppen, capture the broad differences in climate (temperature, rainfall and seasons) which are considered contemporary modifiers of the bio-geographic distribution and evolutionary traits of aquatic habitats  Hydrology – broad scale drainage divisions which capture the catchments within which aquatic habitats occur

Level 2 A number of datasets and regionalisations exist that are appropriate to the landscape covering the thematic areas of:  Topography  Landform (inc floodplain / non-floodplain)  Water influence

Level 3 and attributes

Attributes: Inland & Coastal Surface Aquatics (lacustrine / palustrine / riverine)  Water Source surface (flood/non-floodplain), groundwater, both surface (flood/non-floodplain), groundwater, both  Water Type saline, fresh saline, fresh pH pH  Water Regime permanent, intermittent, ephemeral permanent, intermittent, ephemeral  Substrate / Soil peat, mineral, rock peat, mineral, rock  Vegetation / Fringing Veg forested, shrub, sedge/grass/forb or no emergent vegetation forested, shrub, sedge/grass/forb or no emergent vegetation  Confinement (rivers only)

Attributes: Subterranean (Draft)  Water Type  Surface Water Connectivity (Inflow)  Water Source / Connectivity  Inundation  Saturation State  Void Size  Residence Time  Confinement

Attributes: Estuarine and Marine (Draft)  Substrate  Structural Macrobiota  Water Depth  Light Availability  Nutrient Availability  Exposure

Case Study - Lake Eyre Basin

NumberLandformConnectivityWater sourceWater regimeWater type 1LowlandFloodplainSurface waterPermanentFresh 2LowlandFloodplainSurface waterPermanentSaline 3LowlandFloodplainSurface waterNon-PermanentFresh 4LowlandFloodplainSurface waterNon-PermanentSaline 5LowlandNon-FloodplainGround water - unconfinedPermanentFresh 6LowlandNon-FloodplainGround water - unconfinedPermanentSaline 7LowlandNon-FloodplainGround waterNon-PermanentFresh 8LowlandNon-FloodplainGround waterNon-PermanentSaline 9LowlandNon-FloodplainSurface waterPermanentFresh 10LowlandNon-FloodplainSurface waterPermanentSaline 11LowlandNon-FloodplainSurface waterNon-PermanentFresh 12LowlandNon-FloodplainSurface waterNon-PermanentSaline 13UplandFloodplainSurface waterPermanentFresh 14UplandFloodplainSurface waterPermanentSaline 15UplandFloodplainSurface waterNon-PermanentFresh 16UplandFloodplainSurface waterNon-PermanentSaline 17UplandNon-FloodplainGround waterPermanentFresh 18UplandNon-FloodplainGround waterPermanentSaline 19UplandNon-FloodplainGround waterNon-PermanentFresh 20UplandNon-FloodplainGround waterNon-PermanentSaline 21UplandNon-FloodplainSurface waterPermanentFresh 22UplandNon-FloodplainSurface waterPermanentSaline 23UplandNon-FloodplainSurface waterNon-PermanentFresh 24UplandNon-FloodplainSurface waterNon-PermanentSaline 25Unknown - not necessarily unknown but that we don’t have all 5 core attributes to classify it. 26LowlandNon-FloodplainGround water - artesianPermanentFresh 27LowlandNon-FloodplainGround water - artesianPermanentSaline

Pros of the process  Transparent system  Practical - efficient and effective  No gaps  Inclusive - can be widely applied throughout Australia – range of spatial and vertical scales  Attributes are used as necessary – not hierarchical  Attributes can be retrospectively applied to existing spatial datasets

ANAE Status  AETG Classification Workshop October 2008, plus updates / discussion at AETG meetings 2009 and 2010  Concept to develop ANAE Classification Scheme (based on attributes and regionalisations) endorsed by NRPPC Meeting No 21, May 2009  Continued development process  Number of workshops and trials - Utility and application + ability to map existing systems into national system. (Throughout 2009 – 2010 period)

ANAE Status - continued  Briefing to Australian Government, Canberra (also QLD) (June 2010)  Formal approval AETG, Min Council (2010 – 2012)  Aquatic Ecosystems Toolkit Module 2 Interim ANAE Classification a  Development of attributes – Lacustrine and Palustrine – (reworked / updated  Connectivity. Trialled in LEB, Sth East and WA). Input to GDE Atlas Lacustrine and Palustrine – (reworked / updated  Connectivity. Trialled in LEB, Sth East and WA). Input to GDE Atlas Riverine (workshop Adelaide, April 2010 – draft attributes  Current trial in MDBA). Riverine (workshop Adelaide, April 2010 – draft attributes  Current trial in MDBA). Subterranean (workshop Adelaide, April 2010)  Input to GDE Atlas Subterranean (workshop Adelaide, April 2010)  Input to GDE Atlas Estuarine / Marine – need to split level 3 attributes (NEN & ICAG) Estuarine / Marine – need to split level 3 attributes (NEN & ICAG)

Estuarine/Marine Attributes  Where/how do Estuarine and Marine systems fit within the scheme (Level 2 and 3)  What are the type/s of systems?  What attributes are required to ensure that the range of systems is integrated within the existing ANAE classification and/or reflected in the Asset identification process?  Are such measures consistent with the intent of the ANAE and can they be used to inform representativeness of assets?  Linkage with other systems e.g. OzCoasts & Catami

Issues  Practical application  Spatial Scale  Where does and estuary start and stop  Periodicity  Mixing  Water column and floor

For Information  Christopher Auricht  Di Conrick (AG - SEWPAC)