CO2 Australia - Restoring box-gum grassy woodland for threatened species of the Nandewar bioregion (Wilga Park).

Native Vegetation Asset Account.

Environmental Account: AU00014
Environmental Asset: Native Vegetation
Asset Account ID: AU00014V1
Registration date: 23 December 2020
Certification date: 17 October 2023
Certification level: Independent Audit
Purpose: Monitor and track improvement in biodiversity co-benefits
Current land use: Conservation and enhancement of native vegetation cover
Area: 109.9 ha
Method: AfN-METHOD-NV-02

Technical Report

Asset Account snapshot.

Asset summary - baseline.

Asset statement.

23 December 2020 - Registration date
17 October 2023 - Certification date
7 November 2024 - Annual Certification Compliance Report (ACCR)
The Account Area was planted over the last 12 months, in line with the Purpose of the Environmental Account.

Significant outcomes.

This Account represents the baseline environmental account for the CO2 Australia - Restoring box-gum grassy woodland for threatened species of the Nandewar bioregion (Wilga Park). The results of the baseline Native Vegetation Econd® assessment demonstrate:

Condition scores for species richness attributes varied, with grass and forb strata approaching benchmark values whereas shrubs and trees scores were near zero.
Condition scores for structural indicator attributes were all close to zero on account of the predominantly cleared paddocks within which the baseline Econd® were established.
Condition scores for functional indicator attributes were variable, with near benchmark scores for native grass cover and condition scores <30 for the remaining attributes.
The vegetation configuration indicator, represented by the measure of vegetation cover within 1 kilometre (km) of the Econd® sites, was moderately high on account of the intact nature of the surrounding landscape. It is anticipated that this is only likely to increase in the long-term as areas of environmental planting associated with project areas continue to mature and convert to native regrowth vegetation and eventually remnant (intact) vegetation status.

Limitations & disclosures.

Composition (species richness) - Potential for false negatives in species richness assessments, referring to the potential for missing species (often cryptic) that were actually present but not encountered. Implication is to underrepresent the species richness attributes contributing to the Species Richness (composition) indicator.

Control to minimise identified limitation - The Native Vegetation Method outlines the recommended survey time to maximise opportunities to identify/differentiate flowering plants. Field-based assessments were undertaken during October and December 2022. While outside of the ideal survey time, greater-than-average rainfall in the preceding two months likely to represent favourable conditions for field-based measurements.

Vegetation configuration - Potential subjectivity afforded by the manual designation of areas as remnant (intact) vegetation and native regrowth vegetation.

Control to minimise identified limitation - The mapping of vegetation configuration categories (remnant and regrowth vegetation) was undertaken combining the interrogation of Queensland Government RVMM, aerial imagery and field-based assessment to confirm the composition of vegetated areas within 1 km of each of the Econd® sites.