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VegTrack : A structured vegetation restoration activity database
Author(s) -
Zerger Andre,
Freudenberger David,
Thackway Richard,
Wall Damian,
Cawsey Margaret
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
ecological management and restoration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.472
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1442-8903
pISSN - 1442-7001
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-8903.2009.00474.x
Subject(s) - revegetation , vegetation (pathology) , database , computer science , environmental resource management , riparian zone , environmental science , geography , ecology , land reclamation , medicine , archaeology , pathology , habitat , biology
Summary Information about on‐ground vegetation restoration activities (e.g. fencing and revegetation) is critical if natural resource management (NRM) groups are to monitor progress towards restoration targets, assess the efficacy of their interventions and adaptively learn from different actions. However, in Australia, there are few practical guidelines for recording data, making it difficult to consistently compare actions between sites and through time. Records of primary information are particularly important given the ongoing national investment in vegetation restoration activities. With the aid of six‐case study areas in different landscapes, robust guidelines and tools were developed and incorporated into VegTrack , a methodology, which allows groups to develop their own vegetation restoration activity database. VegTrack differentiates spatial data from attribute data storing each in different databases (a GIS and a relational database management system respectively). We describe the process which enables NRM groups to develop their own database, and provide a Microsoft Access 2003 version of VegTrack to allow NRM groups to commence activity recording. To demonstrate the utility of the VegTrack method in different situations and to encourage consistency across study areas, we describe the application of the guidelines for several scenarios including riparian revegetation, corridors disrupted by roads and infill plantings.