Location of ACT important natural wetlands in the ACT, including our High Country Bogs and Fens. Wetlands are important for many plants and wildlife in the ACT.

This layer contains information on the distribution and vegetation types of High Country Sphagnum Bogs and Fens in the ACT as defined by Nature Conservation (High Country Bogs and Associated Fens) Conservation Advice 2019 (Nature Conservation Act). The dataset includes areas of RAMSAR significance. The threatened Northern Corroboree Frogs are also associated with these ecosystems. Veg mapping was undertaken by Geoff Hope et al in 2009 and later revisited during mapping of ACT Vegetation Communities in 2015-2018 (Baines et al 2018).The ACT Scientific Committee determined that the ecological community High Country Bogs and Associated Fens is eligible for inclusion in the ACT Threatened Ecological Communities List in 2019. Most ACT High Country Bogs and Associated Fens communities are consistent with the nationally listed Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens ecological community.The mountains of the Australian Capital Territory support substantial areas of peat-forming mires in interfluves and valley heads, as well as areas of riparian fen vegetation along streams. While similar fens and bogs occur in the Snowy Mountains, the ACT represents a significant outlier of major biogeographic significance because the mires are near their climatic limits and hence sensitive to climate change.Mapping of the mires was originally completed by Hope et al 2009. The mapping was developed in three stages using orthorectified aerial photography and satellite imagery and extensive field checking. More information can be found at: Hope, G., Nanson, R. and Flett, I. 2009. Technical Report 19. The peat-forming mires of the Australian Capital Territory. Territory and Municipal Services, Canberra. https://www.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/2539595/19-peat-forming-mires-of-the-act-2009.pdfKey plant communities of ACT Bogs and Fens (Armstrong et al. 2012):• a2: Baeckea gunniana – Epacris paludosa – Richea continentis – Sphagnum cristatum Wet Heathland of the Australian Alps Bioregion (Alpine/subalpine Bog).• a7: Ranunculus pimpinellifolius – Gonocarpus micranthus herbfield of wetland heathland of the Australian Alps bioregion (Bog).• a8: Carex gaudichaudiana – Myriophyllum pedunculatum – Deschampsia caespitosa Sedgeland of the Australian Alps Bioregion (Alpine/subalpine Fen).• a9: Carex gaudichaudiana – Ranunculus amphitrichus – Phragmites australis Aquatic Herbfield of waterways in the Australian Alps and South-Eastern Highlands Bioregion (Montane Bogs and Fens).Other key plant communities (Hope et al. 2009):• Empodisma minus restiad Fen.• Phragmites – Typha tall sedgelands (Fen).Associated plant communities (Armstrong et al. 2012):• a14: Poa costiniana – Carex gaudichaudiana Subalpine Valley Grassland of the Australian Alps Bioregion (Alpine/subalpine Grasslands/Herbfields).• e59: Hakea microcarpa – Baeckea utilis – Leptospermum myrtifolium Subalpine Wet Heathland on Escarpment and Eastern Tableland Ranges of the South-Eastern Highlands Bioregion.• u193: Hakea microcarpa – Epacris breviflora – Epacris paludosa Montane Wet Heathland of the Australian Alps and western South-Eastern Highlands Bioregions.Note this product includes some areas of a33 vegetation community, which is formally considered to be associated with the threatened community (see ACT High Country Bogs and Fens Action Plan 2024, ACT Government). However, these areas were originally mapped by Hope et al 2009 with high altitude sphagnum bog (HSB) present.For more information on ACT High Country Bogs and Fens, visit https://www.act.gov.au/environment/animals-and-plants/act-threatened-species/high-country-bogs-and-associated-fensUpdates: Majority of the mapping was completed post 2003 fires. However, the dataset is was updated using Near Infrared Imagery 2015 and LiDAR data in 2019. Further updates will be implemented as required if new or better mapping of bog and fen areas become available.Fit for purpose: This dataset was captured at 1:3,000 scale. This dataset is fit for use

The ACT Vegetation Map classifies native and derived vegetation across the ACT at 1:10,000 scale into 64 plant communities as at 2023, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The product includes the following attributes : umcID – Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment vegetation ID (unique vegetation code) (after Armstrong et al 2013) vegCommunity – vegetation community name (after Armstrong et al 2013 and Baines et al 2013) tecACT - listing name of the ACT threatened ecological community (may require field inspection to verify) tecEPBC - listing name of the EPBC threatened ecological community (may require field inspection to verify) tecID - ID of ACT threatened ecological community actConservationStatus - listing status of the vegetation community under the Nature Conservation Act epbcConservationStatus - listing status of the vegetation community under the EPBC Act pctCode - ACT plant community type code treesp1-3 – dominant tree species shrubsp1-3 – dominant shrub species groundsp1-3 – dominant ground cover species canopyCover – canopy cover % (based on 1m 2020 LiDAR canopy cover model) height_mean canopy height (>3m) (based on 1m 2020 LiDAR canopy height model) underCover – understory/shrub cover % (1-3m) (based on 1m 2020 LiDAR shrub model) structure – overall vegetation community structure – e.g. woodland, forest, grassland formation – Keith Formation - broad classification of native vegetation type in NSW and ACT. Formation can be further divided into Keith Class (Keith 2004) class – Keith Class- vegetation class (Keith 2004). hectares - area of polygon unit in hectares. lastVegComm - community as it was last mapped as before change landscape - upland or lowland

This dataset shows habitat / locations of mammals listed as threatened in the ACT under the Nature Conservation Act 2014.

The Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens Ecological Community is derived from Kosciuszko Resorts Vegetation mapped as part of the Kosciuszko Resorts Vegetation Assessment prepared by Ecology Australia in association with N.G.H. Environmental for NSW Planning in 2003 [VIS IDs from 4837 to 4841]. In April 2017 as a preliminary exercise, communities which matched the Alpine Bog EEC status were extracted from the vegetation mapping. These communities included Upland Bog, Valley Bog Complex, certain Tall Tussock Grassland polygons, Sod Tussock Grassland, Subalpine Bog, Subalpine Stream Complex, Alpine Riparian Scrub (Baeckea), and Fen. PLEASE NOTE that the extraction from the veg mapping was undertaken as a rapid preliminary exercise, the veg mapping from which the habitat layers were derived is now over 15 years old and the habitat areas haven't been further ground truthed. This Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens Endangered Ecological Community is vulnerable to disturbance, soil erosion, weed invasion, sedimentation, climate change and alteration of hydrology. Other significant threats identified are land clearing, fire, grazing and trampling by non-native animals, tourism and increased human infrastructure. This community can also be host to a range of other threatened flora and fauna and has been identified as having a small geographic distribution, has had a reduction in community integrity and a loss or decline of functionally important species. Many of the threats to this community are addressed by reservation under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. However, private development within ski resort areas is assessed under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 – State Environmental Planning Policy {SEPP} (Kosciuszko National Park – Alpine Resorts) – with the Department of Planning and Environment as the consent authority and National Parks and Wildlife Service as a referral agency. Clause 17 of the Alpine Resorts SEPP relates to development applications that are to be referred to the Environmental Agency Head. A national recover plan has been developed for the Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens Ecological Community and came in to effect on 16 January 2016. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/alpine-sphagnum-bogs-associated-fens State Level Name: Montane Peatlands and Swamps of the New England Tableland, NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin, South East Corner, South Eastern Highlands and Australian Alps bioregions Listing status: Endangered Ecological Community Commonwealth Name: Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens. Listing Status: Endangered under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. VIS_ID 4836

This feature layer shows the extent of native, threatened and exotic grasslands in the ACT. Native grasslands of the Territory include a rich assemblage of flora and fauna species that combine into a unique ecosystem. These grasslands are a priority for protection and management as they contribute to our natural biodiversity, our history and heritage, and local amenity and community. Natural temperate grasslands are an Endangered Ecological Community in the ACT (Nature Conservation Act 2014) and Critically Endangered Ecological Community under the EPBC Act 1999. Other Native and Exotic grasslands in the ACT can also have some conservation significance as they support important populations of threatened fauna and flora.

This dataset provides location information on plant species or groups of plants species that are of conservation interest in the ACT including Endangered, Critically Endangered, Vulnerable and Rare under the ACT Nature Conservation Act 2014 or the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. A location without species mapped as present can be considered data deficient.

ACT Climate refugia are core areas of the landscape most likely to support persistence of dominant trees, shrubs and grasses of the Capital Region under climate change. The data identify refugia expected to support climate sensitive species characteristic of each vegetation community, both now and into the future, based on distribution modelling using NARCLiM climate projections (MacKenzie et al 2019). The areas shown (refugia) highlight where the most stressed subset of dominant plant species today (i.e., common trees, shrubs and grasses modelled to lose >= 75% of their current distribution) are more likely to persist under a wide range of future climate scenarios. These refugia can be used to prioritise management actions to minimise further stresses to those communities (e.g. prescribed burning within tolerable fire intervals; climate-adaptive revegetation programs, etc). Note: Areas smaller than 0.5 hectares have been removed to enable quicker map drawing, contact officeofnatureconservation@act.gov.au for the full dataset, including ensemble forecasts for individual plant species (n=151). Source Technical Report: MacKenzie, J.B., G. Baines, L. Johnston & J. Seddon. 2019. Identifying biodiversity refugia under climate change in the ACT and region. City and Environment Directorate, ACT Government, Canberra. https://www.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/2539628/identifying-biodiversity-refugia-under-climate-change-in-the-act-and-region-2019.pdf Mapped originally in GDA1994_MGA_Zone55, transformed to GDA2020_MGA_Zone55 For use as a broad scale product, for example at 1:50,000 scale only. Please read the technical report for data caveats and limitations.

ACT Climate refugia are core areas of the landscape most likely to support persistence of dominant trees, shrubs and grasses of the Capital Region under climate change.The data identify refugia expected to support climate sensitive species characteristic of each vegetation community, both now and into the future, based on distribution modelling using NARCLiM climate projections (MacKenzie et al 2019).The areas shown (refugia) highlight where the most stressed subset of dominant plant species today (i.e., common trees, shrubs and grasses modelled to lose >= 75% of their current distribution) are more likely to persist under a wide range of future climate scenarios. These refugia can be used to prioritise management actions to minimise further stresses to those communities (e.g. prescribed burning within tolerable fire intervals; climate-adaptive revegetation programs, etc). Note: Areas smaller than 0.5 hectares have been removed to enable quicker map drawing, contact officeofnatureconservation@act.gov.au for the full dataset, including ensemble forecasts for individual plant species (n=151).Source Technical Report:MacKenzie, J.B., G. Baines, L. Johnston & J. Seddon. 2019. Identifying biodiversity refugia under climate change in the ACT and region. Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government, Canberra. https://www.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/2539628/identifying-biodiversity-refugia-under-climate-change-in-the-act-and-region-2019.pdfMapped originally in GDA1994_MGA_Zone55, transformed to GDA2020_MGA_Zone55For use as a broad scale product, for example at 1:50,000 scale only. Please read the technical report for data caveats and limitations.