In response to the need and an intergovernmental commission for a high resolution and data-derived global ecosystem map, land surface elements of global ecological pattern were characterized in an ecophysiographic stratification of the planet. The stratification produced 3,923 terrestrial ecological land units (ELUs) at a base resolution of 250 meters. The ELUs were derived from data on land surface features in a three step approach. The first step involved acquiring or developing four global raster datalayers representing the primary components of ecosystem structure: bioclimate, landform, lithology, and land cover. These datasets generally represent the most accurate, current, globally comprehensive, and finest spatial and thematic resolution data available for each of the four inputs. The second step involved a spatial combination of the four inputs into a single, new integrated raster dataset where every cell represents a combination of values from the bioclimate, landforms, lithology, and land cover datalayers. This foundational global raster datalayer, called ecological facets (EFs), contains 47,650 unique combinations of the four inputs. The third step involved an aggregation of the EFs into the 3,923 ELUs.

A global digital data base of vegetation was compiled at 1 degree latitude by 1 degree longitude resolution, drawing on approximately 100 published sources. Vegetation data from varied sources were consistently recorded using the hierarchical UNESCO classification system. The raw data base distinguishes about 180 vegetation types that have been collapsed to 32.

This dataset contains polygons depicting vegetation communities of the Wet Tropics Bioregion. Over 250 vegetation types are described using structural and floristic characteristics, and the vegetation communities have been classified using a logical, hierarchical framework. At a broad level, the vegetation includes the rainforests, forests and woodlands, sclerophyll rainforests, shrublands and heathlands, herblands and mangrove communities distributed throughout the bioregion. The dataset is derived from 1:25 000 stereo aerial photography. J.P. Stanton and D.J. Stanton delineated vegetation and geology types by manually interpreting and drawing polygons directly onto the aerial photography. The vegetation of the Wet Tropics Bioregion GIS dataset is also available to or those with ArcGIS capacity. Contact wettropics@wtma.qld.gov.au for more information. Attributes The vegetation has been classified into 5 levels, each of increasing level of detail. The following is the list of unique values for the first three levels. For the complete list of all 5 levels please refer to the 'Vegetation Levels 1 to 5 classification list' document. Level_1: * Vegetated, * Unvegetated Level_2: * Sclerophyll forests and woodlands, * Cleared, unvegetated or non-native * Rainforests * Mangroves * Non-woody vegetation * Shrublands and heathlands * Vegetation complexes and mosaics * Sclerophyll and sclerophyll rainforest transitions Level_3: * Eucalyptus forests and woodlands * Melaleuca forests and woodlands * Water bodies * Mesophyll rainforests * Mangrove forests * Mangrove grasslands and herblands * Rural, agricultural or urban areas * Grasslands * Shrublands and heathlands * Coastal beach complexes * Riparian complexes * Naturally unvegetated * Closed Acacia forests * Closed Eucalyptus forests * Acacia forests and woodlands * Microphyll thickets * Notophyll rainforests * Secondary successional complexes * Casuarina forests and woodlands * Sedgelands * Rock pavement and coastal headland complexes * Lophostemon forests and woodlands * Fern complexes * Microphyll rainforests * Palm-leaf rainforests * Wetland complexes * Syncarpia forests and woodlands * Notophyll thickets * Closed Lophostemon forests Positional accuracy The positional accuracy of the mapped vegetation polygons is ±12 metres from the true position as depicted on the Australian 1:50 000 Topographic Survey Map Series R733. Horizontal accuracy is estimated at 90% of well-defined detail within ±50 metres of true position. Attribute accuracy Attribute accuracy is estimated at 95%. Citation Wet Tropics Management Authority (2009). Vegetation Mapping of the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Queensland. Wet Tropics Management Authority, Cairns. Acknowledgements The expert assistance and advice of James Cook University and the Queensland Herbarium is gratefully acknowledged. /Base data/Data reproduced with permission of Wet Tropics Management Authority/ This metadata was prepared for the eAtlas and is not authoritative. Please contact the Wet Tropics Management Authority for an authoritative record.