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System Title |
5.8 Atkinson Vegetation Classification |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Vegetation classification; vegetation mapping; structural classes; floristic composition. |
| Description | This is a system of describing vegetation (including native terrestrial
vegetation, plantations and pasture). It includes two components:
|
| Original Purpose | The system was devised originally to name the mapping units used to depict the vegetation of Tongariro National Park. The names were designed to summarise the key field attributes of the vegetation. |
| Status | The system was developed in 1962; and updated 1985 and 1991. |
| Organisation | Ecological Research Associates |
| Contact person/position | Ian Atkinson |
| Address | C/o Wallaceville Research Centre PO Box 48147 Silverstream Phone 04 528 1383 Fax 04 528 1383 |
| Geographical coverage | It can be used throughout New Zealand. It has been used internationally. |
Operational Specifications |
|
|---|---|
| Scale of Operation | Can be used at a range of scales. It is most suitable for describing vegetation and vegetation mapping units at the local/district level. |
| GIS Compatibility | This relies on accurate locational data being collected. |
| Relationship between levels in the classification system |
There is a hierarchial relationship between these levels. |
| Contributing databases/ classification systems | N/A |
| Contributing database GIS compatibility | N/A |
| Relationship with other classification systems and spatial frameworks. |
|
| Relationship with other databases | Atkinson's vegetation classification has been used for surveys of ecological regions and districts |
Current and emerging use for: |
|
|---|---|
| Assisting with determining historic state/ baseline | Limited. |
| Assisting with determining current state/ baseline | It is used to describe the current structure and general composition of terrestrial vegetation at the broad (structural) scale or more detailed scale (vegetation type) |
| Asssisting with scenario building and modelling of possible futures | N/A |
| Risk Assesment | N/A |
| Monitoring site selection and sample design | It provides a logical basis for stratifying a representative sampling network for vegetation. |
| Aggregating and reporting data locally, regionally and/or nationally | Reporting can be at the structural form (vegetation class) or the floristic composition (vegetation type) levels. Provided the data is accurately located it should be possible to report at the national, regional or local levels. |
Current use (who,level,why)
Atkinson's vegetation classification system is widely used for research, monitoring, reconnaissance/survey purposes involving indigenous terrestrial vegetation. It is often used in association with other classification systems and spatial frameworks. Specific uses include vegetation descriptions for the protected natural areas programme and for the site description component of New Zealand soil descriptions. It is being adapted to describe community type in the UNEP GRID New Zealand wetland classification
User friendliness/public and decision maker understanding
Category names summarise the key field attributes of the vegetation. For well-known vegetation associations this means that the names are easy for non-specialists to understand. The names are not so easy to understand when they refer to less visible vegetation associations and those that are not well-known. This is likely to be a problem for any detailed vegetation classification system.
Framework strengths
- Hierarchical
- Logical.
- It is independent of the sampling method (it can be used for both first approximation rapid inventory and for quantitative surveys).
- It is flexible; extra structural classes can be added if necessary.
- It can be combined with other classification systems; e.g. landform classification.
- It has been widely tested, including internationally (e.g. Galapagos Islands).
- It is widely used, including as part of the protected natural areas programme.
- Category names summarise key field attributes without extra descriptive material necessarily being required.
Current limitations of framework
- Some descriptions are hard for non-specialists to understand because they include botanical names and/or unusual structural class names. (This is likely to be inevitable with any detailed vegetation description system that addresses less visible/less -known vegetation types.)
- Theoretically there is an infinite number of fields available for floristic composition.
- The floristic composition protocols do not work well in vegetation with a heterogeneous closed canopy where there are many species with none occupying more than five percent of the canopy. This situation seldom occurs in New Zealand. It does however occur in tropical latitudes.
- The system can be difficult to use in wetland vegetation mosaics. Here the system may result in a variety of structural classes based on subtle characteristics of the species involved. This can be confusing especially for managers.
References
Atkinson, I.A.E. 1962. Semi quantitative measurements of canopy composition as a basis for mapping vegetation. Proceedings of the New Zealand Ecological Society 9:1-8.
Atkinson, I.A.E.1981. Vegetation map of Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand. 1:50 000. Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial research, Wellington, New Zealand.
Atkinson, I.A.E.1985. Derivation of vegetation mapping units for an ecological survey of Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 23: 361-378.
Atkinson, I.A.E.; Blaschke, P.M. 1991. Vegetation. Pp26-33 In: soil description handbook (eds: J.D.G. Milne; B. Clayden; P.L.Singleton; A.D. Wilson. DSIR Land Resources, Lower Hutt.