10.9 National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Database

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Database Title	10.9 National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Database
Keywords Type1. Type 11.	Terrestrial vegetation; forests; grasslands; species assemblages. Vegetation structure and composition.
Abstract	This is a physical archive and a computer database containing records from about 100,000 vegetation survey plots. This includes over 12,000 permanent plots and about 8000 Protected Natural Areas Programme survey records. A broad range of habitats is included in the database, especially indigenous forests and grasslands. The physical archive includes plot sheets, maps and photographs from surveys. Software has been specifically designed for the statistical analysis of the data collected. The original surveys were conducted by the New Zealand Forest Service, Department of Lands and Survey and the DSIR Botany Division. Ongoing surveys, research and monitoring by the Department of Conservation, Regional Councils, Universities and Landcare Research provide new data.
Geographical Coverage	New Zealand; the Kermadec and Chatham Islands. NZ map grid used for 70-80% location references.
Dataset start date.	1950's
Dataset end date.	Current
Status/currency.	In progress
Update frequency.	Data for new sites is added to the Database as it becomes available. For example 28 new data sets were incorporated into NVS between July 1998 and June 1999. Remeasuring of sites occurs irregularly depending on individual projects. Of the 7500 permanent forest plots approximately a third have been remeasured at least once.
Maintenance.	PGSF funding.

Technical Evaluation
Parameters- what is measured	Non-permanent plots (e.g. reconnaissance plots; Protected Natural Areas Programme plots): relative abundance of plant species in fixed structural tiers composition of ground cover in broad classes average height of dominant canopy species Forest permanent plots: diameters and species of all stems >3cm dbh total count by species of all saplings for each subplot the presence of seedlings <0.16cm high by species within each seedling subplot the number of seedlings (16 - 135cm high) by species and height class for each seedling subplot. Grassland permanent plots: frequency by species in height classes tussock distance, height and diameter (where tussocks exist) A wide range of site information is also collected for all methods.
Parameters- what is calculated	Four software packages have been specifically designed for use with the NVS database. PC RECEE (reconnaissance plots data; PNAP data)) Vegetation composition (and relationship to various environmental factors). PC DIAM (permanent plots in forest) Basal area, growth,mortality and recruitment of tree species. PC USTOREY (permanent plots in forest) Abundance and growth of seedlings and saplings(including comparisons between browsed and unbrowsed sites). PC TRANSECT (permanent plots in grassland) Abundance of species, vertical structure of the vegetation
Methods used to measure parameters	Recee inventory method for describing vegetation (Allen, 1992). Permanent plot method for monitoring changes in indigenous forests (Allen, 1993). Permanent plot methods for monitoring changes in grasslands (Wraight 20x20m quadrat method, Scott height frequency transect method) (Wiser & Rose, 1997). Statistical packages listed above.
Secondary sources of data	N/A
Scale of use.	1:50 000
Number of records	100,000 non-permanent plot assessments; 12,000 permanent plots including a number which have repeat measurements.
GIS compatibility.	70% of non-permanent plot data have NZMS grid references; >80% permanent plots have NZMS grid references.
Available formats for users.	There is a hard copy of all data and at least 90 percent of data is also stored electronically. Information is usually available as an email attachment or disk. More complex analyses are available as published papers/contract reports.
Access constraints.	This is variable. Some information is freely available while other information requires the consent of the agency or person that collected the data. Restrictions apply where data is for private land or is collected for research purposes. A protocol has been prepared to address data storage and data use in NVS.
Measurement Accuracy	To be completed by database manager.
Completeness of dataset	To be completed by database manager.
Positional accuracy	To be completed by database manager
Database steward	Landcare Research Ltd
Database custodian	Landcare Research Ltd
Database custodian contact person	Peter Bellingham
Database custodian Contact Address Phone Fax Email	Box 69 Lincoln Canterbury. 64 3 325 6700 64 3 325 2418 BellinghamP@landcare.cri.nz
References	Methods Allen, R.B.1992. RECCE: an inventory method for describing New Zealand vegetation. FRI Bulletin No. 176. Allen, R.B. 1993. A permanent plot method for monitoring changes in indigenous forests. Landcare Research: Christchurch. Hall, G.M.J.1992. PC-RECCE. Vegetation inventory data analysis. FRI Bulletin No. 177. Forest Research Institute: Christchurch. Hall, G.M.J. 1994a. PC-DIAM: stem diameter analysis. Landcare Research: Auckland. Hall, G.M.J. 1994b. PC-USTOREY: seedling and sapling data analysis. Landcare Research: Auckland. Hall, G.M.J. 1996. PC-TRANSECT: vegetation transect data analysis. Landcare Research: Auckland. Wiser, S.K. & Rose, A.B. 1997. Two permanent plot methods for monitoring changes in grasslands: a field manual. Landcare Research: Christchurch. Numerous publications address the application of data from the NVS database. Examples include: Hall, G.M.J.& Hollinger, D.Y. 1997. Do the indigenous forests affect the net CO2 emission policy of New Zealand? New Zealand Forestry 41: 24-31. Leathwick, J.R. 1995. Climatic relationships of some New Zealand forestry species. Journal of Vegetation Science 6: 237-248. Smale, M.C.; Hall, G.M.J; Gardner, R.O. Dynamics of kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) forest on the South Kaipara Spit, New Zealand, and the impact of fallow deer (Dama dama) New Zealand Journal of Ecology 19: 131-141 Wiser, S.K.; Allen, R.B.; Clinton, P.W.; Platt, K.H. Community structure and forest invasion by an exotic herb over 23 years. Ecology 79: 2071-2081. Landcare Research information leaflets describe the National Vegetation Survey Database. These include copyright statements and protocols for depositing, storing and using data from the database.
Date metadata record prepared.	October 1999
Author of metadata record.	Victoria Froude

Management Evaluation
Original purpose.	To be the prime repository for ecological data on vegetation structure and composition. The database seeks to: Enhance archival storage of nationally important data sets Enhance the availability of the archived data for users while protecting the interests of data suppliers Encourage users of stored data to provide some benefits which enhance the database as an in kind contribution.
Relationships with classification systems.	The data is stored in geographical units, primarily Department of Conservation conservancies. This may change in future depending on how the data is being used.
Relationships with other databases	The Protected Natural Areas Programme is a major contributor of data to the database. More than 80 percent of the PNA plot data is in the NVS database and the rest is coming in over time. A variety of Department of Conservation vegetation surveys also contribute to the database. The National Forest Survey contributed early information to the database.
Known relationships with proposed EPIP indicators.	N/A
Who uses this database?	The database is used for both research and management purposes. Between July 1998 and during 1999 57 requests were made for original NVS data. The majority of these requests were made by the Department of Conservation. Other users requesting information were: University students, Landcare Research, private researchers, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; one regional council and one district council. 28 new data sets were incorporated into NVS between July 1998 and June 1999. Most of these data sets came from the Department of Conservation. Other data sets came from: Landcare Research; University students and post doctoral researchers; Waikato University; Auckland Regional Council. NVS data was used in a number of publications produced between July 1998 and June 1999.
Public awareness of the database	Public awareness of the database is not high. Plot data has been seen as being expensive and of little use. This is usually because the right questions were not asked before survey work was undertaken and the sampling framework was inappropriate.
Database strengths.	This is the largest vegetation database in New Zealand. It is relatively unique on an international basis because it has been compiled using standard methods and the sampling for individual projects is usually random. There is data that is over 30 years old (e.g. Central North Island). There is ongoing funding for its maintenance. It provides a repository for a number of organizations to store and use vegetation data.
Database limitations.	The database is not easily interrogated across multiple fields. This requires additional funding, probably from users. As data has been contributed by a number of organizations data quality can be variable and so should be checked prior to use. There are some limitations with the use of data. It would not be appropriate to use the database to identify the distribution of species that are hard to identify in the field. Some data types cannot currently be recorded in the computer (e.g. Scott height frequency data). This needs extra funding and time to address. Wetlands and other non forest/grassland ecosystems are not well represented on the database at this time.

What are the Current and Emerging Uses of the Database for:
Assisting with determining historic state/baseline.	The database can be used to assist with the reconstruction of past forest communities. It can be used to show change in vegetation composition and structure over the time of the database. This includes documenting invasions of forest and grassland communities by exotic weeds. There is time series data with at least three measurements, for forests in 26 locations throughout New Zealand. There are up to 10 sets of measurements for Craigieburn forests.
Assisting with determining current state/baseline.	The database is extensively used to determine current vegetation composition and structure.
Assisting with modeling possible future outcomes.	The database is used regularly to identify possible future trends. For example protecting changes in forest tree distribution following global warming (Leathwick, 1995).
Risk assessment.	An example is tracking the spread of invasive weeds. Wiser et al 1998 studied the invasion of a mountain beech forest by a weed. Initially the area of greatest risk of invasion by Hieracium lepidulum was close to the forest edge. Later the factors associated with greatest risk were high soil fertility, valley bottom sites and areas of high species richness.
Monitoring site selection and sample design.	This is currently occurring. Examples include the use of existing or new permanent plots on a 9km grid to measure carbon storage in New Zealand's indigenous forests (Hall & Hollinger,1997); and measuring the impacts of alien biota (e.g. Smale et al.1995)
Aggregating and reporting data locally, regionally or nationally.	Reporting currently occurs at local, regional and national levels depending on the project.