The challenge
Australia’s environment contributes to our economy by providing clean water and air, fresh food, fibre, mineral resources, timber and a place for recreation. The environment also holds rich cultural and spiritual values fundamental to the Australian way of life. These contributions have not historically been included in Australian statistics on our productivity and wellbeing.
By bringing together environmental and economic information in accounts, the contributions the environment makes to the economy can be observed, quantified and understood. This ensures information about the environment is measured, presented and disclosed to inform diverse decision makers.
Our response
Our partnership of scientists, economists and accounting experts built on decades of international work to further develop accounting methods that tailor, extend and bring together existing recognised techniques.
We focused on ecosystem accounts, one type of environmental-economic accounts. These record the quantity (extent) and quality (condition) of ecosystems, as well as the biodiversity and ecosystem service(s) they support. Ecosystem services are the contributions of ecosystems to benefits – the goods and services that are ultimately used and enjoyed by people and society.
This project aimed to deliver methods, data and experimental ecosystem accounts for the Flinders, Norman and Gilbert river catchments, in Queensland that:
- demonstrate the value of regional-scale ecosystem accounts for policy and program areas in the Australian Government, who will analyse and interpret the information in outputs such as national environmental-economic accounts which will play a central role in the reform of Australia’s environmental laws through the Nature-Positive Plan
- contribute to the development of methods and frameworks to enable national-scale ecosystem accounting.
The project used input data from a wide variety of authoritative sources, and delivered account-ready data so that end users can compile their own accounts.
This project was funded by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) as part of the Environmental Economic Accounting: A common national approach – Strategy and Action Plan. This plan was established in 2018 when Commonwealth, state and territory governments agreed to apply the United Nation's System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) across Australia to account for environmental assets such as land, oceans and ecosystems.
A key aspect of this project was to develop and test conceptual ecosystem models in the context of First Nations engagement with these models, and determine whether they reflected a local First Nations understanding of ecosystems (Country and the cultural landscape), and where similarities and differences lay between the models and First Nations perspectives.
Download the outputs
The following outputs span accounting components for ecosystem extent and condition, biodiversity, ecosystem services and ecosystem capacity – the potential future flow of ecosystem services. Also included in these outputs are ecosystems models that describe drivers of change in the ecosystems for the Flinders, Norman and Gilbert river catchments as well as a report on First Nations perspectives on these ecosystem models. Subsequent sections provide links to account-ready data.
- Synthesis for government policy officers and program managers
- Short summary for the public
- Data collection of all experimental ecosystem accounts and supplementary data, including methods
- Summary of data sources
Account-ready data: ecosystem classification and conceptual models
Ecosystem classification categorises distinct living and non-living components of the environment, and their interactions, into discrete ecosystem types. These ecosystem types can be split further into ecosystem states and ecosystem expressions using conceptual models. The type of conceptual model used to do this is called a state and transition model. These models summarise observed ecosystem states in a landscape – a distinct set of ecological characteristics related to structure, function and composition, and specific ways that these change in response to natural disturbance regimes.
Ecosystem states represent ecosystem types in a range of different levels of modification by humans, such as native bushland through to crops and pastures. The models also show the drivers (human managed actions or events) that cause transitions between ecosystem states. These models were developed by scientific experts and land managers, including First Nations representatives, familiar with the Flinders, Norman and Gilbert river catchments.
Download the account ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem classification, including methods
- Data collection: ecosystem conceptual models, including methods
First Nations perspectives on ecosystem models
The research team worked with Tagalaka, and Ewamian peoples of northern Queensland, through the Boards of their representative corporations, to better understand First Nations perspectives’ on how ecosystems are described and measured. Through face-to-face meetings and online follow-up sessions, First Nations connections to Country, and the concepts, priorities and approaches adopted for monitoring the health of Country, were explored. A key output from this component of the project is the conceptual model created here:
Download the communication output
Communication output: First Nations engagement on ecosystem models and recommendations
Account-ready data: extent and condition of ecosystems
Ecosystem extent is the size (area) of ecosystem assets, classified by ecosystem types. Ecosystem condition is the quality of an ecosystem in terms of its integrity – the ability to maintain its characteristic composition, structure and function over time.
Download the account-ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem extent, including methods
- Data collection: ecosystem condition, including methods
Account-ready data: biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms. We assessed biodiversity at both community and species levels:
- community: vascular plants, reptiles (shown), birds
- species: habitat for nationally listed threatened species (shown).
Download the account-ready data
- Data collection: biodiversity, including methods
Account-ready data: ecosystem services
Ecosystem services are the contributions of ecosystems to benefits – the goods and services that are ultimately used and enjoyed by people and society. Ecosystem service accounts can be compiled in both physical and monetary terms. We assessed the following services:
- grazed biomass provisioning
- terrestrial carbon storage, sequestration and emissions.
Methods were provided for recreation services.
Download the outputs
- Data collection: ecosystem services, including methods
Account-ready data: ecosystem capacity
Ecosystem capacity measures the degree to which an ecosystem can supply an ecosystem service, under current ecosystem condition, management and uses, without negatively affecting future supply.
Download the account-ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem capacity, including methods
Next steps
The methods to develop this integrated system of information for ecosystems can be applied for all modified and unmodified ecosystems across Australia, including urban and agricultural ecosystems. The datasets produced as part of this project can give valuable insights to decision makers and communities about changes in the Flinders, Norman and Gilbert river catchments. These datasets can be accessed in full at the links provided. This work will also inform future ecosystem accounts, helping ensure that accounts are ecologically meaningful and supported by enduring and trusted environmental data.
The challenge
Australia’s environment contributes to our economy by providing clean water and air, fresh food, fibre, mineral resources, timber and a place for recreation. The environment also holds rich cultural and spiritual values fundamental to the Australian way of life. These contributions have not historically been included in Australian statistics on our productivity and wellbeing.
By bringing together environmental and economic information in accounts, the contributions the environment makes to the economy can be observed, quantified and understood. This ensures information about the environment is measured, presented and disclosed to inform diverse decision makers.
Our response
Our partnership of scientists, economists and accounting experts built on decades of international work to further develop accounting methods that tailor, extend and bring together existing recognised techniques.
We focused on ecosystem accounts, one type of environmental-economic accounts. These record the quantity (extent) and quality (condition) of ecosystems, as well as the biodiversity and ecosystem service(s) they support. Ecosystem services are the contributions of ecosystems to benefits – the goods and services that are ultimately used and enjoyed by people and society.
This project aimed to deliver methods, data and experimental ecosystem accounts for the Flinders, Norman and Gilbert river catchments, in Queensland that:
- demonstrate the value of regional-scale ecosystem accounts for policy and program areas in the Australian Government, who will analyse and interpret the information in outputs such as national environmental-economic accounts which will play a central role in the reform of Australia’s environmental laws through the Nature-Positive Plan
- contribute to the development of methods and frameworks to enable national-scale ecosystem accounting.
The project used input data from a wide variety of authoritative sources, and delivered account-ready data so that end users can compile their own accounts.
This project was funded by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) as part of the Environmental Economic Accounting: A common national approach – Strategy and Action Plan. This plan was established in 2018 when Commonwealth, state and territory governments agreed to apply the United Nation's System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) across Australia to account for environmental assets such as land, oceans and ecosystems.
A key aspect of this project was to develop and test conceptual ecosystem models in the context of First Nations engagement with these models, and determine whether they reflected a local First Nations understanding of ecosystems (Country and the cultural landscape), and where similarities and differences lay between the models and First Nations perspectives.
Download the outputs
The following outputs span accounting components for ecosystem extent and condition, biodiversity, ecosystem services and ecosystem capacity – the potential future flow of ecosystem services. Also included in these outputs are ecosystems models that describe drivers of change in the ecosystems for the Flinders, Norman and Gilbert river catchments as well as a report on First Nations perspectives on these ecosystem models. Subsequent sections provide links to account-ready data.
- Synthesis for government policy officers and program managers
- Short summary for the public
- Data collection of all experimental ecosystem accounts and supplementary data, including methods
- Summary of data sources
Account-ready data: ecosystem classification and conceptual models
Ecosystem classification categorises distinct living and non-living components of the environment, and their interactions, into discrete ecosystem types. These ecosystem types can be split further into ecosystem states and ecosystem expressions using conceptual models. The type of conceptual model used to do this is called a state and transition model. These models summarise observed ecosystem states in a landscape – a distinct set of ecological characteristics related to structure, function and composition, and specific ways that these change in response to natural disturbance regimes.
Ecosystem states represent ecosystem types in a range of different levels of modification by humans, such as native bushland through to crops and pastures. The models also show the drivers (human managed actions or events) that cause transitions between ecosystem states. These models were developed by scientific experts and land managers, including First Nations representatives, familiar with the Flinders, Norman and Gilbert river catchments.
Download the account ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem classification, including methods
- Data collection: ecosystem conceptual models, including methods
First Nations perspectives on ecosystem models
The research team worked with Tagalaka, and Ewamian peoples of northern Queensland, through the Boards of their representative corporations, to better understand First Nations perspectives’ on how ecosystems are described and measured. Through face-to-face meetings and online follow-up sessions, First Nations connections to Country, and the concepts, priorities and approaches adopted for monitoring the health of Country, were explored. A key output from this component of the project is the conceptual model created here:
Model created with representatives of Ewamian People Aboriginal Corporation Registered Native Title Body Corporate, and Tagalaka Aboriginal Corporation Registered Native Title Body Corporate, to depict key areas for consideration in monitoring, measuring and accounting for healthy Country and healthy people. The interweaved strands making the circle represent the weaving together of
Download the communication output
Communication output: First Nations engagement on ecosystem models and recommendations
Account-ready data: extent and condition of ecosystems
Ecosystem extent is the size (area) of ecosystem assets, classified by ecosystem types. Ecosystem condition is the quality of an ecosystem in terms of its integrity – the ability to maintain its characteristic composition, structure and function over time.
Download the account-ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem extent, including methods
- Data collection: ecosystem condition, including methods
*The extents of these states could not be distinguished from each other using the available spatial datasets, thus they are reported together.
Account-ready data: biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms. We assessed biodiversity at both community and species levels:
- community: vascular plants, reptiles (shown), birds
- species: habitat for nationally listed threatened species (shown).
Download the account-ready data
- Data collection: biodiversity, including methods
Account-ready data: ecosystem services
Ecosystem services are the contributions of ecosystems to benefits – the goods and services that are ultimately used and enjoyed by people and society. Ecosystem service accounts can be compiled in both physical and monetary terms. We assessed the following services:
- grazed biomass provisioning
- terrestrial carbon storage, sequestration and emissions.
Methods were provided for recreation services.
Download the outputs
- Data collection: ecosystem services, including methods
Account-ready data: ecosystem capacity
Ecosystem capacity measures the degree to which an ecosystem can supply an ecosystem service, under current ecosystem condition, management and uses, without negatively affecting future supply.
Download the account-ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem capacity, including methods
Next steps
The methods to develop this integrated system of information for ecosystems can be applied for all modified and unmodified ecosystems across Australia, including urban and agricultural ecosystems. The datasets produced as part of this project can give valuable insights to decision makers and communities about changes in the Flinders, Norman and Gilbert river catchments. These datasets can be accessed in full at the links provided. This work will also inform future ecosystem accounts, helping ensure that accounts are ecologically meaningful and supported by enduring and trusted environmental data.
Related to this page
- An Ecological Knowledge System to support nature repair in Australia
- The Natural Capital Handbook – a practical guide to corporate natural capital accounting, impact, dependency and risk/opportunity assessment; and reporting
- Experimental ecosystem accounts for the Gunbower-Koondrook-Perricoota Forest Icon site
- DCCEEW Natural Capital Accounts