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 experimental ecosystem accounts for the Western Australian Wheatbelt 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 the 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.
Download the outputs
The following outputs span all accounting components: ecosystem extent, ecosystem condition, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Subsequent sections provide links to account-ready data for each of these accounting components individually.
- 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 and interactions of ecosystems into ecosystem types. These can be defined further into ecosystem states and ecosystem expressions within types using conceptual models. One type of conceptual model is a state and transition model. These models summarise potential ecosystem states – the expression of an ecosystem at a particular time and place, defined using characteristics of its structure, function and composition. The models also show the human drivers (managed actions or events) that cause transitions between states.
Download the account ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem classification, including methods
- Data collection: ecosystem conceptual models, including methods
First Nations perspectives on ecosystem models
In Western Australia, the 6 endorsed Noongar Regional Corporations were approached initially as the peak bodies for Country management across the Noongar Nation. The overlap of the project timeline with the development of new governance arrangements, as a result of the South West Native Title Settlement, constrained opportunities for full project engagement; however, there may be continuing opportunities to work together as part of ongoing work on ecosystem accounts.
Download the communication output
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 site condition, including methods
Account-ready data: biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms. We assessed biodiversity at the community level:
- community: vascular plants, reptiles, birds (shown)
- 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:
- biomass provisioning
- terrestrial carbon storage, sequestration and emissions.
Methods were provided for recreation and pest control services.
Download the account-ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem services, 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 Western Australian Wheatbelt. 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 experimental ecosystem accounts for the Western Australian Wheatbelt 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 the 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.
Download the outputs
The following outputs span all accounting components: ecosystem extent, ecosystem condition, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Subsequent sections provide links to account-ready data for each of these accounting components individually.
- 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 and interactions of ecosystems into ecosystem types. These can be defined further into ecosystem states and ecosystem expressions within types using conceptual models. One type of conceptual model is a state and transition model. These models summarise potential ecosystem states – the expression of an ecosystem at a particular time and place, defined using characteristics of its structure, function and composition. The models also show the human drivers (managed actions or events) that cause transitions between states.
Download the account ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem classification, including methods
- Data collection: ecosystem conceptual models, including methods
First Nations perspectives on ecosystem models
In Western Australia, the 6 endorsed Noongar Regional Corporations were approached initially as the peak bodies for Country management across the Noongar Nation. The overlap of the project timeline with the development of new governance arrangements, as a result of the South West Native Title Settlement, constrained opportunities for full project engagement; however, there may be continuing opportunities to work together as part of ongoing work on ecosystem accounts.
Download the communication output
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 site condition, including methods
Column (a) A list of ecosystem types in the Western Australian Wheatbelt Column (b) Further detail is provided for 2 example ecosystem types, showing the total extent across the Western Australian Wheatbelt at the opening (1 July 2018) and closing (30 June 2019) of the 2018-19 account#. Column (c) For each ecosystem type, the stacked bar charts show the proportion of the total that each ecosystem state occupies for the opening and closing of the 2018-19 account. The largest extent in both ecosystem types in the 'modified: mixed farming' ecosystem state. The extents of these states* or variants (4 variants** or 2 variants***) could not be distinguished from each other using the available spatial datasets, thus they are reported together. # The opening and closing dates are represented by an average over the financial years 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. m = million.
Account-ready data: biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms. We assessed biodiversity at the community level:
- community: vascular plants, reptiles, birds (shown)
- 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:
- biomass provisioning
- terrestrial carbon storage, sequestration and emissions.
Methods were provided for recreation and pest control services.
Download the account-ready data
- Data collection: ecosystem services, 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 Western Australian Wheatbelt. 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
- DCCEWW Natural Capital Accounts