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Estuarine Vegetation and Harbours - GIS Layer
| File ID: |
79DD7532-AB26-4033-9095-2B1CA0662F99 |
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| Hierarchy Level: |
dataset |
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| Abstract: |
Monitoring of the extent, distribution and type of estuarine habitats is one of several elements in Waikato Regional Council’s strategy to develop a Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the Region’s estuarine environments and the threats they face, and to improve our management of these important systems. |
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| Statement: |
Currently this is a data set of estuarine vegetation maps for fourteen estuaries on the Coromandel Peninsula (Manaia, Te Kouma, Coromandel, Colville, Waikawau, Kennedy Bay, Whangapoua, Otama, Whitianga, Purangi (Cooks Bay), Tairua, Wharekawa, Whangamata, Otahu; four estuaries on the West Coast (Port Waikato, Raglan, Aotea, Kawhia), and the Firth of Thames. Some estuaries have been surveyed twice – including Manaia, Te Kouma, Coromandel, Whitianga, Tairua, Wharekawa, Whangamata, Otahu, Port Waikato, Raglan, Aotea and Kawhia. This data set forms part of the monitoring of estuaries for state of the environment reporting (i.e. Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme - REMP).
Applications for this data include Monitoring the spatial extent, distribution and habitat type in estuaries will provide the empirical basis for assessing the state of the Region’s estuaries, and to signal any local-scale (e.g., stock trampling, point-source pollution) or broad-scale pressures (e.g., changes in land-use and catchment management practices). |
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| Keywords: |
Biology,Coastal,Estuaries,Wetland,vegetation |
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| Topic Category: |
biota:flora and/or fauna in natural environment |
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| Resource Reference Date: |
10/07/2014 |
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| Metadata URL: |
https://data.waikatoregion.govt.nz:8443/ords/f?p=140:12:0::NO::P12_METADATA_ID:942 |
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Responsible Parties
| Role: |
principalInvestigator |
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| Position: |
|
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| Organisation: |
Natural Solutions – Marine & Terrestrial Ecologists Ltd |
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| Delivery Point: |
8b Margaret Rd, Bellevue |
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| City: |
Tauranga |
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| Postal Code: |
3110 |
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| Country: |
New Zealand |
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| Phone: |
07 576 0770 |
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| Fax: |
|
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| Email: |
hamish@ecologist.co.nz |
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| Role: |
owner |
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| Position: |
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| Organisation: |
Waikato Regional Council |
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| Delivery Point: |
160 Ward Street |
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| City: |
Hamilton Central |
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| Postal Code: |
3204 |
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| Country: |
New Zealand |
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| Phone: |
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| Fax: |
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| Email: |
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Metadata
| Language: |
English |
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| Character Set: |
utf8 |
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| Standard: |
ANZLIC |
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| Standard Version: |
1.1 |
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Metadata Constraints
| Access Constraints: |
copyright |
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| Use Constraints: |
copyright |
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Download Links
Supporting Information Links
General Notes:
Docs # 670153 Extent Distribution and Type of Coastal Habitats – Specification Sheet
Docs #1059983 Extent of coastal habitats – indicator specification sheet 2006
Ground Truthing:
Meg Graeme
NATURAL SOLUTIONS
RD2 COROMANDEL
Tel: (07) 866 0770
Email: natural.solutions@wave.co.nz
Ministry for the Environment – Coastal Marine Environment - http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/water/marine-coastal.html
WRC Environmental Indicator - http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/Environment/Environmental-information/Environmental-indicators/Coasts/Natural-character-and-biodiversity/co2-report/
BIODIVERSITY.sdeadmin.ESTUARINE_VEG_1993
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| File Identifier: |
1AA6ECDF-D3F4-4064-AB58-28C23C85FA0C |
Parent Identifier: |
79DD7532-AB26-4033-9095-2B1CA0662F99 |
|---|
| Hierarchy Level: |
feature |
Hierarchy Level Name: | feature of Estuarine Vegetation and Harbours - GIS Layer |
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| Abstract: |
Estuarine vegetation by WRAPS Aerial Photography year |
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| Statement: |
For estuarine vegetation attributes cover location, area (ha), vegetation type, aerial photo year, ground truth year, orthorectified status, historical id and reprojection errors.
The baseline inventory of estuarine vegetation identified the following broad vegetation types in Waikato region estuaries. Survey dates spreadsheet https://discover.wairc.govt.nz/otcs/llisapi.dll/link/11997592 |
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| Other Information: |
The baseline inventory of estuarine vegetation identified the following broad vegetation types in Waikato Region estuaries:
Mangrove communities (Avicennia marina subsp. australasica).
Seagrass communities (Zostera capricorni).
Saltmarsh communities. Within the broad saltmarsh community three sub-communities were identified:
The ‘Rushland community’ (mid-high tide level) has generally monospecific stands of mainly Apodasmia similis (oioi, golden jointed rush), Juncus kraussii var. australiensis (sea rush), but also includes Schoenoplectus pungens (three square).
The ‘Salt Meadow community’ (above mid-high tide level) dominated by the prostrate mat-forming plants (including Samolus repens [sea primrose], Selliera radicans [remuremu], Sarcocornia quinqueflora [glasswort]. Patches or narrow bands of these species can be found scattered throughout the saltmarsh zone, but are more often found along the inland edge of the ‘rush/sedge community’. Also found associated with these three main species, is the Austrostipa stipoides [buggar grass] on coarse or rocky outcrops; and in more brackish areas: Cotula coronopifolia [bachelor’s button], Eleocharis acuta [sharp spike-sedge, Isolepis cernua [slender clubrush] and Triglochin striata [arrow-grass].
The ‘Saltmarsh Ribbonwood community’ (high tide level) is dominated by saltmarsh ribbonwood but also can include scattered sea meadow and rushland. Invasive exotic plant communities (weed) communities (e.g., Paspalum vaginatum [saltwater paspalum], Spartina sp. [cord grass]).
Where there is more than one dominant plant species in an area, a ‘mixed’ vegetation type is recorded, With the tallest species listed first.
Estimations are made of the historical extent of wetlands around the estuaries. This is based on a visual assessment only (no review of historical aerial photographs).
Coromandel Estuaries: Manaia, Te Kouma, Coromandel, Colville, Waikawau, Kennedy Bay, Whangapoua, Otama, Whitianga, Purangi (Cooks Bay), Tairua, Wharekawa, Whangamata, Otahu
Southern Firth of Thames
West Coast Estuaries: Raglan, Kawhia, Port Waikato and Aotea
Digitised Harbour Boundaries
Vegetation Type Habitat Type
Mangrove communities – Avicennia marina subsp. australasica Mangrove
Seagrass communities – Zostera capricorni Seagrass
Saltmarsh communities The rushland community includesApodasmia similis (golden jointed rush) and Juncus kraussii var. australiensis (sea rush) and Schoenoplectus pungens (three square).
The saltmarsh ribbonwood community is dominated by saltmarsh ribbonwood but also can include scattered sea meadow and rushland.
The salt meadow community includes for example, species such as Samolus repens (sea primrose), Selliera radicans (remuremu), Sarcocornia quinqueflora (glasswort), Cotula coronopifolia (Bachelor's button), Eleocharis actuta (sharp spike-sedge), Isolepis cernua (slender clubrush) and Triglochin striata (arrow grass).
Weed communities - for example, Paspalum vaginatum (saltwater paspalum), Spartina sp.(cord grass) Invasive exotic species
The classification of vegetation types broadly follows the proposed national classification system, which is currently being developed under a Ministry for the Environment Sustainable Management Fund project.
Methods for data aquisition in the Coromandel and West Coast (See 1019781)
Early baseline information on estuarine vegetation was derived from interpretation of aerial colour photographs (scale of 1:5,000 or 1:10,000) combined with ground survey. Vegetation boundaries were drawn by a skilled interpreter, on transparent acetate film overlaid over aerial photography maps. These boundary lines were ground surveyed to establish their accuracy. The spatial extent and distribution of estuarine vegetation was documented at the broad assemblage level (e.g., seagrass, mangrove, rushes, rushes/ribbonwood, salt meadow), with ground survey including information at the genus/species level. Traced vegetation boundaries were converted to digital images which were imported into Geomedia GIS software. The mapped vegetation was registered to the New Zealand Map Grid by overlaying the vegetation and harbour boundaries and known points on the map were used to register the images ready for digitising.
Methods for Firth of Thames:
Later estuarine vegetation surveys (2002 onwards) were undertaken using WRAPS aerial photography. The method used to capture the data was, by taking a pocket PC, into the field which had the Wraps imagery loaded onto it. The data was captured by drawing and storing the line work as a feature. The Firth of Thames survey used an IPAQ pocket PC and unfortunately, the colour scheme used in the field for representing the vegetation type, was not able to be extracted by exporting the data. Therefore in this case, the data had to be attributed manually, by comparing data displayed in the On Demand software and the downloaded redlines.
Subsequent surveys used an IPAQ pocket PC loaded with WRAPS imagery. The data was captured by drawing polygons using ESRI ArcPad 7.
Monitoring the spatial extent, distribution and habitat type in estuaries will provide the empirical basis for assessing the state of the Region’s estuaries, and to signal any local-scale (e.g., stock trampling, point-source pollution) or broad-scale pressures (e.g., changes in land-use and catchment management practices).
In June 2014 the estuarine spatial data was put through a cleaning process where each combination of LOCATION and GROUND_TRUTHING_YEAR was treated as a separate dataset and had all geometry within each dataset flattened. Where there were areas of overlap, the overlap was dissolved into the largest polygon. Note that this spatial layer still contains overlapping features between datasets i.e. Aotea, 2005 and Aotea 2012.
Vegetation:
Mangrove communities (Mangrove) - Avicennia marina subsp. australasica
Seagrass communites (seagrass) - Zostera capricorni
Saltmarsh communities (seagrass) - The rushland community includesApodasmia similis (golden jointed rush) and Juncus kraussii var. australiensis (sea rush) and Schoenoplectus pungens (three square). The saltmarsh ribbonwood community is dominated by saltmarsh ribbonwood but also can include scattered sea meadow and rushland. The salt meadow community includes for example, species such as Samolus repens (sea primrose), Selliera radicans (remuremu), Sarcocornia quinqueflora (glasswort), Cotula coronopifolia (Bachelor's button), Eleocharis actuta (sharp spike-sedge), Isolepis cernua (slender clubrush) and Triglochin striata (arrow grass).
Weed communities (invasive exotic species) - for example, Paspalum vaginatum (saltwater paspalum), Spartina sp.(cord grass)
The classification of vegetation types broadly follows the proposed national classification system, which is currently being developed under a Ministry for the Environment Sustainable Management Fund project.
The 1990s Coromandel data was not derived from orthorectified imagery. Without this information it is difficult to provide an indication of the positional accuracy (in terms of metres) of the data, however extreme examples of errors in the positional accuracy of this data are more than +/-100m. The West Coast data will have a positional accuracy similar to the 2002 WRAPS aerials, that being horizontal accuracy of +/- 3.0 metres at 90% confidence. However, other sources of inaccuracies as outlined below may increase the positional error.
All data collected since 2006 is derived from orthorectified imagery.
GIS data, some maps have been produced (GIS Requests 5772, 11496), Reports (available on Waikato Regional Council website). There is also a collection of type specimens, and a large number of site photographs.
The data is stored as GIS layers in Waikato Regional Council’s Oracle database.
The database is regularly updated and maintained as information is gathered through the Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme.
This indicator that uses the data is currently under development. Changes to this indicator are planned in the short and long-term. These will include:
1. Development of a regional 'operational protocol'. This will incorporate 'mapping rules', which will provide a uniform basis for collecting information on habitat extent, distribution and type, from scene to scene and time to time, thereby allowing robust comparison of two or more scenes or times. Protocols for generating, ground survey, classification and controlling the quality of the habitat maps, documenting change in habitat spatial extent and distribution, and the use of historical data, will be produced. An assessment of computer-aided image sampling to map habitat boundaries will also be included.
2. Expansion of regional coverage of estuaries included in the programme. As a minimum this needs to include the Firth of Thames. Sixteen estuarine areas in the region have been included in the scope for the estuarine component of the WRAPS project: the whole of the Firth of Thames, Manaia, Te Kouma, Coromandel, Waikawau, Kennedy Bay, Whangapoua, Whitianga, Tairua, Wharekawa, Whangamata, Otahu, Port Waikato, Raglan, Aotea and Kawhia.
3. Further development of the classification of coastal habitats in the region and improving the quality and quantity of data extracted from the remote sensing imagery (such as quantitative descriptors and photographic keys). This may, for example, include classification according to morphological types as either 'continuous' or 'patchy' (for example, extensive seagrass beds vs fragmented ones, containing numerous open bare patches); identifying important 'thematic cover classes' for each habitat type (for example, dense seagrass = 70-100 per cent cover; medium/dense seagrass = 30-70 per cent cover; sparse seagrass <30 per cent [e.g., Fyfe et al., 1999]); and an evaluation of the potential for relating functional health/condition status (such as biomass and productivity) of habitats to spectral radiances observed through remote sensing.
4. Where available, historical aerial photography at similar scales will be analysed in order to quantify historical changes and trends in habitat spatial extent and distribution.
5. Further Metadata Information
Survey dates spreadsheet https://discover.wairc.govt.nz/otcs/llisapi.dll/link/11997592 |
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| Keywords: |
Aerial photography,Biology,Coastal,Estuaries,WRAPS,Wetland,vegetation |
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| Topic Category: |
biota:flora and/or fauna in natural environment |
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| Resource Reference Date: |
26/08/2016 |
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Metadata Constraints
| Access Constraints: |
copyright |
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| Use Constraints: |
copyright |
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Maintenance Information
| Maintenance frequency: |
asNeeded |
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| Last Load Date: |
30/08/2016 |
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Spatial Representation Information
| Recommended Scale: |
|
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| Reference System: |
EPSG2193 |
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| Spatial Representation Type: |
vector |
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| Vector | Grid | Geographic Bounding Box |
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| GeometricObjectType : |
surface |
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| geometricObjectCount : |
3022 |
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| topologyLevel : |
geometryOnly |
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|
| Number of Dimensions : |
|
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| Cell Geometry : |
|
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| Transformation Param Available : |
N |
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|
| westBoundLongitude : |
1856345.448 |
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| eastBoundLongitude : |
1817648.1117 |
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| southBoundLatitude : |
5874264.7391 |
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| northBoundLatitude : |
5929931.1723 |
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|
Responsible Parties
| Role: |
|
| Position: |
|
|---|
| Organisation: |
Natural Solutions – Marine & Terrestrial Ecologists Ltd |
|---|
| Delivery Point: |
8b Margaret Rd, Bellevue |
|---|
| City: |
Tauranga |
|---|
| Postal Code: |
3110 |
|---|
| Country: |
New Zealand |
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| Phone: |
07 576 0770 |
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| Fax: |
|
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| Email: |
hamish@ecologist.co.nz |
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|
| Role: |
author |
| Position: |
|
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| Organisation: |
Waikato Regional Council - Science, Policy and Information |
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| Delivery Point: |
160 Ward Street |
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| City: |
Hamilton Central |
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| Postal Code: |
3204 |
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| Country: |
New Zealand |
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| Phone: |
0800 800 401 |
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| Fax: |
07 859 0998 |
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| Email: |
inforeq@waikatoregion.govt.nz |
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Data Constraints
| Data Access Constraints : |
copyright |
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| Data Use Constraints: |
copyright |
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| Data Distribution: |
Unrestricted |
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| Licence Type : |
To be determined |
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| Licence: |
|
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| Licence Expiry: |
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| Licence Conditions: |
|
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| Copyright : |
© Waikato Regional Council 2016. Estuarine Vegetation and Harbours Data. |
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| Data Disclaimers : |
While Waikato Regional Council has exercised all reasonable skill and care in controlling the contents of this information, Waikato Regional Council accepts no liability in contract, tort or otherwise howsoever, for any loss, damage, injury or expense (whether direct, indirect or consequential) arising out of the provision of this information or its use by you. |
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| Data Use Limits : |
There are a number of limitations associated with monitoring the spatial extent and distribution of coastal habitats using remote sensing technologies and ground survey. These include:
1. The spatial resolution is generally too coarse to discriminate small units of different habitat types. For example, under ideal conditions individual patches of habitat as small as 1 m in diameter are detectable in photography at a scale of 1:24,000, but in practice, minimum habitat sizes recorded are 0.3 ha (Ferguson and Wood, 1990). Estimates of habitat spatial extent therefore tend to be conservative and are not suitable for detecting short-term or small-scale or local changes.
2. The resolution of the imagery is insufficient to discriminate between individual species.
3. The existing baseline information has not been orthorectified. Without this information it is not possible to provide an indication of the locational accuracy (in terms of metres) of the habitat maps. In the future, photographs will be digital orthophotos with a 1 m or less resolution and a spatial accuracy of 3 m at 90% confidence. A digital global positioning satellite system (GPS)-based ground control will be used to allow real-time differential correction techniques for varying photographic scale to be applied.
4. The classification of habitat units, or communities, is potentially a significant source of variation in the mapping process. This is primarily due to the current absence of an acknowledged classification system for coastal ecosystems (this is currently being addressed through a number of MfE Sustainable Management Fund Projects).
5. Baseline information for the Coromandel estuaries was drawn off hard copy aerial photographs, these were not orthorectified. All subsequent processing of the data involved registering the data as opposed to orthorectifying it. This means the data will exhibit distortions present in the initial imagery that was used and may appear locationally different when compared against orthorectified imagery.
6. Further to this the earlier Whangamata, Otahu and Wharekawa estuary data appears to have a displacement error of about 10m-50m somehow as a result of the data being converted from NZMG shapefiles to an NZMG feature class. This displacement also seems to apply to the Harbours_Digitised data set. This still needs to be resolved.
Data aquisition Methods for Coromandel and West Coast (See 1019781)
Early baseline information on estuarine vegetation was derived from interpretation of aerial colour photographs (scale of 1:5,000 or 1:10,000) combined with ground survey. Vegetation boundaries were drawn by a skilled interpreter, on transparent acetate film overlaid over aerial photography maps. These boundary lines were ground surveyed to establish their accuracy. The spatial extent and distribution of estuarine vegetation was documented at the broad assemblage level (e.g., seagrass, mangrove, rushes, rushes/ribbonwood, salt meadow), with ground survey including information at the genus/species level. Traced vegetation boundaries were converted to digital images which were imported into Geomedia GIS software. The mapped vegetation was registered to the New Zealand Map Grid by overlaying the vegetation and harbour boundaries and known points on the map were used to register the images ready for digitising.
Methods for Firth of Thames:
Later estuarine vegetation surveys (2002 onwards) were undertaken using WRAPS aerial photography. The method used to capture the data was, by taking a pocket PC, into the field which had the Wraps imagery loaded onto it. The data was captured by drawing and storing the line work as a feature. The Firth of Thames survey used an IPAQ pocket PC and unfortunately, the colour scheme used in the field for representing the vegetation type, was not able to be extracted by exporting the data. Therefore in this case, the data had to be attributed manually, by comparing data displayed in the On Demand software and the downloaded redlines.
Subsequent surveys used an IPAQ pocket PC loaded with WRAPS imagery. The data was captured by drawing polygons using ESRI ArcPad 7. |
|---|
Download Links
Supporting Information Links
General Notes:
Docs # 670153 Extent Distribution and Type of Coastal Habitats - Specification Sheet
Docs #1059983 Extent of coastal habitats - indicator specification sheet 2006
Attribute Information
| Name | Description | Notes | Restricted | Primary Key |
|---|
| OBJECTID |
|
|
N |
N |
| AREA_HA |
|
|
N |
N |
| LOCATION |
|
In June 2014 the estuarine spatial data was put through a cleaning process where each combination of LOCATION and GROUND_TRUTHING_YEAR was treated as a separate dataset and had all geometry within each dataset flattened. Where there were areas of overlap, the overlap was dissolved into the largest polygon. Note that this spatial layer still contains overlapping features between datasets i.e. Aotea, 2005 and Aotea 2012. |
N |
N |
| WRAPS_YEAR |
|
|
N |
N |
| ESTUARINE_VEG_TYPE |
|
|
N |
N |
| ESTUARINE_VEG_SUMMARY |
|
|
N |
N |
| GEOMETRY |
|
|
N |
N |
| ID |
|
|
N |
N |
|
BIODIVERSITY.sdeadmin.ESTUARINE_VEG_2002
| |
| File Identifier: |
A8D4CE36-1885-491F-B6A4-B56FCFAEDB4B |
Parent Identifier: |
79DD7532-AB26-4033-9095-2B1CA0662F99 |
|---|
| Hierarchy Level: |
feature |
Hierarchy Level Name: | feature of Estuarine Vegetation and Harbours - GIS Layer |
|---|
| Abstract: |
Estuarine vegetation by WRAPS Aerial Photography year |
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| Statement: |
For estuarine vegetation attributes cover location, area (ha), vegetation type, aerial photo year, ground truth year, orthorectified status, historical id and reprojection errors.
The baseline inventory of estuarine vegetation identified the following broad vegetation types in Waikato region estuaries. Survey dates spreadsheet https://discover.wairc.govt.nz/otcs/llisapi.dll/link/11997592 |
|---|
| Other Information: |
The baseline inventory of estuarine vegetation identified the following broad vegetation types in Waikato Region estuaries:
Mangrove communities (Avicennia marina subsp. australasica).
Seagrass communities (Zostera capricorni).
Saltmarsh communities. Within the broad saltmarsh community three sub-communities were identified:
The ‘Rushland community’ (mid-high tide level) has generally monospecific stands of mainly Apodasmia similis (oioi, golden jointed rush), Juncus kraussii var. australiensis (sea rush), but also includes Schoenoplectus pungens (three square).
The ‘Salt Meadow community’ (above mid-high tide level) dominated by the prostrate mat-forming plants (including Samolus repens [sea primrose], Selliera radicans [remuremu], Sarcocornia quinqueflora [glasswort]. Patches or narrow bands of these species can be found scattered throughout the saltmarsh zone, but are more often found along the inland edge of the ‘rush/sedge community’. Also found associated with these three main species, is the Austrostipa stipoides [buggar grass] on coarse or rocky outcrops; and in more brackish areas: Cotula coronopifolia [bachelor’s button], Eleocharis acuta [sharp spike-sedge, Isolepis cernua [slender clubrush] and Triglochin striata [arrow-grass].
The ‘Saltmarsh Ribbonwood community’ (high tide level) is dominated by saltmarsh ribbonwood but also can include scattered sea meadow and rushland. Invasive exotic plant communities (weed) communities (e.g., Paspalum vaginatum [saltwater paspalum], Spartina sp. [cord grass]).
Where there is more than one dominant plant species in an area, a ‘mixed’ vegetation type is recorded, With the tallest species listed first.
Estimations are made of the historical extent of wetlands around the estuaries. This is based on a visual assessment only (no review of historical aerial photographs).
Coromandel Estuaries: Manaia, Te Kouma, Coromandel, Colville, Waikawau, Kennedy Bay, Whangapoua, Otama, Whitianga, Purangi (Cooks Bay), Tairua, Wharekawa, Whangamata, Otahu
Southern Firth of Thames
West Coast Estuaries: Raglan, Kawhia, Port Waikato and Aotea
Digitised Harbour Boundaries
Vegetation Type Habitat Type
Mangrove communities – Avicennia marina subsp. australasica Mangrove
Seagrass communities – Zostera capricorni Seagrass
Saltmarsh communities The rushland community includesApodasmia similis (golden jointed rush) and Juncus kraussii var. australiensis (sea rush) and Schoenoplectus pungens (three square).
The saltmarsh ribbonwood community is dominated by saltmarsh ribbonwood but also can include scattered sea meadow and rushland.
The salt meadow community includes for example, species such as Samolus repens (sea primrose), Selliera radicans (remuremu), Sarcocornia quinqueflora (glasswort), Cotula coronopifolia (Bachelor's button), Eleocharis actuta (sharp spike-sedge), Isolepis cernua (slender clubrush) and Triglochin striata (arrow grass).
Weed communities - for example, Paspalum vaginatum (saltwater paspalum), Spartina sp.(cord grass) Invasive exotic species
The classification of vegetation types broadly follows the proposed national classification system, which is currently being developed under a Ministry for the Environment Sustainable Management Fund project.
Methods for data aquisition in the Coromandel and West Coast (See 1019781)
Early baseline information on estuarine vegetation was derived from interpretation of aerial colour photographs (scale of 1:5,000 or 1:10,000) combined with ground survey. Vegetation boundaries were drawn by a skilled interpreter, on transparent acetate film overlaid over aerial photography maps. These boundary lines were ground surveyed to establish their accuracy. The spatial extent and distribution of estuarine vegetation was documented at the broad assemblage level (e.g., seagrass, mangrove, rushes, rushes/ribbonwood, salt meadow), with ground survey including information at the genus/species level. Traced vegetation boundaries were converted to digital images which were imported into Geomedia GIS software. The mapped vegetation was registered to the New Zealand Map Grid by overlaying the vegetation and harbour boundaries and known points on the map were used to register the images ready for digitising.
Methods for Firth of Thames:
Later estuarine vegetation surveys (2002 onwards) were undertaken using WRAPS aerial photography. The method used to capture the data was, by taking a pocket PC, into the field which had the Wraps imagery loaded onto it. The data was captured by drawing and storing the line work as a feature. The Firth of Thames survey used an IPAQ pocket PC and unfortunately, the colour scheme used in the field for representing the vegetation type, was not able to be extracted by exporting the data. Therefore in this case, the data had to be attributed manually, by comparing data displayed in the On Demand software and the downloaded redlines.
Subsequent surveys used an IPAQ pocket PC loaded with WRAPS imagery. The data was captured by drawing polygons using ESRI ArcPad 7.
Monitoring the spatial extent, distribution and habitat type in estuaries will provide the empirical basis for assessing the state of the Region’s estuaries, and to signal any local-scale (e.g., stock trampling, point-source pollution) or broad-scale pressures (e.g., changes in land-use and catchment management practices).
In June 2014 the estuarine spatial data was put through a cleaning process where each combination of LOCATION and GROUND_TRUTHING_YEAR was treated as a separate dataset and had all geometry within each dataset flattened. Where there were areas of overlap, the overlap was dissolved into the largest polygon. Note that this spatial layer still contains overlapping features between datasets i.e. Aotea, 2005 and Aotea 2012.
Vegetation:
Mangrove communities (Mangrove) - Avicennia marina subsp. australasica
Seagrass communites (seagrass) - Zostera capricorni
Saltmarsh communities (seagrass) - The rushland community includesApodasmia similis (golden jointed rush) and Juncus kraussii var. australiensis (sea rush) and Schoenoplectus pungens (three square). The saltmarsh ribbonwood community is dominated by saltmarsh ribbonwood but also can include scattered sea meadow and rushland. The salt meadow community includes for example, species such as Samolus repens (sea primrose), Selliera radicans (remuremu), Sarcocornia quinqueflora (glasswort), Cotula coronopifolia (Bachelor's button), Eleocharis actuta (sharp spike-sedge), Isolepis cernua (slender clubrush) and Triglochin striata (arrow grass).
Weed communities (invasive exotic species) - for example, Paspalum vaginatum (saltwater paspalum), Spartina sp.(cord grass)
The classification of vegetation types broadly follows the proposed national classification system, which is currently being developed under a Ministry for the Environment Sustainable Management Fund project.
The 1990s Coromandel data was not derived from orthorectified imagery. Without this information it is difficult to provide an indication of the positional accuracy (in terms of metres) of the data, however extreme examples of errors in the positional accuracy of this data are more than +/-100m. The West Coast data will have a positional accuracy similar to the 2002 WRAPS aerials, that being horizontal accuracy of +/- 3.0 metres at 90% confidence. However, other sources of inaccuracies as outlined below may increase the positional error.
All data collected since 2006 is derived from orthorectified imagery.
GIS data, some maps have been produced (GIS Requests 5772, 11496), Reports (available on Waikato Regional Council website). There is also a collection of type specimens, and a large number of site photographs.
The data is stored as GIS layers in Waikato Regional Council’s Oracle database.
The database is regularly updated and maintained as information is gathered through the Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme.
This indicator that uses the data is currently under development. Changes to this indicator are planned in the short and long-term. These will include:
1. Development of a regional 'operational protocol'. This will incorporate 'mapping rules', which will provide a uniform basis for collecting information on habitat extent, distribution and type, from scene to scene and time to time, thereby allowing robust comparison of two or more scenes or times. Protocols for generating, ground survey, classification and controlling the quality of the habitat maps, documenting change in habitat spatial extent and distribution, and the use of historical data, will be produced. An assessment of computer-aided image sampling to map habitat boundaries will also be included.
2. Expansion of regional coverage of estuaries included in the programme. As a minimum this needs to include the Firth of Thames. Sixteen estuarine areas in the region have been included in the scope for the estuarine component of the WRAPS project: the whole of the Firth of Thames, Manaia, Te Kouma, Coromandel, Waikawau, Kennedy Bay, Whangapoua, Whitianga, Tairua, Wharekawa, Whangamata, Otahu, Port Waikato, Raglan, Aotea and Kawhia.
3. Further development of the classification of coastal habitats in the region and improving the quality and quantity of data extracted from the remote sensing imagery (such as quantitative descriptors and photographic keys). This may, for example, include classification according to morphological types as either 'continuous' or 'patchy' (for example, extensive seagrass beds vs fragmented ones, containing numerous open bare patches); identifying important 'thematic cover classes' for each habitat type (for example, dense seagrass = 70-100 per cent cover; medium/dense seagrass = 30-70 per cent cover; sparse seagrass <30 per cent [e.g., Fyfe et al., 1999]); and an evaluation of the potential for relating functional health/condition status (such as biomass and productivity) of habitats to spectral radiances observed through remote sensing.
4. Where available, historical aerial photography at similar scales will be analysed in order to quantify historical changes and trends in habitat spatial extent and distribution.
5. Further Metadata Information
Survey dates spreadsheet https://discover.wairc.govt.nz/otcs/llisapi.dll/link/11997592 |
|---|
| Keywords: |
Aerial photography,Biology,Coastal,Estuaries,WRAPS,Wetland,vegetation |
|---|
| Topic Category: |
biota:flora and/or fauna in natural environment |
|---|
| Resource Reference Date: |
26/08/2016 |
|---|
Metadata Constraints
| Access Constraints: |
copyright |
|---|
| Use Constraints: |
copyright |
|---|
Maintenance Information
| Maintenance frequency: |
asNeeded |
|---|
| Last Load Date: |
30/08/2016 |
|---|
Spatial Representation Information
| Recommended Scale: |
|
|---|
| Reference System: |
EPSG2193 |
|---|
| Spatial Representation Type: |
vector |
|---|
| Vector | Grid | Geographic Bounding Box |
|---|
| GeometricObjectType : |
surface |
|---|
| geometricObjectCount : |
10844 |
|---|
| topologyLevel : |
geometryOnly |
|---|
|
| Number of Dimensions : |
|
|---|
| Cell Geometry : |
|
|---|
| Transformation Param Available : |
N |
|---|
|
| westBoundLongitude : |
1828230.1354 |
|---|
| eastBoundLongitude : |
1752503.4458 |
|---|
| southBoundLatitude : |
5775096.7798 |
|---|
| northBoundLatitude : |
5894765.8878 |
|---|
|
Responsible Parties
| Role: |
|
| Position: |
|
|---|
| Organisation: |
Natural Solutions – Marine & Terrestrial Ecologists Ltd |
|---|
| Delivery Point: |
8b Margaret Rd, Bellevue |
|---|
| City: |
Tauranga |
|---|
| Postal Code: |
3110 |
|---|
| Country: |
New Zealand |
|---|
| Phone: |
07 576 0770 |
|---|
| Fax: |
|
|---|
| Email: |
hamish@ecologist.co.nz |
|---|
|
| Role: |
author |
| Position: |
|
|---|
| Organisation: |
Waikato Regional Council - Science, Policy and Information |
|---|
| Delivery Point: |
160 Ward Street |
|---|
| City: |
Hamilton Central |
|---|
| Postal Code: |
3204 |
|---|
| Country: |
New Zealand |
|---|
| Phone: |
0800 800 401 |
|---|
| Fax: |
07 859 0998 |
|---|
| Email: |
inforeq@waikatoregion.govt.nz |
|---|
|
Data Constraints
| Data Access Constraints : |
copyright |
|---|
| Data Use Constraints: |
copyright |
|---|
| Data Distribution: |
Unrestricted |
|---|
| Licence Type : |
To be determined |
|---|
| Licence: |
|
|---|
| Licence Expiry: |
|
|---|
| Licence Conditions: |
|
|---|
| Copyright : |
© Waikato Regional Council 2016. Estuarine Vegetation and Harbours Data. |
|---|
| Data Disclaimers : |
While Waikato Regional Council has exercised all reasonable skill and care in controlling the contents of this information, Waikato Regional Council accepts no liability in contract, tort or otherwise howsoever, for any loss, damage, injury or expense (whether direct, indirect or consequential) arising out of the provision of this information or its use by you. |
|---|
| Data Use Limits : |
There are a number of limitations associated with monitoring the spatial extent and distribution of coastal habitats using remote sensing technologies and ground survey. These include:
1. The spatial resolution is generally too coarse to discriminate small units of different habitat types. For example, under ideal conditions individual patches of habitat as small as 1 m in diameter are detectable in photography at a scale of 1:24,000, but in practice, minimum habitat sizes recorded are 0.3 ha (Ferguson and Wood, 1990). Estimates of habitat spatial extent therefore tend to be conservative and are not suitable for detecting short-term or small-scale or local changes.
2. The resolution of the imagery is insufficient to discriminate between individual species.
3. The existing baseline information has not been orthorectified. Without this information it is not possible to provide an indication of the locational accuracy (in terms of metres) of the habitat maps. In the future, photographs will be digital orthophotos with a 1 m or less resolution and a spatial accuracy of 3 m at 90% confidence. A digital global positioning satellite system (GPS)-based ground control will be used to allow real-time differential correction techniques for varying photographic scale to be applied.
4. The classification of habitat units, or communities, is potentially a significant source of variation in the mapping process. This is primarily due to the current absence of an acknowledged classification system for coastal ecosystems (this is currently being addressed through a number of MfE Sustainable Management Fund Projects).
5. Baseline information for the Coromandel estuaries was drawn off hard copy aerial photographs, these were not orthorectified. All subsequent processing of the data involved registering the data as opposed to orthorectifying it. This means the data will exhibit distortions present in the initial imagery that was used and may appear locationally different when compared against orthorectified imagery.
6. Further to this the earlier Whangamata, Otahu and Wharekawa estuary data appears to have a displacement error of about 10m-50m somehow as a result of the data being converted from NZMG shapefiles to an NZMG feature class. This displacement also seems to apply to the Harbours_Digitised data set. This still needs to be resolved.
Data aquisition Methods for Coromandel and West Coast (See 1019781)
Early baseline information on estuarine vegetation was derived from interpretation of aerial colour photographs (scale of 1:5,000 or 1:10,000) combined with ground survey. Vegetation boundaries were drawn by a skilled interpreter, on transparent acetate film overlaid over aerial photography maps. These boundary lines were ground surveyed to establish their accuracy. The spatial extent and distribution of estuarine vegetation was documented at the broad assemblage level (e.g., seagrass, mangrove, rushes, rushes/ribbonwood, salt meadow), with ground survey including information at the genus/species level. Traced vegetation boundaries were converted to digital images which were imported into Geomedia GIS software. The mapped vegetation was registered to the New Zealand Map Grid by overlaying the vegetation and harbour boundaries and known points on the map were used to register the images ready for digitising.
Methods for Firth of Thames:
Later estuarine vegetation surveys (2002 onwards) were undertaken using WRAPS aerial photography. The method used to capture the data was, by taking a pocket PC, into the field which had the Wraps imagery loaded onto it. The data was captured by drawing and storing the line work as a feature. The Firth of Thames survey used an IPAQ pocket PC and unfortunately, the colour scheme used in the field for representing the vegetation type, was not able to be extracted by exporting the data. Therefore in this case, the data had to be attributed manually, by comparing data displayed in the On Demand software and the downloaded redlines.
Subsequent surveys used an IPAQ pocket PC loaded with WRAPS imagery. The data was captured by drawing polygons using ESRI ArcPad 7. |
|---|
Download Links
Supporting Information Links
General Notes:
Docs # 670153 Extent Distribution and Type of Coastal Habitats - Specification Sheet
Docs #1059983 Extent of coastal habitats - indicator specification sheet 2006
Attribute Information
| Name | Description | Notes | Restricted | Primary Key |
|---|
| OBJECTID |
|
|
N |
N |
| AREA_HA |
|
|
N |
N |
| LOCATION |
|
In June 2014 the estuarine spatial data was put through a cleaning process where each combination of LOCATION and GROUND_TRUTHING_YEAR was treated as a separate dataset and had all geometry within each dataset flattened. Where there were areas of overlap, the overlap was dissolved into the largest polygon. Note that this spatial layer still contains overlapping features between datasets i.e. Aotea, 2005 and Aotea 2012. |
N |
N |
| WRAPS_YEAR |
|
|
N |
N |
| ESTUARINE_VEG_TYPE |
|
|
N |
N |
| ESTUARINE_VEG_SUMMARY |
|
|
N |
N |
| GEOMETRY |
|
|
N |
N |
| ID |
|
|
N |
N |
|
BIODIVERSITY.sdeadmin.ESTUARINE_VEG_2007
| |
| File Identifier: |
58D7ED77-2A4A-4807-A527-4C45F8CBE940 |
Parent Identifier: |
79DD7532-AB26-4033-9095-2B1CA0662F99 |
|---|
| Hierarchy Level: |
feature |
Hierarchy Level Name: | feature of Estuarine Vegetation and Harbours - GIS Layer |
|---|
| Abstract: |
Estuarine vegetation by WRAPS Aerial Photography year |
|---|
| Statement: |
For estuarine vegetation attributes cover location, area (ha), vegetation type, aerial photo year, ground truth year, orthorectified status, historical id and reprojection errors.
The baseline inventory of estuarine vegetation identified the following broad vegetation types in Waikato region estuaries. Survey dates spreadsheet https://discover.wairc.govt.nz/otcs/llisapi.dll/link/11997592 |
|---|
| Other Information: |
The baseline inventory of estuarine vegetation identified the following broad vegetation types in Waikato Region estuaries:
Mangrove communities (Avicennia marina subsp. australasica).
Seagrass communities (Zostera capricorni).
Saltmarsh communities. Within the broad saltmarsh community three sub-communities were identified:
The ‘Rushland community’ (mid-high tide level) has generally monospecific stands of mainly Apodasmia similis (oioi, golden jointed rush), Juncus kraussii var. australiensis (sea rush), but also includes Schoenoplectus pungens (three square).
The ‘Salt Meadow community’ (above mid-high tide level) dominated by the prostrate mat-forming plants (including Samolus repens [sea primrose], Selliera radicans [remuremu], Sarcocornia quinqueflora [glasswort]. Patches or narrow bands of these species can be found scattered throughout the saltmarsh zone, but are more often found along the inland edge of the ‘rush/sedge community’. Also found associated with these three main species, is the Austrostipa stipoides [buggar grass] on coarse or rocky outcrops; and in more brackish areas: Cotula coronopifolia [bachelor’s button], Eleocharis acuta [sharp spike-sedge, Isolepis cernua [slender clubrush] and Triglochin striata [arrow-grass].
The ‘Saltmarsh Ribbonwood community’ (high tide level) is dominated by saltmarsh ribbonwood but also can include scattered sea meadow and rushland. Invasive exotic plant communities (weed) communities (e.g., Paspalum vaginatum [saltwater paspalum], Spartina sp. [cord grass]).
Where there is more than one dominant plant species in an area, a ‘mixed’ vegetation type is recorded, With the tallest species listed first.
Estimations are made of the historical extent of wetlands around the estuaries. This is based on a visual assessment only (no review of historical aerial photographs).
Coromandel Estuaries: Manaia, Te Kouma, Coromandel, Colville, Waikawau, Kennedy Bay, Whangapoua, Otama, Whitianga, Purangi (Cooks Bay), Tairua, Wharekawa, Whangamata, Otahu
Southern Firth of Thames
West Coast Estuaries: Raglan, Kawhia, Port Waikato and Aotea
Digitised Harbour Boundaries
Vegetation Type Habitat Type
Mangrove communities – Avicennia marina subsp. australasica Mangrove
Seagrass communities – Zostera capricorni Seagrass
Saltmarsh communities The rushland community includesApodasmia similis (golden jointed rush) and Juncus kraussii var. australiensis (sea rush) and Schoenoplectus pungens (three square).
The saltmarsh ribbonwood community is dominated by saltmarsh ribbonwood but also can include scattered sea meadow and rushland.
The salt meadow community includes for example, species such as Samolus repens (sea primrose), Selliera radicans (remuremu), Sarcocornia quinqueflora (glasswort), Cotula coronopifolia (Bachelor's button), Eleocharis actuta (sharp spike-sedge), Isolepis cernua (slender clubrush) and Triglochin striata (arrow grass).
Weed communities - for example, Paspalum vaginatum (saltwater paspalum), Spartina sp.(cord grass) Invasive exotic species
The classification of vegetation types broadly follows the proposed national classification system, which is currently being developed under a Ministry for the Environment Sustainable Management Fund project.
Methods for data aquisition in the Coromandel and West Coast (See 1019781)
Early baseline information on estuarine vegetation was derived from interpretation of aerial colour photographs (scale of 1:5,000 or 1:10,000) combined with ground survey. Vegetation boundaries were drawn by a skilled interpreter, on transparent acetate film overlaid over aerial photography maps. These boundary lines were ground surveyed to establish their accuracy. The spatial extent and distribution of estuarine vegetation was documented at the broad assemblage level (e.g., seagrass, mangrove, rushes, rushes/ribbonwood, salt meadow), with ground survey including information at the genus/species level. Traced vegetation boundaries were converted to digital images which were imported into Geomedia GIS software. The mapped vegetation was registered to the New Zealand Map Grid by overlaying the vegetation and harbour boundaries and known points on the map were used to register the images ready for digitising.
Methods for Firth of Thames:
Later estuarine vegetation surveys (2002 onwards) were undertaken using WRAPS aerial photography. The method used to capture the data was, by taking a pocket PC, into the field which had the Wraps imagery loaded onto it. The data was captured by drawing and storing the line work as a feature. The Firth of Thames survey used an IPAQ pocket PC and unfortunately, the colour scheme used in the field for representing the vegetation type, was not able to be extracted by exporting the data. Therefore in this case, the data had to be attributed manually, by comparing data displayed in the On Demand software and the downloaded redlines.
Subsequent surveys used an IPAQ pocket PC loaded with WRAPS imagery. The data was captured by drawing polygons using ESRI ArcPad 7.
Monitoring the spatial extent, distribution and habitat type in estuaries will provide the empirical basis for assessing the state of the Region’s estuaries, and to signal any local-scale (e.g., stock trampling, point-source pollution) or broad-scale pressures (e.g., changes in land-use and catchment management practices).
In June 2014 the estuarine spatial data was put through a cleaning process where each combination of LOCATION and GROUND_TRUTHING_YEAR was treated as a separate dataset and had all geometry within each dataset flattened. Where there were areas of overlap, the overlap was dissolved into the largest polygon. Note that this spatial layer still contains overlapping features between datasets i.e. Aotea, 2005 and Aotea 2012.
Vegetation:
Mangrove communities (Mangrove) - Avicennia marina subsp. australasica
Seagrass communites (seagrass) - Zostera capricorni
Saltmarsh communities (seagrass) - The rushland community includesApodasmia similis (golden jointed rush) and Juncus kraussii var. australiensis (sea rush) and Schoenoplectus pungens (three square). The saltmarsh ribbonwood community is dominated by saltmarsh ribbonwood but also can include scattered sea meadow and rushland. The salt meadow community includes for example, species such as Samolus repens (sea primrose), Selliera radicans (remuremu), Sarcocornia quinqueflora (glasswort), Cotula coronopifolia (Bachelor's button), Eleocharis actuta (sharp spike-sedge), Isolepis cernua (slender clubrush) and Triglochin striata (arrow grass).
Weed communities (invasive exotic species) - for example, Paspalum vaginatum (saltwater paspalum), Spartina sp.(cord grass)
The classification of vegetation types broadly follows the proposed national classification system, which is currently being developed under a Ministry for the Environment Sustainable Management Fund project.
The 1990s Coromandel data was not derived from orthorectified imagery. Without this information it is difficult to provide an indication of the positional accuracy (in terms of metres) of the data, however extreme examples of errors in the positional accuracy of this data are more than +/-100m. The West Coast data will have a positional accuracy similar to the 2002 WRAPS aerials, that being horizontal accuracy of +/- 3.0 metres at 90% confidence. However, other sources of inaccuracies as outlined below may increase the positional error.
All data collected since 2006 is derived from orthorectified imagery.
GIS data, some maps have been produced (GIS Requests 5772, 11496), Reports (available on Waikato Regional Council website). There is also a collection of type specimens, and a large number of site photographs.
The data is stored as GIS layers in Waikato Regional Council’s Oracle database.
The database is regularly updated and maintained as information is gathered through the Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme.
This indicator that uses the data is currently under development. Changes to this indicator are planned in the short and long-term. These will include:
1. Development of a regional 'operational protocol'. This will incorporate 'mapping rules', which will provide a uniform basis for collecting information on habitat extent, distribution and type, from scene to scene and time to time, thereby allowing robust comparison of two or more scenes or times. Protocols for generating, ground survey, classification and controlling the quality of the habitat maps, documenting change in habitat spatial extent and distribution, and the use of historical data, will be produced. An assessment of computer-aided image sampling to map habitat boundaries will also be included.
2. Expansion of regional coverage of estuaries included in the programme. As a minimum this needs to include the Firth of Thames. Sixteen estuarine areas in the region have been included in the scope for the estuarine component of the WRAPS project: the whole of the Firth of Thames, Manaia, Te Kouma, Coromandel, Waikawau, Kennedy Bay, Whangapoua, Whitianga, Tairua, Wharekawa, Whangamata, Otahu, Port Waikato, Raglan, Aotea and Kawhia.
3. Further development of the classification of coastal habitats in the region and improving the quality and quantity of data extracted from the remote sensing imagery (such as quantitative descriptors and photographic keys). This may, for example, include classification according to morphological types as either 'continuous' or 'patchy' (for example, extensive seagrass beds vs fragmented ones, containing numerous open bare patches); identifying important 'thematic cover classes' for each habitat type (for example, dense seagrass = 70-100 per cent cover; medium/dense seagrass = 30-70 per cent cover; sparse seagrass <30 per cent [e.g., Fyfe et al., 1999]); and an evaluation of the potential for relating functional health/condition status (such as biomass and productivity) of habitats to spectral radiances observed through remote sensing.
4. Where available, historical aerial photography at similar scales will be analysed in order to quantify historical changes and trends in habitat spatial extent and distribution.
5. Further Metadata Information
Survey dates spreadsheet https://discover.wairc.govt.nz/otcs/llisapi.dll/link/11997592 |
|---|
| Keywords: |
Aerial photography,Biology,Coastal,Estuaries,WRAPS,Wetland,vegetation |
|---|
| Topic Category: |
biota:flora and/or fauna in natural environment |
|---|
| Resource Reference Date: |
29/08/2016 |
|---|
Metadata Constraints
| Access Constraints: |
copyright |
|---|
| Use Constraints: |
copyright |
|---|
Maintenance Information
| Maintenance frequency: |
asNeeded |
|---|
| Last Load Date: |
30/08/2016 |
|---|
Spatial Representation Information
| Recommended Scale: |
|
|---|
| Reference System: |
EPSG2193 |
|---|
| Spatial Representation Type: |
vector |
|---|
| Vector | Grid | Geographic Bounding Box |
|---|
| GeometricObjectType : |
surface |
|---|
| geometricObjectCount : |
34033 |
|---|
| topologyLevel : |
geometryOnly |
|---|
|
| Number of Dimensions : |
|
|---|
| Cell Geometry : |
|
|---|
| Transformation Param Available : |
N |
|---|
|
| westBoundLongitude : |
1856381.938 |
|---|
| eastBoundLongitude : |
1752516.8836 |
|---|
| southBoundLatitude : |
5775063.7069 |
|---|
| northBoundLatitude : |
5947899.6533 |
|---|
|
Responsible Parties
| Role: |
author |
| Position: |
|
|---|
| Organisation: |
Waikato Regional Council - Science, Policy and Information |
|---|
| Delivery Point: |
160 Ward Street |
|---|
| City: |
Hamilton Central |
|---|
| Postal Code: |
3204 |
|---|
| Country: |
New Zealand |
|---|
| Phone: |
0800 800 401 |
|---|
| Fax: |
07 859 0998 |
|---|
| Email: |
inforeq@waikatoregion.govt.nz |
|---|
|
| Role: |
|
| Position: |
|
|---|
| Organisation: |
Natural Solutions – Marine & Terrestrial Ecologists Ltd |
|---|
| Delivery Point: |
8b Margaret Rd, Bellevue |
|---|
| City: |
Tauranga |
|---|
| Postal Code: |
3110 |
|---|
| Country: |
New Zealand |
|---|
| Phone: |
07 576 0770 |
|---|
| Fax: |
|
|---|
| Email: |
hamish@ecologist.co.nz |
|---|
|
Data Constraints
| Data Access Constraints : |
copyright |
|---|
| Data Use Constraints: |
copyright |
|---|
| Data Distribution: |
Unrestricted |
|---|
| Licence Type : |
To be determined |
|---|
| Licence: |
|
|---|
| Licence Expiry: |
|
|---|
| Licence Conditions: |
|
|---|
| Copyright : |
© Waikato Regional Council 2016. Estuarine Vegetation and Harbours Data. |
|---|
| Data Disclaimers : |
While Waikato Regional Council has exercised all reasonable skill and care in controlling the contents of this information, Waikato Regional Council accepts no liability in contract, tort or otherwise howsoever, for any loss, damage, injury or expense (whether direct, indirect or consequential) arising out of the provision of this information or its use by you. |
|---|
| Data Use Limits : |
There are a number of limitations associated with monitoring the spatial extent and distribution of coastal habitats using remote sensing technologies and ground survey. These include:
1. The spatial resolution is generally too coarse to discriminate small units of different habitat types. For example, under ideal conditions individual patches of habitat as small as 1 m in diameter are detectable in photography at a scale of 1:24,000, but in practice, minimum habitat sizes recorded are 0.3 ha (Ferguson and Wood, 1990). Estimates of habitat spatial extent therefore tend to be conservative and are not suitable for detecting short-term or small-scale or local changes.
2. The resolution of the imagery is insufficient to discriminate between individual species.
3. The existing baseline information has not been orthorectified. Without this information it is not possible to provide an indication of the locational accuracy (in terms of metres) of the habitat maps. In the future, photographs will be digital orthophotos with a 1 m or less resolution and a spatial accuracy of 3 m at 90% confidence. A digital global positioning satellite system (GPS)-based ground control will be used to allow real-time differential correction techniques for varying photographic scale to be applied.
4. The classification of habitat units, or communities, is potentially a significant source of variation in the mapping process. This is primarily due to the current absence of an acknowledged classification system for coastal ecosystems (this is currently being addressed through a number of MfE Sustainable Management Fund Projects).
5. Baseline information for the Coromandel estuaries was drawn off hard copy aerial photographs, these were not orthorectified. All subsequent processing of the data involved registering the data as opposed to orthorectifying it. This means the data will exhibit distortions present in the initial imagery that was used and may appear locationally different when compared against orthorectified imagery.
6. Further to this the earlier Whangamata, Otahu and Wharekawa estuary data appears to have a displacement error of about 10m-50m somehow as a result of the data being converted from NZMG shapefiles to an NZMG feature class. This displacement also seems to apply to the Harbours_Digitised data set. This still needs to be resolved.
Data aquisition Methods for Coromandel and West Coast (See 1019781)
Early baseline information on estuarine vegetation was derived from interpretation of aerial colour photographs (scale of 1:5,000 or 1:10,000) combined with ground survey. Vegetation boundaries were drawn by a skilled interpreter, on transparent acetate film overlaid over aerial photography maps. These boundary lines were ground surveyed to establish their accuracy. The spatial extent and distribution of estuarine vegetation was documented at the broad assemblage level (e.g., seagrass, mangrove, rushes, rushes/ribbonwood, salt meadow), with ground survey including information at the genus/species level. Traced vegetation boundaries were converted to digital images which were imported into Geomedia GIS software. The mapped vegetation was registered to the New Zealand Map Grid by overlaying the vegetation and harbour boundaries and known points on the map were used to register the images ready for digitising.
Methods for Firth of Thames:
Later estuarine vegetation surveys (2002 onwards) were undertaken using WRAPS aerial photography. The method used to capture the data was, by taking a pocket PC, into the field which had the Wraps imagery loaded onto it. The data was captured by drawing and storing the line work as a feature. The Firth of Thames survey used an IPAQ pocket PC and unfortunately, the colour scheme used in the field for representing the vegetation type, was not able to be extracted by exporting the data. Therefore in this case, the data had to be attributed manually, by comparing data displayed in the On Demand software and the downloaded redlines.
Subsequent surveys used an IPAQ pocket PC loaded with WRAPS imagery. The data was captured by drawing polygons using ESRI ArcPad 7. |
|---|
Download Links
Supporting Information Links
General Notes:
Docs # 670153 Extent Distribution and Type of Coastal Habitats - Specification Sheet
Docs #1059983 Extent of coastal habitats - indicator specification sheet 2006
Attribute Information
| Name | Description | Notes | Restricted | Primary Key |
|---|
| OBJECTID |
|
|
N |
N |
| AREA_HA |
|
|
N |
N |
| LOCATION |
|
In June 2014 the estuarine spatial data was put through a cleaning process where each combination of LOCATION and GROUND_TRUTHING_YEAR was treated as a separate dataset and had all geometry within each dataset flattened. Where there were areas of overlap, the overlap was dissolved into the largest polygon. Note that this spatial layer still contains overlapping features between datasets i.e. Aotea, 2005 and Aotea 2012. |
N |
N |
| WRAPS_YEAR |
|
|
N |
N |
| ESTUARINE_VEG_TYPE |
|
|
N |
N |
| ESTUARINE_VEG_SUMMARY |
|
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| GEOMETRY |
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N |
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| ID |
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SCIENCE.sdeadmin.HARBOURS
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| File Identifier: |
D95BE6EA-F331-4934-BF5C-E6C7AB76DBF0 |
Parent Identifier: |
21A8CC99-A070-4596-93AE-6E7C70EA6C12 |
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| Hierarchy Level: |
feature |
Hierarchy Level Name: | feature of Estuarine Vegetation and Harbours - GIS Layer |
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| Abstract: |
Outline of harbours with the Waikato Region. |
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| Statement: |
Harbours have been digitised from aerial photography at a scale of less than 1:5,000, and boundaries have been extended inland depending on the estuarine vegetation data. |
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| Other Information: |
The 1990s Coromandel data was not derived from orthorectified imagery. Without this information it is difficult to provide an indication of the positional accuracy (in terms of metres) of the data, however extreme examples of errors in the positional accuracy of this data are more than +/-100m. The West Coast data will have a positional accuracy similar to the 2002 WRAPS aerials, that being horizontal accuracy of +/- 3.0 metres at 90% confidence. However, other sources of inaccuracies as outlined below may increase the positional error.
All data collected since 2006 is derived from orthorectified imagery.
Methods for data acquisition in the Coromandel and West Coast (See 1019781)
Early baseline information on estuarine vegetation was derived from interpretation of aerial colour photographs (scale of 1:5,000 or 1:10,000) combined with ground survey. Vegetation boundaries were drawn by a skilled interpreter, on transparent acetate film overlaid over aerial photography maps. These boundary lines were ground surveyed to establish their accuracy. The spatial extent and distribution of estuarine vegetation was documented at the broad assemblage level (e.g., seagrass, mangrove, rushes, rushes/ribbonwood, salt meadow), with ground survey including information at the genus/species level. Traced vegetation boundaries were converted to digital images which were imported into Geomedia GIS software. The mapped vegetation was registered to the New Zealand Map Grid by overlaying the vegetation and harbour boundaries and known points on the map were used to register the images ready for digitising.
Methods for Firth of Thames:
Later estuarine vegetation surveys (2002 onwards) were undertaken using WRAPS aerial photography. The method used to capture the data was, by taking a pocket PC, into the field which had the Wraps imagery loaded onto it. The data was captured by drawing and storing the line work as a feature. The Firth of Thames survey used an IPAQ pocket PC and unfortunately, the colour scheme used in the field for representing the vegetation type, was not able to be extracted by exporting the data. Therefore in this case, the data had to be attributed manually, by comparing data displayed in the On Demand software and the downloaded redlines.
Subsequent surveys used an IPAQ pocket PC loaded with WRAPS imagery. The data was captured by drawing polygons using ESRI ArcPad 7.
GIS data, some maps have been produced (GIS Requests 5772, 11496), Reports (available on Waikato Regional Council website). There is also a collection of type specimens, and a large number of site photographs.
The data is stored as GIS layers in Waikato Regional Council’s Oracle database.
The database is regularly updated and maintained as information is gathered through the Regional Estuary Monitoring Programme.
This indicator that uses the data is currently under development. Changes to this indicator are planned in the short and long-term. These will include:
1. Development of a regional 'operational protocol'. This will incorporate 'mapping rules', which will provide a uniform basis for collecting information on habitat extent, distribution and type, from scene to scene and time to time, thereby allowing robust comparison of two or more scenes or times. Protocols for generating, ground survey, classification and controlling the quality of the habitat maps, documenting change in habitat spatial extent and distribution, and the use of historical data, will be produced. An assessment of computer-aided image sampling to map habitat boundaries will also be included.
2. Expansion of regional coverage of estuaries included in the programme. As a minimum this needs to include the Firth of Thames. Sixteen estuarine areas in the region have been included in the scope for the estuarine component of the WRAPS project: the whole of the Firth of Thames, Manaia, Te Kouma, Coromandel, Waikawau, Kennedy Bay, Whangapoua, Whitianga, Tairua, Wharekawa, Whangamata, Otahu, Port Waikato, Raglan, Aotea and Kawhia.
3. Further development of the classification of coastal habitats in the region and improving the quality and quantity of data extracted from the remote sensing imagery (such as quantitative descriptors and photographic keys). This may, for example, include classification according to morphological types as either 'continuous' or 'patchy' (for example, extensive seagrass beds vs fragmented ones, containing numerous open bare patches); identifying important 'thematic cover classes' for each habitat type (for example, dense seagrass = 70-100 per cent cover; medium/dense seagrass = 30-70 per cent cover; sparse seagrass <30 per cent [e.g., Fyfe et al., 1999]); and an evaluation of the potential for relating functional health/condition status (such as biomass and productivity) of habitats to spectral radiances observed through remote sensing.
4. Where available, historical aerial photography at similar scales will be analysed in order to quantify historical changes and trends in habitat spatial extent and distribution.
There are a number of limitations associated with monitoring the spatial extent and distribution of coastal habitats using remote sensing technologies and ground survey. These include:
1. The spatial resolution is generally too coarse to discriminate small units of different habitat types. For example, under ideal conditions individual patches of habitat as small as 1 m in diameter are detectable in photography at a scale of 1:24,000, but in practice, minimum habitat sizes recorded are 0.3 ha (Ferguson and Wood, 1990). Estimates of habitat spatial extent therefore tend to be conservative and are not suitable for detecting short-term or small-scale or local changes.
2. The resolution of the imagery is insufficient to discriminate between individual species.
3. The existing baseline information has not been orthorectified. Without this information it is not possible to provide an indication of the locational accuracy (in terms of metres) of the habitat maps. In the future, photographs will be digital orthophotos with a 1 m or less resolution and a spatial accuracy of 3 m at 90% confidence. A digital global positioning satellite system (GPS)-based ground control will be used to allow real-time differential correction techniques for varying photographic scale to be applied.
4. The classification of habitat units, or communities, is potentially a significant source of variation in the mapping process. This is primarily due to the current absence of an acknowledged classification system for coastal ecosystems (this is currently being addressed through a number of MfE Sustainable Management Fund Projects).
5. Baseline information for the Coromandel estuaries was drawn off hard copy aerial photographs, these were not orthorectified. All subsequent processing of the data involved registering the data as opposed to orthorectifying it. This means the data will exhibit distortions present in the initial imagery that was used and may appear locationally different when compared against orthorectified imagery.
6. Further to this the earlier Whangamata, Otahu and Wharekawa estuary data appears to have a displacement error of about 10m-50m somehow as a result of the data being converted from NZMG shapefiles to an NZMG feature class. This displacement also seems to apply to the Harbours_Digitised data set. This still needs to be resolved.
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| Keywords: |
Biology,Coastal,Estuaries,Wetland,vegetation |
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| Topic Category: |
biota:flora and/or fauna in natural environment |
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| Resource Reference Date: |
17/04/2012 |
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Metadata Constraints
| Access Constraints: |
copyright |
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| Use Constraints: |
copyright |
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Maintenance Information
| Maintenance frequency: |
asNeeded |
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| Last Load Date: |
17/04/2012 |
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Spatial Representation Information
| Recommended Scale: |
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| Reference System: |
EPSG2193 |
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| Spatial Representation Type: |
vector |
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| Vector | Grid | Geographic Bounding Box |
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| GeometricObjectType : |
surface |
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| geometricObjectCount : |
12 |
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| topologyLevel : |
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| Number of Dimensions : |
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| Cell Geometry : |
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| Transformation Param Available : |
N |
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| westBoundLongitude : |
1856766.6319 |
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| eastBoundLongitude : |
1750965.2124 |
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| southBoundLatitude : |
5775020.2812 |
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| northBoundLatitude : |
5929931.1723 |
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Responsible Parties
| Role: |
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| Position: |
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| Organisation: |
Waikato Regional Council |
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| Delivery Point: |
160 Ward Street |
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| City: |
Hamilton Central |
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| Postal Code: |
3204 |
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| Country: |
New Zealand |
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| Phone: |
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| Fax: |
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| Email: |
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| Role: |
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| Position: |
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| Organisation: |
Natural Solutions – Marine & Terrestrial Ecologists Ltd |
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| Delivery Point: |
8b Margaret Rd, Bellevue |
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| City: |
Tauranga |
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| Postal Code: |
3110 |
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| Country: |
New Zealand |
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| Phone: |
07 576 0770 |
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| Fax: |
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| Email: |
hamish@ecologist.co.nz |
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Data Constraints
| Data Access Constraints : |
copyright |
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| Data Use Constraints: |
copyright |
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| Data Distribution: |
Unrestricted |
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| Licence Type : |
To be determined |
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| Licence: |
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| Licence Expiry: |
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| Licence Conditions: |
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| Copyright : |
© Waikato Regional Council 2016. Estuarine Vegetation and Harbours Data. |
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| Data Disclaimers : |
While Waikato Regional Council has exercised all reasonable skill and care in controlling the contents of this information, Waikato Regional Council accepts no liability in contract, tort or otherwise howsoever, for any loss, damage, injury or expense (whether direct, indirect or consequential) arising out of the provision of this information or its use by you. |
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| Data Use Limits : |
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Download Links
Supporting Information Links
General Notes:
Docs # 670153 Extent Distribution and Type of Coastal Habitats – Specification Sheet
Docs #1059983 Extent of coastal habitats – indicator specification sheet 2006
Ground Truthing:
Meg Graeme
NATURAL SOLUTIONS
RD2 COROMANDEL
Tel: (07) 866 0770
Email: natural.solutions@wave.co.nz
Ministry for the Environment – Coastal Marine Environment - http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/water/marine-coastal.html
WRC Environmental Indicator - http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/Environment/Environmental-information/Environmental-indicators/Coasts/Natural-character-and-biodiversity/co2-report/
Attribute Information
| Name | Description | Notes | Restricted | Primary Key |
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| GEOMETRY |
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N |
N |
| LOCATION |
Name of harbour |
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N |
N |
| DIGITISER |
Name of individual who digitised harbour |
|
Y |
N |
| AREA_HA |
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|
N |
N |
| ORTHORECTIFIED_DATA |
Option of: Yes or No |
|
N |
N |
| REPROJECTION_ERROR |
Option of: Yes or No |
|
N |
N |
| ID |
Unique Identifier |
|
N |
Y |
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