Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs)

Name of Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC)

EVC number

Description

Plains Grassy Woodland

EVC 55_61

Vegetation: An open, eucalypt woodland with trees to 15 m tall. The understorey is dominated by grasses or grass-like herbs (non-woody plants). Typically only a few sparse shrubs are present.

Soil: Occurs on poorly drained, fertile soils, on flat or gently undulating plains at low elevations.

Rainfall: Occurs in areas receiving approximately 500 – 700 mm annual rainfall.

Higher Rainfall Plains Grassy Woodland

EVC 55_63

Vegetation: An open, eucalypt woodland with up to 15 m tall trees, or an Acacia/Sheoak woodland to 10 m tall. The understorey is a rich diversity of grass and herbaceous species forming the ground layer, with few, sparse shrubs.

Soil: Occurs on poorly drained, fertile soils on flat or gently undulating plains at low elevations.

Rainfall: Occurs in areas receiving more than 700 mm annual rainfall

Heavier-soils Plains Grassland

EVC 132_61

Vegetation: Plants mostly less than 1 m tall including graminoid (grass, sedge, rush or similar) and upright herb (non-woody) life forms. Occasional trees or shrubs are present, but they do not significantly influence this plant community’s nutrient cycling or fire behaviour.

Soil: Occurs on fertile basalt soils prone to cracking in dry periods and being seasonal waterlogged in wet periods.

Rainfall: Occurs in areas receiving at least 500 mm annual rainfall.

Lighter-soils Plains Grassland

EVC 132_62

Vegetation: No trees present. All plants are less than 1 m tall, mainly graminoid (grass, sedge, rush or similar) and herb (non-woody) life forms. May have originally contained scattered woody plants.

Soil: Occurs on freely draining red loamy basalt-derived soils and occasionally on lighter sedimentary soils.

Rainfall: Occurs in areas receiving at least 500 mm annual rainfall.

Low-rainfall Plains Grassland

EVC 132_63

Vegetation: No trees present. Plants mostly less than 1 m tall, mainly graminoid (grass, sedge, rush or similar) and herb (non-woody) life forms.

Soil: Occurs on cracking basalt soils prone to seasonal waterlogging.

Rainfall: Occurs in areas receiving less than 500 mm annual rainfall.

Plains Woodland

EVC 803

Vegetation: Woodland with trees up to 15 m tall. Understorey of grasses or sedges. The large spaces between the tussocks potentially support a range of annual or geophytic (perennial with underground bulb or tuber) herbs adapted to low summer rainfall, with low overall biomass.

Soil: Occurs mostly on low terrain. The soils are fertile, sometimes seasonally waterlogged, mostly silty, loamy or clay topsoils, with heavy subsoils, largely derived from former Quaternary swamp deposits.

Rainfall: Occurs in areas receiving more than 600 mm rainfall per annum.

Creekline Grassy Woodland

EVC 68

Vegetation: Eucalypt-dominated woodland with trees to 15 m tall, with occasional scattered shrubs. The ground-layer is mostly grasses, sedges and herbs. Plants in minor drainage lines can include species tolerant of waterlogged soils. The drainage lines may once have resembled a linear wetland or system of interconnected small ponds.

Soil: Occurs on low-lying ephemeral to intermittent drainage lines, typically on fertile colluvial/alluvial soils on a wide range of fertile substrates.

Rainfall: Average annual rainfall is generally less than 600 mm per annum.

Plains Grassy Wetland

EVC 125

Vegetation: Usually treeless but occasionally with a sparse River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) or Swamp Gum (Eucalyptus ovata). A sparse shrub layer may be present. Grasses, small sedges and herbs characteristically dominate the ground cover. The vegetation is typically species-rich on the outer verges but species-poor in the wetter central areas.

Soil: Heavy clay which holds moisture.

Rainfall: Average annual rainfall is less than 700 mm per annum.

Grassy Woodland

EVC 175

Vegetation: A variable open eucalypt woodland with trees to 15 m tall, or occasionally a Sheoak/Acacia woodland to 10 m tall. The ground layer is a diverse mix of grasses and herbs. Shrubs are usually sparse.

Soil: Occurs on sites with deeper, more friable soils with moderate fertility, on gentle slopes or undulating hills on a range of geologies.

Rainfall: Variable, from 550-700 mm per annum.

Stony Knoll Shrubland

EVC 649

Vegetation: Shrubs to 3 m tall, or low non-eucalypt woodland to 8 m tall. Understorey grassy.

Soil: Occurs on low stony rises on basalt flows. The soils are fertile and well drained but shallow, with outcropping rocks, causing the soils to severely dry out in summer.

Rainfall: Variable.