Wet Tropics vegetation maps online

The Wet Tropics Management Authority launched its interactive vegetation maps at the Cairns Botanic Gardens on Saturday (7 December).

The fifty-five 1:50,000 fine scale maps feature over 250 vegetation types found throughout the Wet Tropics bioregion. For the first time they are available online through a partnership with the e-atlas team.

Wet Tropics Management Authority executive director, Andrew Maclean said the maps are a good time stamp for the Wet Tropics bioregion.

“It has been fifty years since the last vegetation maps were completed. Since the 1960s there have been huge technological advances allowing us to create more detailed maps.”

The Wet Tropics bioregion is a dynamic, landscape with huge biological and botanical values. Mapping in the Wet Tropics is quite challenging due to the area’s rugged topography. These maps are a huge triumph as they combine many human hours in the field and in the Authority’s GIS section.”

“Whether you’re a scientist, ranger, natural resource management planner, land manager or landholder you will be able to access detailed information to your specific needs,” Mr Maclean added.

Learn more about the Wet Tropics Vegetation maps 

Download the media release 

Interesting fact:

Over 90,000 polygons were described as part of the Wet Tropics vegetation mapping process. If the line work was laid end to end they would reach a quarter of the way to the moon!

Published: 11th Dec 2013