About BioNet Vegetation Classification

The BioNet Vegetation Classification application also contains the NSW landscapes data collection.

Plant Community Types (PCTs) are the master community-level typology used in NSW planning and assessment tools and vegetation mapping and management programs. The PCT classification is maintained in the BioNet Vegetation Classification application. This includes PCT descriptions, relationships to higher levels in the NSW vegetation classification hierarchy, associations with threatened biodiversity, vegetation condition benchmarks and estimates of PCT clearing loss.

PCTs are mapped in the State Vegetation Type Map. For more information about the NSW Plant Community Type classification program, visit NSW plant community type classification.

What data are maintained in BioNet Vegetation Classification?

The application includes these data collections:

• Vegetation Classification, including:
  • PCT Classification
  • PCT % Cleared data
  • PCT-Threatened Ecological Community Associations
  • Vegetation Condition Benchmarks
  • Vegetation Class and Vegetation Formation Classification
• NSW Landscapes.

Access BioNet Vegetation Classification data

There are 2 ways to access vegetation classification and NSW landscapes data. 

Login access and help

Anyone can register online as a public user to search the database for communities and export data.

Register and log in to BioNet Vegetation Classification.

Changes to the data in the database can only be made by registered editor users via the BioNet Vegetation Classification Edit User interface.

Note that your BioNet Vegetation Classification login details are not the same as your BioNet Atlas login details.

Use your email address as your 'Login Id' whenever you log in to BioNet Vegetation Classification.

The reCAPTCHA function does not always appear. Image verification may not be required every time you log in.

If you reset your password using the 'Forgot password' option, you will be sent an email with a temporary system-generated password. The first time you log in using this password, you will need to create your password using the 'Manage Registration' tab. Please pay particular attention to the password requirements.

BioNet web services

Most data included in BioNet Vegetation Classification can be accessed using BioNet web services.

Use the BioNet Vegetation Classification web service to access PCT, Vegetation Class – Vegetation Formation and related data including PCT % cleared values, taxonomic data and vegetation condition benchmarks.

Use the BioNet NSW Landscapes web service to access over-cleared landscapes (Mitchell landscapes) data.

Pre-configured spreadsheets containing refreshable power queries are available for download from the BioNet resources webpage under the Power queries headings.

Access archived datasets

With the commencement of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) on 25 August 2017, the Vegetation Classification and Threatened Species Profiles (TSP) datasets have evolved.

Archived datasets are available. These can be used to look up, for example, BioMetric Vegetation Type ID (BVT ID) and corresponding PCT ID, CMA-related data including BVT % cleared estimates and vegetation condition benchmark data.

User resources

• The BioNet Vegetation Classification User Manual contains step-by-step instructions on how to search, view and export data from the application.
• The BioNet Web Service quick guide explains how to access the BioNet Web Service using Excel and Power Query.
• NSW Plant Community Type classification provides information on the classification program.
• State Vegetation Type Map provides maps of PCT locations.
• BioNet resources contains quick guides, manuals and datasheets for BioNet Atlas and BioNet Vegetation Classification users.