The Frequently Asked Questions provide information about the Queensland wetland mapping conducted by the Queensland Wetlands Program and address the relationship between this type of mapping and other wetland mapping in Queensland.
Quick facts
Wetland habitat types
information and attributes are available as part of the data in the Queensland wetland mapping layers.
A series of on-line education modules, including Mapping wetlands in Queensland, has been prepared as a resource for people who want to learn more about wetlands.
Users can download and use the contents of this education module to meet their learning and training needs. This information should be used in conjunction with information found on this website.
This resource outlines the key principles of wetland mapping and should not be used for statutory purpose.
How are wetlands defined?
Due to the way legislation and policy has developed over time Queensland has a number of different wetland definitions. This in turn has led to the development and use of different mapping products.
For more information on wetland definitions go to wetland definition page.
What is the difference between an image, a map and mapping data?
Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, an image, a map and mapping data are not the same thing.
In a geographical information context:
an image is a ‘picture’, generally taken from above, of an area at a given point in time. Examples of images include aerial photographs or SPOT and Landsat satellite images.
a map is a portrayal of an area that is drawn to a selected scale and generally shows one of a limited number of features (for example, wetlands or vegetation). Traditionally maps are produced by interpreting imagery and other information combined with limited ground truthing, and classifying the features into discrete classes. While images can be interesting and useful, it is necessary to interpret imagery to provide the systematic and consistent information contained in a map that is required for natural resource planning and management.
mapping data contains spatial information about the location and extent of mapped features, as well as descriptive attributes associated with those features (for example, wetland system or vegetation type). Mapping data is generally stored on a computer and manipulated using GIS software. GIS software can be used to view mapping data and query the information and attributes contained in the data. Mapping data can be used—either on its own or in combination with other data—to produce maps and statistics.
What kinds of wetland mapping exist for Queensland and how do they relate to each other?
Many different kinds of wetland mapping exist for Queensland. The following table provides information about some of the main wetland mapping products available at a state scale. Note that in addition to those listed there may be other wetland mapping products available for your local area.
Eastern Murray–Darling Basin, Wide Bay–Burnett, Pumicestone Passage Catchment, Mackay–Whitsunday, South East Queensland, and Lake Eyre Basin and surrounding drainage sub-basins
Eastern Murray–Darling Basin, Wide Bay–Burnett, Pumicestone Passage Catchment, Mackay–Whitsunday, South East Queensland, and Lake Eyre Basin and surrounding drainage sub-basins
Eastern Murray–Darling Basin, Wide Bay–Burnett, Pumicestone Passage Catchment, Mackay–Whitsunday, South East Queensland, and Lake Eyre Basin and surrounding drainage sub-basins
Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this product, the Queensland Government and Australian Government make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a consequence of reliance on the product, or as a result of the product being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.
Relative importance/contribution of source datasets to mapping
The wetland mapping combines several information sources to make one map:
topographic streams
water bodies
wetland regional ecosystems
point datasets
The relative contribution of 2 of the ‘source’ datasets (water bodies and regional ecosystems) to the mapping is presented in Table 1. Water body mapping is better at identifying open water bodies with no vegetation while the regional ecosystem mapping is better for identifying vegetated wetlands. Many wetlands were detected in both datasets however the overall extent of wetlands in Queensland required the use of both.
Table 1. Proportional contribution by two source datasets to mapping by wetland system. (Percentage of total area derived from each source)
The Queensland Government encourages the community to suggest new names for geographic features in Queensland that have yet to be officially named.
The place naming process includes consideration of naming issues, provision of recommendations to the relevant Minister under the Place Names Act 1994, publication of notices and maintenance of the gazetteer or register of place names.
General Queensland wetland mapping FAQs
Why was the Queensland wetland mapping produced?
A sound understanding of different wetland types—and where these are located—is fundamental to managing and making decisions about wetlands. Producing comprehensive wetland maps for the whole of Queensland was therefore a key part of the Queensland Wetlands Program.
The Queensland wetland mapping is base mapping. It has no legislative standing in and of itself, however it may be used as an input for other wetland mapping products which may have legislative standing.
The Queensland wetland mapping was produced using existing information including water body mapping derived from Landsat satellite imagery, regional ecosystem mapping and topographic data. The result is a consistent wetland map for the whole of Queensland.
Ancillary data, such as higher resolution imagery (for example SPOT and aerial photographs), other vegetation and wetland mapping, geology, soil and land system mapping was also used in attributing and assessing the derived Queensland Wetlands Program wetland mapping products.
What information does the Queensland wetland mapping contain?
The Queensland wetland mapping contains a number of datasets. They are:
a wetland area data set that is made up of water bodies derived from satellite imagery and wetland regional ecosystems. In addition to areas classified as wetlands this dataset also includes areas that are classified as 1-50% and 51-80% wetland regional ecosystem mosaics (refer to Methodology for Survey and Mapping of Regional Ecosystems and Vegetation Communities in Queensland—Section 3.8.2 for further discussion of mosaic polygons). Floodplains (other than floodplain wetlands) are not included in wetlands mapping.
a streams dataset containing lines that represent the drainage network for Queensland
a point dataset containing the location of water holes and other wetlands too small to map in the area and lines datasets.
Local Hydrology Modifiers incorporate activity category, affected wetland system, and resultant wetland system table below. Local Hydrology Modifiers are applied based on available remote sensing imagery. In many cases, observable structures in remote sensing imagery provide mappable surrogates for these activities. Multiple activities may be occurring in a single wetland area; however, the current method applies one Local Hydrology Modifier representing the most dominant activity. The activity categories ‘Extraction’ and ‘Addition’ are currently below mapping scale and not included in Table 2.
Users can vary the information portrayed in a map produced from the Queensland Wetlands Program wetland mapping data to suit their needs.
The interactive map server WetlandMaps and the Queensland wetland mapping data shows wetland distribution and classification and contains information about all of the wetland attributes listed above, which can be queried and displayed to suit the user.
Does the Queensland wetland mapping contain information about wetland condition?
The Queensland wetland mapping contains local hydrology modifiers are based on a set of defined activities that alter wetland hydrology. They do not define what hydrological change has occurred. There are nine categories of activities identified that alter wetland hydrology (Table 1). These activities can apply at any scale and to any wetland system. They may cause a change in wetland system or the loss of the wetland. For example, partial draining of a lacustrine wetland may cause the wetland system to change to palustrine wetland, while complete draining would cause the loss of the wetland.
Other wetland condition attributes are not described in the mapping. For example, though the Queensland wetland mapping may indicate that a wetland is a particular regional ecosystem which contains species specific to that ecosystem, there may in fact not be many of those species in the wetland due to clearing and/or other disturbances.
What do I do if I think a change should be made to the mapping?
Firstly you will need to check the Queensland Wetland definition and delineation guideline part B which details the information that the Queensland Herbarium would require to review the mapping in an area. After you have collected the relevant information you can email the information to Queensland.Herbarium♲qld.gov.au with attention ‘Wetlands Mapping’ in the subject line.
If the change is part of a development application it should go through the normal application process with the approving agency, who will refer you as the applicant to the delineation guideline. Once the assessing officer has received the information they will usually forward any relevant information on to the Queensland Herbarium.
Changes to wetland mapping are typically publically released as part of periodic map updates, which document ongoing changes to wetland extent, incorporate new data and correct errors identified in the map. The release of updated mapping occurs at approximately four year intervals.
Specific Queensland wetland mapping FAQs
Are floodplains included in the Queensland wetland mapping?
Many areas of floodplains do not remain wet long enough to generate wetland soils or support wetland species and therefore are not wetlands according to the Queensland Wetlands Program wetland definition. Parts of a floodplain may meet the definition of a wetland and are sometimes called floodplain wetlands, these wetlands are assigned a wetland system (e.g. P, L, R, etc). Floodplains themselves, however, are not wetlands per se.
The Interactive FloodCheck map interface shows floodline overlays, historical and detailed data relating to Queensland floods.
Are artificial wetlands included in the Queensland wetland mapping?
Yes. Artificial and modified natural wetlands such as farm dams, ring tanks and canals are included in the Queensland wetland mapping. Not all wetlands are totally natural or totally artificial, some are natural wetlands that have been modified. One of the attributes included in the Queensland wetland mapping is a local hydrological modifier which identifies whether a wetland is natural, modified, or artificial.
Is riparian vegetation included in the riverine wetlands that are mapped?
Riverine systems are often associated with fringing wetland vegetation which by definition is classified as a palustrine wetland system separate to the channel which is classified as a riverine wetland system.
How did you decide where a riverine wetland ends and an estuarine wetland begins?
The primary mechanism used to distinguish between systems influenced by tidal salinity (estuarine and marine) and those not influenced by tidal salinity (riverine, palustrine and lacustrine) is water sampling to determine where salinity drops below 5ppt. However, as the Queensland wetland mapping is compiled remotely using existing data, it is necessary to use mapping surrogates.
How did you decide where an estuarine wetland ends and a marine wetland begins?
The primary mechanism used to determine the boundary between estuarine and marine wetlands is water sampling to determine where salinity drops below 34ppt. Wetland systems where salinity is lower than 34ppt are classified as estuarine, those with salinity higher than 34ppt are classified as marine.
However, given the inherent variability of this characteristic over various temporal and spatial scales and as the Queensland wetland mapping is compiled remotely using existing data, it is necessary to use mapping surrogates.
The current Queensland wetland mapping uses estuarine geomorphic features to approximate the extent of persistent estuarine conditions using a range of remotely sensed Landsat ETM imagery as base data. This approach is similar to that of the OzEstuaries program (for more information, go to the OzCoasts website).
The Queensland Wetlands Program is working toward utilising a range of more sophisticated techniques to better approximate the extent and variability of the boundary between estuarine and marine systems using remotely sensed methods in accordance with the Queensland Wetlands Program wetland definition.
How did you decide where the marine wetlands end?
According to the Queensland Wetlands Program wetland definition marine wetlands extend to a depth of 6m below the Lowest Astronomical Tide. However, a map of the 6m bathymetric (ocean depth contour) does not currently exist for Queensland, therefore the 3 nautical mile limit has been used to draw the edge of the marine wetlands in Queensland waters on the Queensland wetland mapping. If the 6m bathymetric data becomes available in the future the Queensland wetland mapping will be updated.
Specific Queensland wetland mapping geographic information system FAQs
What formats is the Queensland wetland mapping data available in?
The Queensland wetland mapping is available as a geodatabase, shapefile, KML and MapInfo tab from QSpatial.
I am not using an ESRI GIS program. How can I view the Queensland wetland mapping?
If you are not using an ESRI GIS program, you should access the inbuilt or online help file for your program to determine how to import and use ESRI files. Some programs, such as MapInfo, can use shape files directly. For others, such as AutoCAD, you may need to use a utility to import the file. There are also a number of free programs available on the internet (e.g. ArcExplorer which is available from ESRI) that will allow you to perform simple operations such as viewing, navigating and querying shape files.
How is the digital wetland mapping projected?
The geodatabase coordinates are geographic. More specifically, they are geodetic longitude and latitude (Datum: GDA94 Projection: GCS94). The data includes wetland area and habitat area fields which provide the wetland and habitat areas in hectares for analysis; however, if you would like to measure distances in metres you will need to project the data to an appropriate coordinate system.
How can I extend my use of the Queensland wetland mapping data?
The Queensland wetland mapping can be imported into other GIS analyses as needed by the user. Any GIS program that is capable of importing shape files is capable of using the Queensland wetland mapping data. It must be noted that the disclaimers on the metadata should be maintained on all products produced. Data should be used appropriately and at the recommended scale.
Department of Environment and Science, Queensland (2019) Queensland wetland mapping FAQs, WetlandInfo website, accessed 1 February 2021. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/wetland-background/faq/
— Department of Environment and Science