Riparian Vegetation
Benchmark Value
Scoring Curve
This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.
Evidence & Context
Canopy (> 5 m tall) 0–3. 0 = absent, 1 = 1–30%, 2 = 31–60%, 3 = > 60% cover.
Visual estimation of percentage cover of various vegetation layers (Canopy, Understorey, Ground)
Minimum healthy structural complexity in the canopy layer of riparian vegetation.
Scores the highest (3) on the RARC index, representing healthy structural complexity.
Sources (1)
Development and application of a method for the rapid appraisal of riparian condition - DBCA library, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceSupporting Sources (16)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
(PDF) An index of stream condition: user' manual - ResearchGate, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceA guide to managing livestock grazing in Victoria's wetlands ..., accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceSnowy Monaro Regional Council. (2014). Lake Wallace Offset Management Plan.
View SourceBushfire Biodiversity Response and Recovery Program: Post-fire assessment of Alpine Bogs - Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceClimate Change and Sphagnum Bogs Project Report 2009 - ACT Government, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceEnvironmental Best Practice Guidelines 7. Managing Riparian ..., accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceFire in the bog: responses of peatland vegetation in the Australian Alps to fire - ConnectSci, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceGrass or Trees? Performance of riparian buffers under natural rainfall conditions, Australia, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceISC streamside zone sub-index - Water and catchments, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceKosciuszko offset action plan - alpine sphagnum bogs and ..., accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceSection 10 – Riparian Health Check - Stock And Waterways, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceSoil and vegetation responses to hydrological manipulation in a partially drained polje fen in New Zealand - ResearchGate, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceSphagnum Moss - Sustainable Use and Management, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceSustainable land management practices for graziers - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceBest Management Practices - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed May 10, 2026
View SourceAlpine Bog and Fen (Bog Pool) Communities - Action statement, accessed May 10, 2026
View Source