The predominant compass direction in which a site is sloping downward (see Site Assessment Checklist).

The initial measurement of an area, generally of things that change slowly

A community is any group of organisms living in the same environment and usually composed of a characteristic group of plants and animals. A vegetation community is a description often based on the physical structure (height and canopy cover of the dominants) eg. Open Forest and the association of the main canopy species eg. Angophora costata, Eucalyptus piperita Open Forest. Community is also used in this document to refer to the aggregation of humans - the 'people' community.

A river or stream that has banks (typically of bedrock) that do not move rapidly over time and are unlikely to erode

Any change in an ecosystem. Human disturbance is now the dominant type of disturbance in most ecosystems and is usually more frequent, more severe and often deliberate in its application eg. clearing, frequent burning of large areas.

NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation.

The species having the most influence on community composition and form. The term is also used to refer to the largest and/or the most abundant species in a community. Most sclerophyll vegetation has 2-4 dominants and perhaps 2-5 more occasional main species in the canopy, which can be listed as co-dominants. The term can be used in regard to layers of vegetation, in which case it means the most abundant.

The property of the ecosystem when it is both healthy (that is when it can maintain essential ecological processes such as waste assimilation and micro-climate control) and can support evolutionary and co-evolutionary changes over time (Commonwealth ESD Working Group on Mining).

The regular measurement of an area or quantity/quality over time (generally of things that can change rapidly).

An area of a certain size (generally from 1 to 20 square metres) within which biodiversity is assessed/ monitored.

Able to be completed in a short time (ie a few hours).

The ability of bushland to return to a relatively stable and functioning state following a disturbance

A site may be the local patch of bush at the end of the street of less than a hectare or it may be a subcatchment up to hundreds of hectares.

State of the Environment report. SoE reports are produced by Commonwealth, State and Local Governments. For NSW Local Government, the requirements for SoE are described in the Local Government Act 1993.

Soils are commonly said to be sandy, loamy or clayey. Sandy soils are dominated by sand and fall apart easily and do not have good water retention. Loamy soils are where organic matter makes the soil dark and friable, with good moisture retention. Clayey soils are dominated by clay to such an extent that you can squeeze a 'ribbon' out of the moist soil.

Any person or organisation with an interest in a site, project or issue.

To examine the condition of an area or quality.

A straight line of certain length marked out through bushland, along which biodiversity is assessed or monitored

The structure of the vegetation in terms of layers, heights and spacing between trees.

A form of erosion that can occur on riverbanks which is related to overland drainage down the bank and not to river processes.

The reeds, sedges and rushes which grow in, or just above the water shallows

The portion of land that you choose as the basis for your assessment.

A common form of riverbank erosion. It can be caused by floodwaters saturating the soil then falling quickly and carrying the bank sediments with them, or by undercutting at the base of the bank causing the section of bank above to topple. Slumps are usually semi-circular in shape and can vary from a few metres across up to 30m across.

Refers to anything that is land based.  For example, terrestrial plants are those growing only on land, contrasting with those growing in water (aquatic).

The base of the riverbank or streambank.

A river or stream that flows through soft sediments, capable of being eroded.  Typically these rivers move across a floodplain with time and have a high bank erosion risk.

A process of riverbank erosion whereby the base or 'toe' of the riverbank is 'eaten away' as a result of river flow or wave action. It results in the section of bank above becoming unstable and prone to collapse.

Large areas of houses on blocks smaller than half a hectare, or built industrial areas.

The structure of the vegetation in terms of layers, heights and spacing between trees.