We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of measurements of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 375 traits across 29230 taxa from field campaigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and individual taxa descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological parameters (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised individual-, species- and genus-level observations coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties. This data descriptor provides information on version 2.1.0 of AusTraits which contains data for 937243 trait-by-taxa combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data to increase our collective understanding of the Australian flora.

We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field campaigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and individual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised individual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge.

The effective management and conservation of coastal wetlands requires an appropriate typology to underpin classification and mapping, adequate inventory information, and a robust assessment of ecological condition and threats. Extensive and floristically diverse coastal wetlands occur along much of the coast of Victoria (south‐eastern Australia), but there are serious deficiencies in all these information requirements. Previously unanalysed data from the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas were used to revise the typology currently applied to coastal saltmarsh in Victoria. To supplement the single unit currently used for State‐endorsed mapping and inventory (EVC 9 Coastal Saltmarsh Aggregate), seven new Ecological Vegetation Classes are proposed to better reflect the floristic and structural diversity of coastal saltmarsh in south‐eastern Australia. Coastal saltmarsh is currently allocated the lowest conservation status (‘least concern’) across much of Victoria, and it is recommended that this be upgraded variously to the higher categories of ‘endangered’, ‘vulnerable’, or ‘rare’. A State‐wide inventory using the new typology, prepared using recently flown, high‐resolution aerial photographs and extensive ground‐truthing (212 person‐days), indicated that there were 19 212 ha of coastal saltmarsh of all types, 5177 ha of mangroves, and 3227 ha of EVC 10 Estuarine Wetland (a wetland type dominated by Juncus kraussii) in Victoria. On‐ground assessments undertaken across 30 geographic sectors of the coast indicated that coastal wetlands were confronted by a wide range of anthropogenic threats, which in many cases were quite different from those outlined in prior reviews of Australian wetland systems. Weed invasions were especially problematic, not so much of the exotic and highly publicized Spartina in the lower levels of tidal wetlands but from a wide range of exotic taxa in more elevated saltmarshes (e.g. tall wheat grass Lophopyrum ponticum). Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

James Fitzsimons was a Senior Project Officer at VEAC and is currently with The Nature Conservancy (Suite 3-04,

Wetlands face an intensifying level of degradation, and management to protect their extent and character is paramount. To support wetland management in south-east Australia, we developed a wetland condition assessment tool for palustrine and lacustrine wetlands. Through extensive consultation with end users during its development, the tool, the Index of Wetland Condition (IWC), considers user needs and skills, as well as attempts to assess the complex nature of wetland systems and their inherent variability, both spatially and temporally. The IWC is structured as a hierarchical index with 13 indicators nested under six characteristics (subindices) that influence wetland function: wetland catchment, physical form, wetland soils, water properties, hydrology and biota. The contribution of each to the overall index (scored along a condition gradient) was estimated from quantitative biological and physicochemical data from 24 wetlands using a fuzzy cognitive map approach. The IWC development framework will be particularly useful in jurisdictions globally where reference condition information is limited or lacking for indicators, or where there are substantial practical constraints that limit the selection of indicators, such as management staff capability or capacity. Uptake of the IWC with wetland practitioners in south-east Australia has been substantial.