Habitat condition is a scientifically robust, remote-sensing-based index that quantifies how healthy or intact ecosystems are across Australia—strongly grounded in objective modeling and suitable for monitoring across vast and varied landscapes.
CSIRO’s HCAS v3.1 provides habitat condition data at 90 m grid resolution, using Landsat-derived variables averaged over the long term (1988–2022).
Habitat condition is a continuous index from 0.0 to 1.0 representing how closely an area resembles its natural or reference state:
- 0.0 indicates the ecosystem integrity is essentially removed or severely degraded.
- 1.0 indicates the ecosystem is in its reference (intact) condition.
Using the Habitat Condition Assessment System (HCAS):
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This integrates satellite remote sensing, environmental variables, and reference sites considered in excellent condition.
CSIRO Research+1 -
It models what a site should look like if in good health, then compares this to the actual observed signal.
CSIRO Research -
Essentially, habitat condition represents "the capacity of an area to provide the structures and functions necessary for the persistence of all species naturally expected to occur there in an intact state."
Summary Table
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Definition | A score between 0 (degraded) and 1 (reference condition), indicating ecosystem health. |
| Measured via | Comparison of actual satellite observations with modeled reference condition using environmental benchmarks and intact sites. |
| Purpose | To assess the capacity of ecosystems to support native species and functionality. |
| Application | Used in habitat monitoring, conservation prioritisation, ecosystem reporting, and national-scale environmental assessments. |