Appendix C Appendix C Ecological Significance Criteria The following provides explanations or guidelines for the application of ecological significance criteria in the assessment of sites. Rankings within each criterion are: H = High; M = Medium; L = Low. They collectively contribute to an overall ranking, indicating the degree of significance. For a site to be considered significant, one of the first four criteria (representativeness, rarity, diversity and pattern or distinctiveness/ special ecological characteristics) must rank M or H. Representativeness The site is significant if it contains a good example of one of the characteristic ecosystem types in the region or ecological district. H: The site contains one of the best examples of the characteristic ecosystem types in the region or ecological district. M: The site contains one of the better examples, but not the best, of the characteristic ecosystem types in the region or ecological district. L: The site contains an example, but not one of the better or best, of the characteristic ecosystem types in the region or ecological district. Rarity The site is significant if it contains flora or fauna listed as nationally threatened; or the site contains flora or fauna of note in the region or ecological district because of scarcity, local endemism or extreme/ anomalous geographic distribution; or the site contains plant or animal communities that are rare nationally, regionally or in the ecological district. H: The site contains nationally threatened or rare flora, fauna or communities; or the site contains several examples of regionally or locally threatened or rare flora, fauna or communities. M: The site contains one or a few regionally or locally (but not nationally) threatened or rare flora, fauna or communities. L: The site contains no flora, fauna or communities threatened or rare in the ecological district, regionally or nationally. Diversity and pattern The site is significant if it contains a range of species and ecosystem types that is notable for its complexity nationally, in the region or in the ecological district. H: The site contains an unusually high diversity of species and ecosystem types. M: The site contains a moderate diversity of species and ecosystem types. L: The site contains a relatively low diversity of species and ecosystem types. App C - 1