This guide will help you understand how to view and interpret the range of datasets available in the Strategic Management Prospects (SMP) tool in NatureKit, and how you can use SMP to inform management decisions.

SMP in NatureKit

Please note: NatureKit is not optimised for use on mobile devices. For best results, use a desktop or laptop device.

Getting started

SMP in NatureKit is a spatially explicit decision support tool that shows which landscape-scale actions are likely to provide the most cost-effective benefit to the most species, across Victoria.

Benefit-Cost of actions

The Benefit-Cost layers shows where each management action is likely to provide the most cost-effective benefit for the most species.

Use this layer for each specific threat of interest, to see where taking action to address each threat is likely to provide the most cost-effective benefit to biodiversity, relative to all other locations where the threat is present.

Threats, Benefits, and Costs of actions

The Threat layers show where threats to biodiversity are most likely to be present. The Benefit layers show where actions are likely to result in the greatest gains for biodiversity, and the Cost layers show what actions might cost in different locations.

Use the Threat layers to see the likely presence of each specific threat across Victoria. Use the Benefit layers to see the likely benefit of addressing each specific threat, exclusive of cost. Use the Cost layers to see the indicative cost of addressing each specific threat, exclusive of benefit.

Summary Areas

SMP in NatureKit contains over 1,000 Summary Areas. These are convenient units to help understand some of the results and patterns in the vast SMP datasets.

Each Summary Area contains a table of ranked actions, and a report that summarises biodiversity values, likely species presence, threats to biodiversity, and the benefits and cost-effectiveness of management actions within that area. Use this layer to explore a location of interest in more detail.

Further reading

Understanding SMP Bar Plots (PDF, 394.1 KB)
Understanding SMP Bar Plots (DOCX, 353.1 KB)

Understanding SMP Total Benefits Tables (PDF, 489.6 KB)
Understanding SMP Total Benefits Tables (DOCX, 449.0 KB)

Understanding SMP Scatter Plots (PDF, 398.4 KB)
Understanding SMP Scatter Plots (DOCX, 948.1 KB)

Mean Cost-effectiveness

The Mean Cost-effectiveness layer is a summary layer which shows the average cost-effectiveness of all modelled actions in a location.

Look at the Benefit-Cost layers of individual actions to determine which actions are driving high values in the Mean Cost-effectiveness layer.

Biodiversity 2037 Priority Areas

The Biodiversity 2037 Priority Area layers show the high-ranking locations across the state where actions will count towards four of the Contributing Targets of Biodiversity 2037, Victoria’s 20-year plan to stop biodiversity decline.

Using SMP with a landscape, place, threat/action or species focus

Landscape

SMP can help you compare project options at a landscape-scale, such as a regional catchment, Local Government Area, National Park, Landcare network, or a SMP Summary Area.

How:

  1. Open SMP in NatureKit and navigate to your landscape of interest.
  2. Explore the Threat layers to see where threats are present, and the Benefit and Benefit-Cost layers to see where threats are present and to see where individual actions are likely to provide the most benefit for the most species.
  3. To explore an area in the landscape in more detail, toggle to the Summary Area layer, select a Summary Area of interest and download the actions tables and reports.

Note: You can also explore the Mean Cost-effectiveness layer to see at a glance the average cost-effectiveness of all applicable actions in a location.

Place

SMP can help you choose actions to help the most species in a location of interest.

How:

  1. Open SMP in NatureKit and navigate to your location of interest.
  2. Explore the Benefit-Cost layers of individual actions to see which are likely to provide the most cost-effective benefit for the most species in this location, or explore the Benefit layers to see the likely benefits of actions without SMP’s cost estimates.
  3. View the Summary Area layer and select the Summary Area/s that best align with your location of interest – note there may be several.
  4. Download the Summary Area actions tables and reports to see the biodiversity priorities for that area and the surrounding area.
Threat or action

SMP can show you where a management program targeting a particular threat can make the most difference to the most species.

How:

  1. Open SMP in NatureKit and select the Benefit-Cost layer for the threat management or action of interest (e.g. fox control).
  2. Explore the Benefit-Cost layer to see where the action is likely to be most cost-effective for the most species with sensitivity to that threat (e.g. foxes), in comparison with other locations across Victoria.
Species

SMP can show where landscape-scale actions will make the most difference for a threatened species of interest.

How:

  1. Open NatureKit and click the ‘Habitat Maps’ tab to access the library of Habitat Distribution Models (HDMs) for threatened species. Click ‘Add Models/Maps’, search for the species of interest and add the HDM to your NatureKit view.
  2. Turn on the SMP by Summary Areas layer and observe how these align with your species’ HDM.
  3. Select a Summary Area containing the species habitat and open the Summary Area report for this area. In the report, scroll down to the Individual Species Benefits table. Search for the species of interest to see which actions provide the highest degree of benefit. This table, filtered to your search result, can be exported and saved as a CSV file.
  4. You may need to repeat this step for each Summary Area containing modelled habitat for your species.

Please note: SMP shows where and how the greatest benefit can be achieved for the greatest number of species overall. Other tools and resources can help inform decisions for individual species, such as a Specific Needs Assessment, and Action Statements for FFG listed species.

Contact us

For help or further information get in touch at nature.print@delwp.vic.gov.au.

Page last updated: 24/05/23