IBRA (Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia)
The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) divides the Australian continent into 85 bioregions. 403 sub-regions have now also been defined Australia-wide based on major geomorphic features in each bioregion.
The bioregions and sub-regions are the reporting unit for assessing the status of native ecosystems, their protection in the national reserve system and for use in the monitoring and evaluation framework in the Australian Government's current Natural Resource Management initiatives.
IBRA is a co-operative approach by all nature conservation agencies and continues to be refined as more detailed information on ecosystems or other base layers comes to hand. Parks Australia coordinates the update process, working closely with the jurisdictions to develop revised boundaries where deemed necessary.
IBRA 6.1
IBRA Version 6.1 is the current version and consists of two datasets:
- IBRA bioregions, which is a broad-scale regionalisation; and
- IBRA sub-regions, which are more localised and homogenous geomorphological units in each bioregion.
These datasets are available through the Discover Information Geographically (DIG) website. To search for IBRA 6.1 datasets on the DIG website, simply enter the term "IBRA" as the search title, and then select option 3 - Start Search. Links to the necessary datasets will then be displayed.
Changes from previous versions
IBRA Version 6.1 is the current version and is the result of refinement of the IBRA Version 5.1 boundaries due to better data availability from some states and territories and some alterations by the states/territories along their borders. Jurisdictions to refine their data in IBRA Version 6.1 include New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. There are 60 newly named sub-regions and 5 have been renamed from version 5.1. While there has been a refinement of sub-regional and associated bioregional boundaries in Qld, Vic and western NSW, the new sub-regions are found principally in eastern NSW. In WA changes relate to moving the western boundary of Yalgoo bioregion to the coast by incorporating the northern sub-region of the Geraldton Plains bioregion into Yalgoo.
In IBRA Version 6.1 there are 85 biogeographic regions, as in Version 5.1, with 403 sub-regions now delineated, compared with 354 sub-regions for Version 5.1. Changes in the number of sub-regions relates principally to the delineation of new sub-regions in the bioregions of eastern New South Wales, many of which did not have any sub-regions in Version 5.1.
The following map identifies Australia's 85 bioregions:
Australia's 85 bioregions
Source: Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
The following map shows the 403 sub regions - areas within the bioregions that have common characteristics like similar plants and animals.
Australia's 403 sub regions
Source: Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
Other uses of IBRA
The IBRA sub-regions (where available) have previously been used as the unit of analysis for continent-wide assessments of landscape health and biodiversity by the National Land and Water Resources Audit.
Many continental analyses use the IBRA framework, including the delineation of climatic regions in Australia (Hutchinson...) and the CSIRO review of the impacts of climate change on the national reserve system and CSIRO review of refuges in Australia's arid lands.
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