Glossary
‘ ABCD ’ management practices : ABCD management practice frameworks were first developed in 2008 to represent different levels or standards of management practice within different industries for different water quality parameters ( i . e . sediment , nutrients and chemicals ). The terminology commonly used to describe the management practices in the ( see below ). In this framework A = innovative practices ; B = best management practice ; C = minimum standard practices ; D = superseded practices . The 2013 Paddock to Reef program Water Quality Risk Frameworks ( see below ) replace the ABCD frameworks with an equivalent risk to water quality : A = Lowest risk ; B = Moderate-Low risk ; C = Moderate risk ; D = High risk .
APSIM : The Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator ( APSIM ) model is an advanced simulation crop model that contains a suite of modules which enable the simulation of plant , animal , soil , climate and management interactions . It is used for modelling the efficacy of management practices in sugarcane in the Paddock to Reef program .
Basin : There are 35 basins that drain into the Great Barrier Reef . A basin can be made up of a single or multiple river catchments ( e . g . North and South Johnstone river catchments belong to one basin , the Johnstone Basin ). Basins are primarily used here when discussing the relative delivery of a pollutant to the marine system .
Best Management Practice ( BMP ): Best management practices articulate a reasonable best practice level which can be expected to result in a moderate-low water quality risk .
Catchment : The natural drainage area upstream of a point that is generally on the coast . It generally refers to the ‘ hydrological ’ boundary . There may be multiple catchments in a basin . Great Barrier Reef catchments are any terrestrial areas that drain into the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area . Coastal ecosystems : Coastal freshwater wetlands and estuarine systems connect the land and sea and have the potential to influence the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef . This includes the Great Barrier Reef catchment and 10 per cent of the marine waters seawards of the coastline ( GBRMPA , 2012 ).
EMC : The Event Mean Concentration is the pollutant concentration derived when dividing total pollutant load by total flow .
eReefs : The eReefs research project is a collaboration between the Great Barrier Reef Foundation , CSIRO , the Australian Institute of Marine Science , Bureau of Meteorology , and Queensland Government . The eReefs system models a wide range of marine variables covering physical properties ( temperature , current , light penetration ) as well as biogeochemical parameters ( such as the concentration of nutrients , sediments , plankton and chlorophyll-a ). Three-dimensional model outputs are generated for the entire Great Barrier Reef lagoon ( from South East Queensland to Torres Strait ) at various resolutions ( 1km and 4km ) on a daily basis . It provides information on physical processes , sediment transport , biogeochemistry and ocean colour .
GRASP : The GRASs Production model ( GRASP ) is used to derive changes in ground cover ( C-factor ) to represent reductions in loads for different grazing management practices in the RUSLE model ( see below ).
HowLeaky : HowLeaky is water balance and water quality simulation software environment incorporating the PERFECT water balance model , developed to assess the impacts of different land uses , soil types , management practices and climates on hydrology and water quality .
Human Dimensions : In the sense that human behaviour will impact on water quality outcomes , human dimensions include social , cultural , institutional and economic factors : from the aspirations and capacities of landholders , industries and communities , to their stewardship practices , and broader governance of the Reef .
P2R Projector : The Paddock to Reef Project Selector (‘ P2R Projector Tool ’) is an online application based on Paddock to Reef program paddock and catchment modelling outputs . It is a spatially and project-specific prioritisation tool created to support groups who are working with farmers on improving their water quality . See Appendix 2 for further detail .
msPAF : The multi-substance Potentially Affected Fraction ( msPAF ) method allows for the estimation of the effect of multiple pollutants on an ecosystem ( originally described by Traas et al ., 2002 ). Species sensitivity distributions form the basis of the method , similar to what is used to generate the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality ( ANZECC and ARMCANZ , 2000 ) for ecosystem
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