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Describing and classifying a landscape for environmental impact and risk assessment purposes is a non-trivial challenge because this requires region-specific landscape classifications that cater for region-specific impacts. Assessing impacts on ecosystems from the extraction of water resources across large regions requires a causal link between landscape features and their water requirements. We present the rationale and implementation of an ecohydrological classification for regions where coal mine and coal seam gas developments may impact on water. Our classification provides the essential framework for modelling the potential impact of hydrological changes from future coal resource developments at the landscape level. We develop an attribute-based system that provides representations of the ecohydrological entities and their connection to landscape features and make use of existing broad-level classification schemes into an attribute-based system. We incorporate a rule set with prioritisation, which underpins risk modelling and makes the scheme resource efficient, where spatial landscape or ecosystem classification schemes, developed for other purposes, already exist. A consistent rule set and conceptualised landscape processes and functions allow for the combination of diverse data with existing classification schemes. This makes the classification transparent, repeatable and adjustable, should new data become available. We apply the approach in three geographically different regions, with widely disparate information sources, for the classification, and provide a detailed example of its application. We propose that it is widely applicable around the world for linking ecohydrology to environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is progressively redistributing species towards the Earth's poles, indicating widespread potential for ecosystem collapse. Detecting early-warning-signals and enacting adaptation measures is therefore a key imperative for humanity. However, detecting early-warning signals has remained elusive and has focused on exceptionally high-frequency and/ or long-term time-series, which are generally unattainable for most ecosystems that are under-sampled and already impacted by warming. Here, we show that a catastrophic phase-shift in kelp ecosystems, caused by range-extension of an overgrazing sea urchin, also propagates poleward. Critically, we show that incipient spatial-pattern-formations of kelp overgrazing are detectable well-in-advance of collapse along temperate reefs in the ocean warming hotspot of south-eastern Australia. Demonstrating poleward progression of collapse over 15 years, these early-warning 'incipient barrens' are now widespread along 500 km of coast with projections indicating that half of all kelp beds within this range-extension region will collapse by ~2030. Overgrazing was positively associated with deep boulder-reefs, yet negatively associated with predatory lobsters and subordinate abalone competitors, which have both been intensively fished. Climate-driven collapse of ecosystems is occurring; however, by looking equatorward, space-for-time substitutions can enable practical detection of early-warning spatial-pattern-formations, allowing local climate adaptation measures to be enacted in advance. Climate change is redistributing species poleward, threatening widespread socio-ecological disruption as key tipping-points are exceeded. This study examines space-time dynamics of kelp ecosystem collapse over a 15-year period along the warming coastline of eastern Tasmania and shows that an early-warning signal of kelp ecosystem collapse is recognisable well-in-advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]