CSR_Module5_Green Earth Initiative, Tree Planting Day
Ausplots Training - Session 1
1.
2.
3. Mobile Phone Coverage
Please don't let this interrupt the training
Please set your phone to silent
4. The facilities
Please advise us when you are going anywhere offsite – particularly when at Owen Springs.
The facilities here at the Desert Park and at Owen Springs
5. The Training Team
Ben Sparrow –AusPlots Director
Richard Flitton–AusPlots Field Team –Soils Lead
Emrys J Leitch -AusPlots Field Team –Vegetation lead
Christina Pahl –AusPlots Data Curator
Finn Hutchings –AusPlots Field Officer
Sally O’Neill –AusPlots NERP Fauna Lead
Dominic Wundke –AusPlots NERP Condition Officer.
Andrew Tokmakoff –AusPlots Technical Lead
Assisted by:
Caleb Coish
Nikki Thurgate
The Eco-informatics team
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6. About Our Method
•Practicality/pragmatism has had to prevail
•“It’s not about developing the perfect method, but rather understanding how imperfect the method is.”
•We would prefer to present the formal training (days) regarding the method “as is”.... If you have any ideas or concerns we would be happy to hear/ discuss them each evening
7. Modularity of Method
•The method has been designed in modules
•Ease of use in the field
•For your own purposes (not AusPlots funded) there is the possibility of only including some modules
•For AusPlots and training purposes we will cover all modules
•Extra modules are likely to be developed in the future and will be covered later in the training
8. AusPlots Method
Developed initially for rangelands –Now expanding to other regions.
“It’s not about compatible method, but rather compatible data.”
Eg. Wheelpointv steppointv method as used here
Eg. Canon vsNikon
Let’s work together to ensure data compatibility
9. Structure of each Day
7:00 amBreakfast
7:20 amSummary of day
8:00 amLeave homestead
8:30 amArrive at field sites
10:30 amMorning tea
11:00 am Field Training
12:30 amLunch on Site
1:15 pmField Training
3:00 pmArvo tea
3:30 pmField Training
5:30 pmReturn to Homestead
6:00pmFree time
7:00 pmDinner
8:00 pm +Free time/ informal discussions on method
10. AusPlotsTrainingOverview
Today –5 Theory Sessions
1stsession -Context
2ndsession -Stratification, Data uses, Manual, Permissions
3rdsession -Plot layout, Site info, Point Intercept, Basal Wedge, Structural summary
4thSession -Vouchering, Fauna, Photopoints
5thSession -Soils, LAI, Slats, The App
Two Methods of learning: Two sides to the one coin
Learning about the same method, but learning in different ways –Both ways present issues/ consideration that are not covered by the other way.
11. AusPlotsSurvey Method TrainingSession 1
October 5th–8th–Alice Springs / Owen Springs NT
Ben Sparrow
AusPlots Director
ben.sparrow@adelaide.edu.au: 08 8313 1201
12. Setting the Scene: A series of short presentations to provide context
TERN Overview
Plot Capabilities
Supersites
LTERN
Transect
AusPlots–Forests
AusPlots–Rangelands
Eco-informatics
AusCover, EMAST, Soils, OzFlux, ACEAS, Coast, Comms
14. Australia’s Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network: Supporting Ecosystem Science and Management
By: Professors Stuart Phinn and Andrew Lowe
TERN -Associate Science Directors
+ Prof Tim Clancy, Dr Suzanne Long, Dr Bek Christensen, Dr Siddeswara Guru
+TERN Facility Directors
Robson CkSupersite Sept.2012 –Source S.Long
15. •TERN’s Vision is for an Australian ecosystem science community that has undergone transformational change -from one in which effort is frequently fragmented, duplicative and short-term, to one that is national, networked, and delivering for Australia’s future.
16. • Uses for collaborative research infrastructure, TERN’s approach
Get Data
Do fieldwork
Publish Data
Integration and Synthesis
Modelling
Connect
17. •Australian ecosystems and ecosystem data collection
Sources: NASA, Geosciences Australia, Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO
Land Cover
Elevation
Soils
Mean Annual Run-off
18. •TERN provides “infrastructure” to enable development of a sustainable network of peopleand ecosystem data collection, discoveryand sharingsystems for advancing ecosystem science and management in Australia.
•TERN’s Scope
Instruments
+ Sensors
Policy +
Management
Analysis
+ Synthesis
Modelling
Data
Searching
Data
Sharing
Data Curation
+ Publishing
Data
Storage
Processing
+ Analysis
Collection
Methods
20. Instruments
+ Sensors
Policy +
Management
Analysis
+ Synthesis
Modelling
Data
Searching
Data
Sharing
Data Curation
+ Publishing
Data
Storage
Processing
+ Analysis
Collection
Methods
21. •Ecosystem science research cycle(s)
•
Storage,
preservation and
discoverability
of data
Data analysis,
integration and
synthesis
r
Ecosystem Science
Data + meta-data,
licensing
Research output:
new data and
publications
Enables large scale and coordinated data collection, sharing and multiple re-uses
Enhanced ability to revise, question and expand knowledge
Knowledge gap: research questions
Proposal and planning
Data collection, verification, quality assurance and control
22. •TERN’s impact on research data sharing –helping change
•Facility data storage portals –discipline relevant support
•Data and meta-entry tools and protocols
•Meta-data standards
•TERN Licences and Licensing Framework
•Links to national research data catalogue
•International standard Digital Object
Identifiers (DOI)
•Replicable, extendable and scale-able model for data storage and publishing
23. Current ecosystem science and management challenges
•Lack of accessible mechanisms for inter-linking science and policy at all levels of government?
•Assured funding for pure and applied research –at sufficient levels and on a sustainable basis
•Lack of a defined ecosystem science community and lobby
•Lack of a coordinated, longer term, strategic vision for ecosystem research in Australia
Source: Longstaff, B.J., T.J.B. Carruthers, W.C. Dennison, T.R. Lookingbill, J.M. Hawkey, J.E. Thomas, E.C. Wicks, and J. Woerner(eds)
Integrating and applying science: A handbook for effective coastal ecosystem assessment. IAN Press, Cambridge, Maryland.U.S.A.,
24. Essential Data Collection, Analysis, Modelling and Synthesis
•Establish ecosystem variables collected through TERN
Auscover
Ozflux
LTERN
Coasts
Soils
Supersites Network
25. International Partners
TERN is supported by the Australian Government through
the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy
and the Super Science Initiative
27. Objective
To integrate key established plot networks across Australia to tackle critical questions associated with the impacts of disturbance on Australian ecosystems
28. Design
A sustainable set of long-term data collection procedures and archives from plots across Australian ecosystems measuring selected flora, fauna and biophysical processes
29. Infrastructure
The design of the plots and data collection procedures provides infrastructure to allow the research community to:
Develop a detailed understanding of key ecosystem functions and processes, over decadal periods from plot to landscape scales
Quantify critical relationships between vegetation condition and/or biodiversity and major disturbance regimes such as those associated with fire, logging, livestock grazing, invasive species, extreme weather events, and their interactions with climate change
30. Contributions to TERN’s overall mission to date
Transforming Australian ecosystem science: TERN will provide the infrastructure and networks to underpin a
coordinated, collaborative ecosystem science community that is delivering for Australia’s ecosystem scientists,
managers and decision-makers.
1.The creation of a harmonious and productive network –established culture of trust and reciprocity
33. 4.Data publication
In October 2013 the LTERN Data Portal went live on the National Server Program hosted by NeCTAR.
Software
Hardware
People
Process & Documentation
35. Planned contributions to TERN’s mission in 2014
Priority areas for LTERN are: (1) data collection; (2) data
management and publication; and (3) the synthesis and
communication of knowledge to researchers, policy-makers and
the general public.
•Ongoing publication of data through the LTERN portal
•Design and initiation of the book data publication project
•Delivery of the statistical review of terrestrial plot networks within TERN
•Ecosystem Assessments papers in a special edition of Austral Ecology
•Updated Publications Catalogue
•Lessons and Insights booklet
•Joint group scientific paper –the ‘2050 paper’
•Implementation of the Affiliate Scholar model
•Public version of the conceptual design document
36. Risks and opportunities for the Facility and/or TERN as a whole
RISKS
•Lack of data delivery during EIF undermining refunding potential
•Loss of staff due to burn-out and funding uncertainty
•Continued under-resourcing leading to a destabilisation of current culture
•A non-data collection focussed model resulting in a dismantling of LTERN
•A lack of ‘meeting of the minds’ re data publishing leading to a dismantling of LTERN
•TERN wide:
over selling leading to an inability to deliver
too big and ambitious to be coherent and sustainable.
OPPORTUNITIES
•To protect and nourish what we have created
•To form linkages with other Facilities through ‘proof of concept’ projects – Biomass paper, Google project, and E-Mast collaborations re climate profiles for LTERN sites
•Form tangible international linkages -IUCN RLE process, Bates et al Biodiversity dynamics: meta-analysis
37. Critical next steps
SHORT-TERM Musts
•Deliver on EIF promises
•Provision of Project Data by 30 June (or seek a contract variation)
•2013-2014 Financial Year Update Report due 15 July
•TERN Final EIF Report 30 September 2014
•Deliver statistical review on 1 August 2014
•Negotiate and execute NCRIS contracts
•Stabilise the data portal team
MID-TERM
•Reflect, adapt, and plan
•Bid preparation for NCRIS 15-16 funding
•Publish the Monitoring Insights Booklet
By June 2015
•Deliver on NCRIS promises (i.e. Scope of Works) and then some if time and energy permits….
38. A new approach to intensive ecosystem research: introducing the Australian SuperSite Network
41. SuperSites: a definition
1) An intensive field station in a typical
and important biome
2)Physical instrumentation
3)Scientists and technical support staff
4)Transect or Contrasts (10-400km)
44. SuperSite Questions
How do key ecosystems respond to environmental change?
Science questions to inform large scale environmental management/policy:
Some questions are best answered by using anetwork
•Do contrasting ecosystems differ in their vulnerability to extreme weather events such as droughts and heat-waves?
•Can ‘tipping points’ be identified and do those tipping points differ among contrasting environments?
Science questions to inform local environmental management:
Some questions have specific importance to stakeholders involved in the Supersite
•Forestry management approaches in Tasmania
•Carbon farming strategies in the Northern Territory
•Climate resilient restoration of Western Australian wheat belt
45. A collaborativeNetwork approach
Consistent monitoring protocols -AusCover, AusPlots, Soils, Coastal Facilities
Each SuperSite hosts a flux tower -OzFluxData collated across spatial & temporal scales -used for modelling eMAST
46. TERN consistent data delivery
Data discoverable through the TERN Data Portal and SuperSites portal
47. Alice Mulga SuperSite
"How does climate variability affect vegetation water-use and groundwater recharge in an arid-zone Acacia savanna woodland"
48. Alice Mulga SuperSite
1)Alice Mulga node
2)Tea-Tree node
•OzFluxtowers (2) operational
•AusCover campaign completed
•Hydrology -large number of bores and nested peizometers
•Acoustic recorders
•Sapflowsensors and loggers
•Vegetation monitoring
50. Why transects?
•Environmental gradients
•Climatic, fire, altitude, oceanic, disturbance
•Space as a proxy for time
•Observations
•Translocations
•Flexible methodology
•Core parameters (cfAusPlots)
•Citizen science
51. Major research infrastructure program for Australia
>$55M funding + considerable institution support
University of Queensland, University of Adelaide,
CSIRO, ANU, Macquarie University, JCU +
53. Driving Science Questions
1.How do species abundances, species composition, species richness and ecological function change along large-scale environmental gradients?
2.Is there predictable variation in ecosystem resilience?
3.How might ecosystems respond to climate change?
•What information to land managers need to ensure species have the best opportunity to adapt in a changing environment?
•Where are the important areas for native species (e.g. refugia)?
•What will ecosystems look like in the future?
•Will we see novel ecosystems develop?
54. Australian Transect Network
Spinifex Hummock Grassland
Tropical Savanna
NATT
North Australian Tropical Transect
SWATT
South West Australian Transitional Transect
BATS
Biodiversity and Adaptation Transect Sydney
Acacia Shrubland
TREND
TRansect for ENvironmental monitoring and Decision making
Eucalypt Forest
Subtropical forest
Eucalypt Open Woodland
55. Current Status
•NATT
•9 sites in 6 bioregions
•SWATT
•40 sites in 6 bioregions
•TREND
•35 sites in 3 bioregions
•BATS
•Assessment underway
•More surveys planned
56. Prof Alan Andersen, CSIRO
Subcontinental‐scale transects for assessing and monitoring ecological change in Australia
Northern Australian Tropical Transect (NATT)
57. South West Australian Transitional Transect (SWATT)
Stephen van Leeuwen and Margaret Byrne, WA DPaW
Transect from Walpole to Credo Station to Lorna Glen
•10 sites along the transect
58. Transect for Environmental Monitoring and Decision-making
Legend
Heysen Trail
Mean Annual Maximum Temperature
Annual Rainfall Contours (100 mm)
23 ˚C
24 ˚C
25 ˚C
26 ˚C
27 ˚C
28 ˚C
17 ˚C
18 ˚C
19 ˚C
20 ˚C
21 ˚C
22 ˚C
!( Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites
Vegetation turn-over quantified
Guerin & Lowe EMAS 2012
Guerin et al. 2013
63. What is AusPlots-Forests
•originally conceived to build upon collaboration between the UTasand ABARES
•collated and analysed a large number of existing State based Permanent Forestry Plots.
•The original concept was for Ausplots-Forests to remeasure a subset of this existing plot network (n=200)
64. •the scope and the design of Ausplots-Forests has been flexible.
•not limited to remeasuring the existing permanent plot infrastructure.
•establish a plot-based monitoring network that improves understanding of tree growth, forest productivity and carbon dynamics research and,
•and build upon existing plot networks where possible.
The Scope of Ausplots-Forests
65. However
•beyond scope of Ausplots-Forests to provide a comprehensive forest monitoring framework (i.e. Continental Forest Monitoring Framework).
•TERN and Auplots-Forests was not established to answer specific research questions provide flexible baseline infrastructure
•vision for Ausplots-Forests is to incorporate aspects of both ‘surveillance’ and ‘question driven monitoring’.
•Does not collect biodiversity information at this stage.
Ausplots-Forests
66. •They extend the macro-climatic gradients and bioregions across the continent.
•Plot data show that growth trends related to trends in mean annual temperature, rainfall seasonality and mean annual rainfall.
•TEF are fire-driven ecosystems and plots in these systems provides an opportunity for post-fire response studies,
•TEF an important component of forest carbon store and contain some of the most carbon dense stands.
Why Tall Eucalypt Forests (TEF)?
67. •TEF are valued as water catchments, flora & conservation, recreation and timber and fibre production.
•TEF are the focus of many forest research initiatives (i.e. Warra Supersite, ForestCheck).
Why Tall Eucalypt Forests (TEF)?
68. Three design scenarios within the TEF considered:
1.Grid-based design e.gCFMF and FPMRIS
2.Stratified clusters of new or existing plots: many small plots.
3.Clusters of few (n=50), large (1.0ha) plots across Tall Open Eucalypt Forest Estate
No 3 is preferred
-based upon the RAINFOR forest plot network
Design Scenarios
69. •Allocate 8-10 plots to each state
•Target locations that are relatively undisturbed by timber harvesting (‘BOO’ sites)
•Target either (a) mature forests only (>60 year since fire)
•Co-locate with well curatedexisting permanent growth plots or ongoing research sites
•Target sites long-term plot security. e.g. reserves
How?
70. •Species, status , location and DBH of all trees >10cm DBH (all tagged). These trees must be tagged.
•Species, status and DBH of seedlings and saplings
•Floristics and voucher specimens
•Crown cover
•Coarse woody debris transects
•Soil sampling
Which Attributes?
72. Objectives of AusPlots-Rangelands
National network of surveillance and ecosystem baseline assessment sites
INFRASTRUCTURE
Developing standardisedplot assessment methods to be used for measuring and sampling vegetation and soils, and
Developing and implementing a stratification process to decide the locations of plots, which is applicable at a continental scale, and
Establish permanent plots (approximately 750) throughout the Australian range- land bioregions where baseline surveys of vegetation and soils will be conducted
by
Implementing the plot assessment methods developed for measuring and sampling vegetation and soils
-in the locations decided, and
-analysingthe samples collected, and
Storing the data and making it freely available
73. 81% of Australia
Wide variety of environments
Wide climatic variation
Generally Data poor / gaps
76. Political Complexity
(= running total)
Jurisdictions 5
Many Universities 4(9)
Departments per Jurisdiction 2(18)
Sections per Department 2 (36)
People per Section need to be involved 3(108)
AusPlots–R Protocols and Standards Reference Group 15 (123)
Partnerships and Operations Ref Gp13(136)
+ Auscoverand TERN Soils 2x3 (142)
+ Conservation based NGOs 20 (162)
+ ESA 30 (192)
+ National committees 4x10 (232)
Federal departments 2x2x4(248)
+ Short Timeline (Completed by mid/late 2013..... ARGHHHHH!)
That’s a heap of people to keep happy in a really short Time
77. AusPlots -Rangelands
A surveillance monitoring program for rangeland Australia
Ben Sparrow
AusPlots Director
And the AusPlots team
78. Why Ausplots?
AusPlots is a Surveillance monitoring Program for Australia that:
•informs on stocks of key ecosystem attributes
•addressed rangeland knowledge gaps
•provides Baseline information for Australia
•aims to repeat measures –once is not enough
•uses consistent methods across jurisdictions
•that will help inform on some of our great challenges:
•climate change
•weeds
•disturbance
•distribution of species
80. How is it achieved?
Extensive Networking / Collaboration / input to the process
Engage with Agricultural, Environmental, Forestry communities as well as NGO’s – Input from all Rangeland States and Territories
SA
SA
National
National
National
Collaborator
TAS
QLD
NSW
NSW
NSW
NT
WA
WA
NSW
National
TERN
TERN
TERN
TERN
QLD
81. Field team
•Based in Adelaide
•Provides consistency
•Best way to use scarce resources – Would prefer to have state based teams in the future if funding allowed.
•Well equipped
•Can train others
•Work in conjunction with state agencies where possible.
86. Internal collaborations
Another 100 Plots across the rangelands
Continued collaboration with other facilities
Calperum
GWW
Litchfield
Ti-Tree
Desert Plots
Alpine
Mallee
NATT
SWATT
TREND
Validation
Rapid Field measures
Lidar/ Photopoints
Modelling inputs
Data and sample provision
Ausplotsprovides a common thread through these facilities
89. Eco-informatics Objectives (NCRIS)
2. Form sustainable data sharing and access partnerships
3. Integrate key
ecological datasets nationally for consistent re-use
4. Provide single ‘point of access’ to ecological data
5. Provide an integrated infrastructure to support researcher data submission
1. Develop standards and a national framework for managing ecological data
93. Key Challenges in Managing Ecosystem Data
Dispersal
Diversity
Comprehension
Observation Data Capture Form
Observation & measurement process
Fragmentation
Data storage and expression
classifications
methods
99. ÆKOS Operating Model
AEKOS
Consumer
Provider
Data
ÆKOS Repository
Mapping Script (ETL DSL)
Context Doc.
ÆKOS Portal
Index Tagging
Supporting Information
Data Extract
Periodic data refresh
license filter
ÆKOS provides ETL (Extract-Transform-Load)to extract, map, contextualise and index provider data.
100. Contact us
For more information on ÆKOS and the Eco-informatics Facility
please get in touch with:
Craig Walker -Eco-informatics Coordinator
P: (08) 8313 1139 M: 0408 813 104
E:craig.walker@adelaide.edu.au
