The document summarizes the Great Western Woodlands Supersite project in Australia. The supersite aims to facilitate understanding of ecosystem processes through long-term intensive measurements including a flux tower and gradient plots. It is located in the world's largest Mediterranean-climate woodland, representing intact and fragmented ecosystems in the region. Current projects include flux tower measurements of carbon, water and energy fluxes to better understand ecosystem responses to variability and change.
This document summarizes a study assessing the potential for utilizing forest biomass for bioenergy projects in small, remote communities in southern British Columbia. The study estimated energy consumption and biomass availability in 37 communities, evaluated biomass harvesting and transportation costs, and assessed the feasibility of small-scale combustion technologies. Results showed that many communities had sufficient local forest biomass available to generate heat and electricity to meet a significant portion of their energy needs through bioenergy.
The document discusses global and South African energy issues and the need for energy efficiency. It notes that while solar and wind energy vastly exceed global energy usage, fossil fuels still dominate energy production in South Africa. The country faces an energy gap if demand grows faster than increasing supply. Strategies proposed to address this include improving energy efficiency through demand-side management, co-generation, and developing renewable resources. The document emphasizes that managing energy as a system and adopting energy management standards and practices can significantly improve efficiency compared to focusing on individual equipment alone. Management commitment and skills are important barriers to implementing energy efficiency in organizations.
Human: Thank you for the summary. You captured the key points effectively in 3 concise sentences as requested.
Renewable Energy Opportunities for American and German Farmersnveilleux
German farmers have embraced renewable energy opportunities like solar PV, wind turbines, and biogas in large part due to national policies that incentivize renewable energy through feed-in tariffs and carbon taxes. German farm organizations and renewable energy trade groups have advocated for these supportive policies. Additionally, rural cooperatives help farmers install and maintain systems, and communities aim to power themselves entirely with renewable energy for local economic development. As a result, Germany has seen significant growth in renewable energy from agriculture.
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This document describes the vision for a landscape retreat that integrates buildings with nature. The designers analyzed the site qualities and context to create an organized strategy that fits the majestic setting. Their landscape strategy connects two sides of the site and maintains visual relationships between buildings. It includes different housing types, parks, vineyards, and community amenities integrated into the site's changing landscape.
Solar lighting provides a cost-effective alternative to grid-connected lighting for pathways and trails. Solar lights can be installed at a lower cost than trenching, wiring, and connecting to the electrical grid. They also avoid environmental impacts from installing underground infrastructure. Solar lights are powered by the sun and produce no greenhouse gases. They provide safety and security for trails at night without requiring electrical service or equipment.
Sustainable solutions for faster construction of the higher tower and founda...Winterwind
Presentation by Martin Nilsson, Luleå Tekniska Universitet at Winterwind 2012, session 3b. "Sustainable solutions for faster construction of the higher tower and foundation"
1) Greenhouse horticulture accounts for 10-30% of national gas consumption in some countries due to energy needs for heating, cooling, dehumidification, and lighting.
2) Several new technologies can reduce energy use in greenhouses, including co-generation of heat and power, geothermal heat, electricity-producing greenhouses, LED lighting, and storing summer solar energy in aquifers for winter use.
3) Closed or semi-closed greenhouses can reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 30% through features like active cooling/dehumidification, heat storage, and higher CO2 levels and yields year-round.
Suzanne Prober_Multi-century changes in plant diversity and composition after...TERN Australia
1) The study established 72 permanently marked plots in Eucalyptus salubris (gimlet) woodlands across Western Australia to investigate changes in plant diversity and composition over centuries after fire.
2) Tree ring counts and growth models were used to estimate time since fire in stands, extending estimates back over 370 years. Satellite imagery was also used to map fire history.
3) Estimates of current age structure across the woodlands suggest recently burnt vegetation may be over-represented compared to theoretical distributions, indicating recent fire levels could be unprecedented.
This document summarizes a study assessing the potential for utilizing forest biomass for bioenergy projects in small, remote communities in southern British Columbia. The study estimated energy consumption and biomass availability in 37 communities, evaluated biomass harvesting and transportation costs, and assessed the feasibility of small-scale combustion technologies. Results showed that many communities had sufficient local forest biomass available to generate heat and electricity to meet a significant portion of their energy needs through bioenergy.
The document discusses global and South African energy issues and the need for energy efficiency. It notes that while solar and wind energy vastly exceed global energy usage, fossil fuels still dominate energy production in South Africa. The country faces an energy gap if demand grows faster than increasing supply. Strategies proposed to address this include improving energy efficiency through demand-side management, co-generation, and developing renewable resources. The document emphasizes that managing energy as a system and adopting energy management standards and practices can significantly improve efficiency compared to focusing on individual equipment alone. Management commitment and skills are important barriers to implementing energy efficiency in organizations.
Human: Thank you for the summary. You captured the key points effectively in 3 concise sentences as requested.
Renewable Energy Opportunities for American and German Farmersnveilleux
German farmers have embraced renewable energy opportunities like solar PV, wind turbines, and biogas in large part due to national policies that incentivize renewable energy through feed-in tariffs and carbon taxes. German farm organizations and renewable energy trade groups have advocated for these supportive policies. Additionally, rural cooperatives help farmers install and maintain systems, and communities aim to power themselves entirely with renewable energy for local economic development. As a result, Germany has seen significant growth in renewable energy from agriculture.
Beethoven Alley Housing and Resort, SlovakiaGemma Ginty
This document describes the vision for a landscape retreat that integrates buildings with nature. The designers analyzed the site qualities and context to create an organized strategy that fits the majestic setting. Their landscape strategy connects two sides of the site and maintains visual relationships between buildings. It includes different housing types, parks, vineyards, and community amenities integrated into the site's changing landscape.
Solar lighting provides a cost-effective alternative to grid-connected lighting for pathways and trails. Solar lights can be installed at a lower cost than trenching, wiring, and connecting to the electrical grid. They also avoid environmental impacts from installing underground infrastructure. Solar lights are powered by the sun and produce no greenhouse gases. They provide safety and security for trails at night without requiring electrical service or equipment.
Sustainable solutions for faster construction of the higher tower and founda...Winterwind
Presentation by Martin Nilsson, Luleå Tekniska Universitet at Winterwind 2012, session 3b. "Sustainable solutions for faster construction of the higher tower and foundation"
1) Greenhouse horticulture accounts for 10-30% of national gas consumption in some countries due to energy needs for heating, cooling, dehumidification, and lighting.
2) Several new technologies can reduce energy use in greenhouses, including co-generation of heat and power, geothermal heat, electricity-producing greenhouses, LED lighting, and storing summer solar energy in aquifers for winter use.
3) Closed or semi-closed greenhouses can reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 30% through features like active cooling/dehumidification, heat storage, and higher CO2 levels and yields year-round.
Suzanne Prober_Multi-century changes in plant diversity and composition after...TERN Australia
1) The study established 72 permanently marked plots in Eucalyptus salubris (gimlet) woodlands across Western Australia to investigate changes in plant diversity and composition over centuries after fire.
2) Tree ring counts and growth models were used to estimate time since fire in stands, extending estimates back over 370 years. Satellite imagery was also used to map fire history.
3) Estimates of current age structure across the woodlands suggest recently burnt vegetation may be over-represented compared to theoretical distributions, indicating recent fire levels could be unprecedented.
This publication was endorsed by the National Soils Advocate, The Hon. Penny Wensley AC, on the 8th of December 2022 during the launch of the TERN Australia Soil & Herbarium Collection.
The publication contains the results of 33 interviews with people who, in 2022, have jobs relevant to soils. It is intended for use by secondary and tertiary students who are perhaps wondering what to study or which career might be satisfying - or maybe they have already chosen a soils-related career and are keen to learn something about others who they may meet as lecturers, coworkers or employers.
The booklet will also hopefully be a useful resource for those that assist students with such decisions, including teachers, careers counsellors, guidance officers, librarians, and parents.
TERN Australia Soil & Herbarium Collection BrochureTERN Australia
The TERN Australia Soil and Herbarium Collection contains over 150,000 vegetation and soil samples collected from over 900 sites across Australia, representing every major ecosystem. It has supported the identification of 11 golden everlasting paper daisy species, discovery of new medicines from soil compounds, and improved models of carbon sinks and forests. The collection is unique in linking samples to detailed environmental data and is used by scientists worldwide in fields like agriculture, environmental science and pharmaceutical development.
Summary of TERN monitoring plots in the Pilbara WA, Apr2015 - Jun2021TERN Australia
This report provides a snapshot of the data collected by TERN in the Pilbara, Western Australia. Also included in this report is how to access the data, descriptions of data types, panorama photos and examples of research using TERN data. Plots on the Pilbara were first surveyed by TERN from April 2015 to August 2016. The surveys collected vegetation and soil, data and samples following the AusPlots Rangelands methodology, with 37 plots completed. Some of the plots were revisted in 2021. An updated version of this report will be provided as this data becomes available.
Summary of TERN plots on Kangaroo Island, SA, Oct 2018 - Oct 2021TERN Australia
In October 2018, TERN undertook a survey on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. The survey involved vegetation and soils work following the AusPlots Rangelands methodology, with 13 plots completed. The plots are part of over 800 plots completed nationally. The plots were revisited following the fires in 2020
and again in 2021. This report will be updated as that data becomes available.
Evaluating ecological outcomes in the Regional Land Partnerships Program: A pilot monitoring, evaluation and research (MER) network.
This three-year project will trial Australia’s first MER network by implementing a pilot network – to promote national-scale learning about bushfire recovery across different ecosystem types, and the
ecological effectiveness of post-fire interventions.
Australia's Environmental Predictive CapabilityTERN Australia
Federating world-leading research, data and technical capabilities to create Australia’s National Environmental Prediction System (NEPS).
Community consultation presentation.
3-12 February 2020
Dr Michelle Barker (Facilitator)
(Presentation v5)
Biodiversity Management in Tasmania's Temperate Native ForestsTERN Australia
Sustainable Timber Tasmania's Dr Marie Yee's entry to the ILTER Most Striking Case competition on using the research from TERN's Warra Tall Eucalypt SuperSite to facilitate innovative biodiversity management in Tasmania's temperate native forests.
Observing Environmental Change in Australia: Conversations for SustainabilityTERN Australia
A comprehensive and engaging review of how the past decade of Australian Government research infrastructure investment has transformed our understanding of the environment.
Observing Environmental Change in Australia – Conversations for Sustainability covers the monitoring of environmental change, urbanisation and land-use changes, biodiversity, extreme events, climate, carbon and water.
Chapters detail the importance of Indigenous knowledge, the use of satellite remote sensing and drones, and managing ‘big data’. The book concludes with descriptions of visualising environmental information, emerging technologies, and the importance of engaging the community.
Observing Environmental Change in Australia: Conversations for SustainabilityTERN Australia
A comprehensive and engaging review of how the past decade of Australian Government research infrastructure investment has transformed our understanding of the environment.
Observing Environmental Change in Australia – Conversations for Sustainability covers the monitoring of environmental change, urbanisation and land-use changes, biodiversity, extreme events, climate, carbon and water.
Chapters detail the importance of Indigenous knowledge, the use of satellite remote sensing and drones, and managing ‘big data’. The book concludes with descriptions of visualising environmental information, emerging technologies, and the importance of engaging the community.
Dr Michael Mirtl (ILTER Chair) presenting at the AusLTER Forum 2018TERN Australia
The document discusses the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER). It provides an overview of ILTER's activities which include coordinating key elements of environmental systems research, developing a strategic framework, and facilitating partnerships. ILTER aims to fill critical gaps in multi-site, cross-disciplinary, and conceptual long-term ecological research. It also establishes scientific initiatives and works to develop a global research infrastructure to integrate terrestrial observation networks.
Prof Bob Scholes (Wits University, South Africa) presenting at the AusLTER Fo...TERN Australia
EFTEON is South Africa's Enhanced Freshwater and Terrestrial Ecological Observation Network, a new ecological research infrastructure announced in late 2016. It will have around 6 landscapes by 2020 and use a modular, nested design across landscapes to facilitate multi-user, long-term research on biogeochemistry, hydrology, biodiversity and human-ecosystem interactions. EFTEON will establish a tiered observation platform including satellites, highly instrumented core sites, and sparsely instrumented linked sites, along with experiments and social surveys. It aims to provide answers unavailable elsewhere and leverage South Africa's comparative advantages in international research, including existing long-term manipulative experiments. Establishing and sustaining such research infrastructures
Prof Phil Robertson (Michigan State University, USA) presenting at the AusLTE...TERN Australia
The document describes three long-term ecological research networks in the United States: 1) The Long Term Ecological Research network has 28 sites across different biomes that have been funded by the NSF for 6 years each since 1980 to address long-term ecological questions. 2) The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network has 18 agricultural sites funded by the USDA since 2012 to study sustainable agriculture. 3) The National Ecological Observatory Network has 20 primary sites across climate regions in the US funded by the NSF since 2011 to detect environmental changes over decades.
Dr Manuel Maass (National Autonomous University of Mexico) presenting at the ...TERN Australia
The document discusses long-term socioecological research and the need for a transdisciplinary approach. It provides an overview of the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER) and its focus on long-term monitoring of sites, data sharing standards, and detecting global trends. The document argues that purely interdisciplinary research is not sufficient and a transdisciplinary approach is needed where researchers work directly with different knowledge sources, including local communities, to address sustainability challenges.
Yuxia Liu Phenology 2018 poster on tracking grass phenologyTERN Australia
University of Technology Sydney Yuxia Liu's Phenology 2018 conference poster on tracking grass phenology with phenocams and remote sensing over victorian pastures.
This document describes mapping ecological facets across Australia by analyzing the key drivers of ecosystem formation - macroclimate, lithology, landform, and vegetation structural formations. 59 homogeneous bioclimatic regions were mapped based on clustering uncorrelated bioclimatic variables. Lithology and weathering intensity were derived from existing Geoscience Australia data. Landform was characterized through land surface form and topographic moisture potential indicators. Combining these ecosystem drivers with vegetation structural formations data resulted in a continental dataset of 369,439 unique ecological facets at 90m resolution. This ecological facets mapping provides insight into biophysical variation across Australian ecosystems.
TERN Ecosystem Surveillance Plots Roy Hill StationTERN Australia
A summary of TERN ecosystem observing plots on Roy Hill Station. The report also contains a list of the data and soil and plant samples openly available via TERN.
TERN Ecosystem Surveillance Plots Kakadu National ParkTERN Australia
A summary of TERN ecosystem observing plots in Kakadu National Park. The report also contains a list of the data and soil and plant samples openly available via TERN.
This publication was endorsed by the National Soils Advocate, The Hon. Penny Wensley AC, on the 8th of December 2022 during the launch of the TERN Australia Soil & Herbarium Collection.
The publication contains the results of 33 interviews with people who, in 2022, have jobs relevant to soils. It is intended for use by secondary and tertiary students who are perhaps wondering what to study or which career might be satisfying - or maybe they have already chosen a soils-related career and are keen to learn something about others who they may meet as lecturers, coworkers or employers.
The booklet will also hopefully be a useful resource for those that assist students with such decisions, including teachers, careers counsellors, guidance officers, librarians, and parents.
TERN Australia Soil & Herbarium Collection BrochureTERN Australia
The TERN Australia Soil and Herbarium Collection contains over 150,000 vegetation and soil samples collected from over 900 sites across Australia, representing every major ecosystem. It has supported the identification of 11 golden everlasting paper daisy species, discovery of new medicines from soil compounds, and improved models of carbon sinks and forests. The collection is unique in linking samples to detailed environmental data and is used by scientists worldwide in fields like agriculture, environmental science and pharmaceutical development.
Summary of TERN monitoring plots in the Pilbara WA, Apr2015 - Jun2021TERN Australia
This report provides a snapshot of the data collected by TERN in the Pilbara, Western Australia. Also included in this report is how to access the data, descriptions of data types, panorama photos and examples of research using TERN data. Plots on the Pilbara were first surveyed by TERN from April 2015 to August 2016. The surveys collected vegetation and soil, data and samples following the AusPlots Rangelands methodology, with 37 plots completed. Some of the plots were revisted in 2021. An updated version of this report will be provided as this data becomes available.
Summary of TERN plots on Kangaroo Island, SA, Oct 2018 - Oct 2021TERN Australia
In October 2018, TERN undertook a survey on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. The survey involved vegetation and soils work following the AusPlots Rangelands methodology, with 13 plots completed. The plots are part of over 800 plots completed nationally. The plots were revisited following the fires in 2020
and again in 2021. This report will be updated as that data becomes available.
Evaluating ecological outcomes in the Regional Land Partnerships Program: A pilot monitoring, evaluation and research (MER) network.
This three-year project will trial Australia’s first MER network by implementing a pilot network – to promote national-scale learning about bushfire recovery across different ecosystem types, and the
ecological effectiveness of post-fire interventions.
Australia's Environmental Predictive CapabilityTERN Australia
Federating world-leading research, data and technical capabilities to create Australia’s National Environmental Prediction System (NEPS).
Community consultation presentation.
3-12 February 2020
Dr Michelle Barker (Facilitator)
(Presentation v5)
Biodiversity Management in Tasmania's Temperate Native ForestsTERN Australia
Sustainable Timber Tasmania's Dr Marie Yee's entry to the ILTER Most Striking Case competition on using the research from TERN's Warra Tall Eucalypt SuperSite to facilitate innovative biodiversity management in Tasmania's temperate native forests.
Observing Environmental Change in Australia: Conversations for SustainabilityTERN Australia
A comprehensive and engaging review of how the past decade of Australian Government research infrastructure investment has transformed our understanding of the environment.
Observing Environmental Change in Australia – Conversations for Sustainability covers the monitoring of environmental change, urbanisation and land-use changes, biodiversity, extreme events, climate, carbon and water.
Chapters detail the importance of Indigenous knowledge, the use of satellite remote sensing and drones, and managing ‘big data’. The book concludes with descriptions of visualising environmental information, emerging technologies, and the importance of engaging the community.
Observing Environmental Change in Australia: Conversations for SustainabilityTERN Australia
A comprehensive and engaging review of how the past decade of Australian Government research infrastructure investment has transformed our understanding of the environment.
Observing Environmental Change in Australia – Conversations for Sustainability covers the monitoring of environmental change, urbanisation and land-use changes, biodiversity, extreme events, climate, carbon and water.
Chapters detail the importance of Indigenous knowledge, the use of satellite remote sensing and drones, and managing ‘big data’. The book concludes with descriptions of visualising environmental information, emerging technologies, and the importance of engaging the community.
Dr Michael Mirtl (ILTER Chair) presenting at the AusLTER Forum 2018TERN Australia
The document discusses the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER). It provides an overview of ILTER's activities which include coordinating key elements of environmental systems research, developing a strategic framework, and facilitating partnerships. ILTER aims to fill critical gaps in multi-site, cross-disciplinary, and conceptual long-term ecological research. It also establishes scientific initiatives and works to develop a global research infrastructure to integrate terrestrial observation networks.
Prof Bob Scholes (Wits University, South Africa) presenting at the AusLTER Fo...TERN Australia
EFTEON is South Africa's Enhanced Freshwater and Terrestrial Ecological Observation Network, a new ecological research infrastructure announced in late 2016. It will have around 6 landscapes by 2020 and use a modular, nested design across landscapes to facilitate multi-user, long-term research on biogeochemistry, hydrology, biodiversity and human-ecosystem interactions. EFTEON will establish a tiered observation platform including satellites, highly instrumented core sites, and sparsely instrumented linked sites, along with experiments and social surveys. It aims to provide answers unavailable elsewhere and leverage South Africa's comparative advantages in international research, including existing long-term manipulative experiments. Establishing and sustaining such research infrastructures
Prof Phil Robertson (Michigan State University, USA) presenting at the AusLTE...TERN Australia
The document describes three long-term ecological research networks in the United States: 1) The Long Term Ecological Research network has 28 sites across different biomes that have been funded by the NSF for 6 years each since 1980 to address long-term ecological questions. 2) The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network has 18 agricultural sites funded by the USDA since 2012 to study sustainable agriculture. 3) The National Ecological Observatory Network has 20 primary sites across climate regions in the US funded by the NSF since 2011 to detect environmental changes over decades.
Dr Manuel Maass (National Autonomous University of Mexico) presenting at the ...TERN Australia
The document discusses long-term socioecological research and the need for a transdisciplinary approach. It provides an overview of the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER) and its focus on long-term monitoring of sites, data sharing standards, and detecting global trends. The document argues that purely interdisciplinary research is not sufficient and a transdisciplinary approach is needed where researchers work directly with different knowledge sources, including local communities, to address sustainability challenges.
Yuxia Liu Phenology 2018 poster on tracking grass phenologyTERN Australia
University of Technology Sydney Yuxia Liu's Phenology 2018 conference poster on tracking grass phenology with phenocams and remote sensing over victorian pastures.
This document describes mapping ecological facets across Australia by analyzing the key drivers of ecosystem formation - macroclimate, lithology, landform, and vegetation structural formations. 59 homogeneous bioclimatic regions were mapped based on clustering uncorrelated bioclimatic variables. Lithology and weathering intensity were derived from existing Geoscience Australia data. Landform was characterized through land surface form and topographic moisture potential indicators. Combining these ecosystem drivers with vegetation structural formations data resulted in a continental dataset of 369,439 unique ecological facets at 90m resolution. This ecological facets mapping provides insight into biophysical variation across Australian ecosystems.
TERN Ecosystem Surveillance Plots Roy Hill StationTERN Australia
A summary of TERN ecosystem observing plots on Roy Hill Station. The report also contains a list of the data and soil and plant samples openly available via TERN.
TERN Ecosystem Surveillance Plots Kakadu National ParkTERN Australia
A summary of TERN ecosystem observing plots in Kakadu National Park. The report also contains a list of the data and soil and plant samples openly available via TERN.
TERN Ecosystem Surveillance Plots Kakadu National Park
Suzanne Prober_The Great Western Woodlands Supersite in Western Australia
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The Great Western Woodlands Supersite
Suzanne Prober, Craig Macfarlane, Richard Silberstein, Kevin Thiele, Stephen van Leeuwen, Colin Yates,
Margaret Byrne, Garry Cook, Carl Gosper, Judith Harvey, Ian Kealley, Adam Liedloff, Keren Raiter
CSIRO ECOSYSTEM SCIENCES
2. Overview
• What is a supersite
• Great Western Woodlands
Supersite location and
vegetation
• Regional-scale goals
• Credo flux tower and
intensive monitoring
• Gradient plots
• Additional projects
3. What is a Supersite?
Temporally intensive long term measurements to facilitate a mechanistic
understanding of ecosystem processes
• Core field site representing an Australian biome; with flux tower and base station
• At least one gradient transect (10 km to 400 km)
• Supporting studies
4. Supersites - overarching questions
What are the current stocks and fluxes of energy, carbon, water and nutrients between ecosystem
components and the atmosphere/ hydrosphere/ geosphere?
1a. How are these conditioned by management/disturbance/inter-annual variability?
1b. What key processes determine ecosystem/non-biosphere exchanges?
1c. How are key processes expected to respond to future environmental change?
1d. Are there network-wide trends in changes in inter-annual stocks and fluxes?
What are the current patterns and dynamics of biodiversity?
2a. How is biodiversity impacted by management / disturbance / inter-annual variability ?
2b. How will biodiversity respond future environmental change?
2c. Are there general patterns across the network?
5. The Great Western
Woodlands
World’s largest extant Mediterranean-
climate woodland (16 M ha)
Largely intact, diverse
Mosaic of woodlands, mallee, scrub-
heath, ironstone and greenstone
ranges and salt lakes
Woodlands at as low as 220mm MAR
6. The Great Western Woodlands TERN supersite
low acacia woodland
(mulga)
Menzies line
intact eucalypt
fragmented woodland,
wheatbelt shrubland
woodland,
shrubland
100 km
7. Current and recent projects
Regional-scale goals General goals
•Inform management and climate adaptation in GWW
•Inform management and climate adaptation in the adjacent wheatbelt
8. Credo flux tower and intensive monitoring
low acacia woodland
(mulga)
Menzies line
intact eucalypt
fragmented woodland,
wheatbelt shrubland
woodland,
shrubland
100 km
9. Credo
• Ex sheep station now managed
for conservation by DEC WA
• 120 km NW Kalgoorlie
• 260mm mean annual rainfall
• Facilities: new field studies
centre jointly funded by DEC
WA, TERN and others
• Flux tower and 1 ha plots in old
growth Salmon gum woodland
35km from Credo facilities
10. Flux tower
Led by Craig Macfarlane
36 m tower installed January 2012
Operational December 2012
11. Net CO2 flux (uncleaned) – ecosystem scale
0.3
net respiration
0.2
carbon flux (mg CO2 m-2 s-1)
0.1
0.0
-0.1
-0.2
net photosynthesis
-0.3
2-Feb
7-Feb
19-Dec
24-Dec
29-Dec
3-Jan
8-Jan
13-Jan
18-Jan
23-Jan
28-Jan
12. Available energy and latent heat loss
900 6
available energy latent heat loss rainfall
800
5
700
available energy and LE (W m-2)
600 4
rainfall (mm/30mins)
500
3
400
300 2
200
1
100
0 0
9-Jan
11-Jan
13-Jan
15-Jan
17-Jan
19-Jan
21-Jan
23-Jan
•Latent heat loss/evaporation (green) increasing after rain
15. Gradient plots
low acacia woodland
(mulga)
Menzies line
intact eucalypt
fragmented woodland,
wheatbelt shrubland
woodland,
shrubland
100 km
16. Gimlet plots: fire-age gradient
How do gimlet woodland structure, floristics, fuels,
invertebrates and soil processes change with time
since fire, and what does this imply for fire
management?
GWW Strategy , DEC WA, CSIRO
Gosper, Prober, Yates, Wiehl
17. Salmon gum plots – environment gradients
Environmental controls of floristic
variation and vegetation structure in
salmon gum woodlands of the GWW
Judith Harvey,
Masters candidate, Curtin University
Supervised by Laco Mucina, University
of WA, S. Prober, CSIRO
Curtin Uni, UWA, CSIRO
Harvey, Mucina, Prober
18. Sandplain plots
Red sandplains
SWATT transect &
GWW Supersite
Species turnover in
shrublands
Yellow sandplains
White sandplains
100 km
TERN (SWATT), DEC WA, GWW Supersite, CSIRO
20. Additional projects
low acacia woodland
(mulga)
Menzies line
intact eucalypt
fragmented woodland,
wheatbelt shrubland
woodland,
shrubland
100 km
21. FLAMES model
Adaptation of the FLAMES model to predict effects of climate, fire and exotic
invasion on woodland dynamics and carbon stocks
• Developed for tropical savannahs
Diagrams from Liedloff et al. 2007 Ecological Modelling
• Adapt for Salmon gum woodlands
Biodiversity Fund, CSIRO
Liedloff, Cook, Prober, Gosper, Yates, et al
22. Ngadju Kala project
Documentation of Ngadju fire knowledge
•Can GWW NRM offer livelihoods for GWW traditional owners?
•How can Indigenous fire management improve ecological outcomes for GWW?
WA govt GWW strategy, DEC WA, GLSC, CSIRO
Prober, O’Connor, Yuen, Walker, the Ngadju community
23. PhDs and post-docs
Henrique Togashi, Macquarie University
Supervised by Prof. Colin Prentice
Comparative ecophysiology of tropical and
warm-temperate forests and woodlands
Keren Raiter, University of WA
Supervised by Profs Richard Hobbs, Hugh Possingham
The cryptic and the cumulative: mitigating regional ecological impacts
of mining and exploration in SW Australia’s Great Western Woodlands
Dr Natalia Restrepo, Prof. Alfredo Huete, University of Technology, Sydney
Integrating remote sensing, landscape flux measurements, and phenology
to understand the impacts of climate change on Australian landscapes
Webcam
University of WA, Queensland University, Macquarie University
24.
25. Potential future projects
•Where do woodland trees get their water?
•Recovery of soils and vegetation after exclusion of livestock
•What determines the Menzies line?
•Diversity and function of soil cryptogam crusts in GWW
•Time-since-fire impacts on invertebrate groups
26. Climate resilience and wheatbelt restoration
Can adaptive variability within GWW eucalypts contribute
to climate adaptation in the wheatbelt?
•Eucalyptus loxophleba subsp. lissophloia (oil mallee)
•Eucalyptus salubris (gimlet)
Measurements along a climate gradient and in
common gardens
•Photosynthetic rate, transpiration, WUEi
•Leaf traits (specific leaf area etc.)
•C and N bulk leaf isotopes
•C cellulose isotopes
•O isotopes
•Genetic analysis using DArT markers
NCARRF, DEC WA, ECU, CSIRO, University of Tasmania
Mclean, Stylianou, Stock, Byrne, Prober, Potts, Steane, Vallaincourt
27. Bowen ratio and BREB evaporation (W m-2)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
19-Dec
24-Dec
29-Dec
3-Jan
Bowen ratio
8-Jan
13-Jan
18-Jan
Bowen ratio energy balance
BREB evaporation
23-Jan
28-Jan
rainfall
2-Feb
7-Feb
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
rainfall (mm/30mins)
29. Bowen ratio energy balance
• Preliminary (cheap) test of whether Bowen Ratio Energy Balance (BREB)
method can be used to separate soil/understorey evaporation from stand
evaporation in a remote location.
• Instruments located in clearing near backup weather station. About 80m
from trees.
• Three capacitance temperature/humidity sensors (Sensirion SHT15) at
both 1m and 3m height. Three sensors increase precision and reduce
bias compared to one sensor. No aspiration or moving parts reduces
power requirements and maintenance.
• Available energy modelled from measured global solar radiation.
30. Bowen ratio energy balance - conclusion
• Fails to accurately estimate understorey/soil evaporation in a dry
environment with high insolation.
• Could try a larger clearing (less overstorey influence) and better quality
instruments.
• Alternatives include a second EC system at 2m height (simple but
expensive) or sapflow probes (complicated and expensive).
Editor's Notes
introductory slide showing the location of the SuperSite 200 km radius of interest (black circle) contrasts of interest (Menzies line dividing woodland from Mulga; clearing line at wheatbelt edge and proposed WA TERN Priority 3 transect
Nested scales of planned monitoring
An alternative introductory slide showing the location of the SuperSite (Koolyanobbing centre of black circle) 200 km radius of interest (black circle) contrasts of interest (Menzies line dividing woodland from Mulga; clearing line at wheatbelt edge and proposed WA TERN Priority 3 transect
Studies currently underway in the GWW Supersite (as listed)
Negative values are net carbon uptake (photosynthesis = flux towards surface) while positive values are net carbon efflux (respiration = flux away from surface). Hard to say much about this data it's cleaned up. The noise is probably larger than the signal at the moment. The bulk of the 'real' data lie between -0.2 and +0.1. It's negative during the day and positive at night – fancy that!
I’ve decided to just add in one figure that highlights the impact of rainfall on the fraction of available energy dissipated as latent heat. From 9-11 Jan LE is a small proportion of AE. The rain hits around 12-13 Jan and LE increases markedly, mainly soil evaporation presumably. LE decreases again until 16 Jan when there’s another sizable shower of rain and LE increases again. From 18 Jan onwards the rate of LE settles down again but is greater than it was prior to the rains. Presumably this reflects increases evaporation from both the plants and soil.
I’ve decided to just add in one figure that highlights the impact of rainfall on the fraction of available energy dissipated as latent heat. From 9-11 Jan LE is a small proportion of AE. The rain hits around 12-13 Jan and LE increases markedly, mainly soil evaporation presumably. LE decreases again until 16 Jan when there’s another sizable shower of rain and LE increases again. From 18 Jan onwards the rate of LE settles down again but is greater than it was prior to the rains. Presumably this reflects increased evaporation from both the plants and soil.
An alternative introductory slide showing the location of the SuperSite (Koolyanobbing centre of black circle) 200 km radius of interest (black circle) contrasts of interest (Menzies line dividing woodland from Mulga; clearing line at wheatbelt edge and proposed WA TERN Priority 3 transect
Studies currently underway in the GWW Supersite (as listed)
Studies currently underway in the GWW Supersite (as listed)
Studies currently underway in the GWW Supersite (as listed)
An alternative introductory slide showing the location of the SuperSite (Koolyanobbing centre of black circle) 200 km radius of interest (black circle) contrasts of interest (Menzies line dividing woodland from Mulga; clearing line at wheatbelt edge and proposed WA TERN Priority 3 transect
Studies currently underway in the GWW Supersite (as listed)
Studies currently underway in the GWW Supersite (as listed)
The Bowen ratio (H/LE) pattern makes some sense: BR is large than one most of the time (more H than LE) and it drops below 1 after rain (28/12 and 12-13/01). But the BR average (about 1.5) is far too small – the Bowen ratio is about 10 for deserts, 2–6 for semi-arid regions, 0.4 to 0.8 for temperate forests and grasslands, 0.2 for tropical rain forests and 0.1 for tropical oceans. The average daily BREB evaporation is 2mm/day.
I've left the rainfall data in all these graphs as a reference – it's the 'big event' in this period. Net radiation (Rn) is net (incoming minus reflected/emitted) shortwave plus net longwave radiation. It's measured by the net radiometer. Soil heat flux (G) is the heat storage/release by the soil and is measured by the three heat flux plates. Rn – G = available energy. Available energy can drive either evaporation or sensible heat loss. G is only about 10% of Rn – I thought it would be larger. Both Rn and G are 'large' and positive during the day and 'small' and negative at night. Daytime is dominated by shortwave fluxes and night time is dominated by long wave fluxes.