TERN Australian Transect Network poster presented at the Ecological Society of Australia's 2014 conference.

1. The Australian Transect Network
Windows to our environmental future
North Australian Tropical
Transect (NATT)
Aim: To provide the basis for
predictive understanding of the
responses of Australian savannas to
environmental stress and
disturbance.
Ant surveys; tree structural
measurements; LiDAR-based
analysis of tree structure &
dynamics with flux measures from
OzFlux sites; Core method plots;
characterisation of variation in fire
regimes along NATT; Datasets
compiled for AEKOS publication.
Ian Fox1,2 *, Stefan Caddy-Retalic1,2, Alan Andersen1,3, Stephen van Leeuwen1,4, Maurizio Rossetto1,5
1Australian Transect Network, a facility of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network; 2University of Adelaide, 3CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, 4Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife, 5Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney
* Contact: ian.fox@adelaide.edu.au
Biodiversity Adaptation
Transect Sydney (BATS)
Aim: Use a landscape-level
approach to investigate taxonomic,
functional and genetic turn-over
along a natural environmental
gradient.
RNA-seq analyses of Isopogon
anemofolius & Petrophile pulchella;
Niche modelling & DArT next-gen
sequencing; Analysis indicates
divergence between coastal &
upland P. pulchella; 26x plots - 390
woody species; Functional trait
dataset compiled for all species.
STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
The Australian Transect Network is a series of bioclimatic gradients to
facilitate the study of ecological structure and processes over major
biophysical gradients, helping to develop, calibrate and validate ecological
models and remote sensing products for an enhanced understanding of
controls on ecosystem structure and function. Transects also enable the
monitoring of changes to key ecological transitions in the context of global
climate change.
NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS
1. National Transect Workshop (May 2014) establishes links between TERN
transects & other transects; developed concepts of ‘core’ transect attributes
2. ATN data is submitted to TERN Eco-Informatics facility for publication.
3. Continental scale transects e.g. north-south closer to realisation.
4. Data and sample collections used to underpin research e.g.
Transect for Environmental
Monitoring & Decision-making
(TREND)
Aim: To improve understanding of
the trajectory of climate change by
establishing baseline measures that
help predict impacts of future
change & to engage the public &
contribute to policy decision
making.
Completed 35 x 1ha AusPlots,
associated with 85 x plots measuring
floral, soil & soil community data;
Results disseminated to
government, NRM managers,
farmers and general community;
Data published on AEKOS.
South West Australian
Transitional Transect (SWATT)
Aim: To measure selected
biodiversity attributes & biophysical
processes to inform key ecosystem
science questions & assist
development and validation of
ecosystem models.
Completed 160 x quadrats nested
within 40 x 1ha core method
AusPlots; Fieldwork to date has
resulted in identification of new
populations for 14 threatened flora
species; Soil and floristic data
submitted to AEKOS for publication.
TERN is supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative
Research Infrastructure Strategy and the Super Science Initiative.
“Examination of isotopic
signatures in vegetation
communities with latitude
a cross Australia”
Ning Dong, Macquarie University
“Genetic investigation
of the Dodonaea viscosa
species complex to test its
capacity for adaptation to
a changing climate”
Matt Christmas, University of Adelaide
“Disturbance ecology of
native and invasive ant
communities and their use
as bio-indicators in land
management”
Dr Ben Hoffmann, CSIRO
“Analysis of leaf wax
n-alkane length in
dominant flora and its
persistance in soils”
Siân Howard, University of Adelaide
Photos left to right: Transects require field data - Basal area measures (TREND), photopoints (TREND); recording field data (SWATT)
Photos left to right: Transects follow a range of ecosystems e.g. Mallee woodland, Credo (SWATT); semi-arid eucalypt woodland (NATT) & Flinders Ranges (TREND)
NATT
SWATT
TREND
BATS
BATS plots run
from near Sydney
and across the
Blue Mountains
The TREND data
has generated
significant
research interest.
SWATT has
established plot
infrastructure to
support long term
research.
Ants are a focal
taxon on the
NATT and other
transects.