This document discusses a collaborative book project involving 83 environmental professionals that described changes in Australian ecosystems based on long-term research. It included 14 chapters covering nine ecosystems, drawing from 35 core long-term studies. Key findings included detecting increased woodland bird populations and impacts of interventions like grazing control. The book aims to inform natural resource management by documenting ecosystem changes. Future work will maintain long-term sites, curate datasets, succession plan, and conduct new synthesis using long-term data to understand drivers of change across systems over time.

1. Transforming long-term plot-based
research in Australia: LTERN, MSPN and
future synthesis and integration
David Lindenmayer, ANU
Emma Burns, ANU
On behalf of LTER/MSPN
members

2. Collaborative book project
A landmark project was undertaken from late 2011 until early 2013 involving 83
contributing environmental professionals (primarily ecological scientists). The
task was to develop a cohesive book that described changes in a range of
Australian ecosystems that have been subject to detailed long-term research.
The overarching purpose of these long-term studies has been to document the
changes and provide the evidence and knowledge needed to inform better
natural resource management in Australia.

3. Some past books outlining cases of
long-term ecological work

5. But no systematic overview as per
the new book

6. Temperate eucalypt woodland research
Chapter authors: David Lindenmayer, Suzanne Prober, Mason Crane, Damian Michael, Sachiko Okada, Geoff
Kay, David Keith, Rebecca Montague-Drake and Emma Burns
Study name Data collected Start year Current status
Nanangroe Plantation Plot Network Plants, animals and vegetation structure 1997 Ongoing
South West Slopes Restoration Study Plants, animals and vegetation structure 2000 Ongoing
Woodland Restoration Plot Network (Cumberland Plain) Plants, animals and vegetation structure 1992 Ongoing

7. Key discoveries
• Detection rates of some species of temperate woodland birds in southern New South Wales
have increased over the past decade, including several which were previously considered to
be declining, such as the brown treecreeper and superb parrot
• Both re-planted temperate woodland and natural regrowth temperate woodland are
important habitats for birds and reptiles, including a range of species of conservation
concern. Such areas support a significantly different (but also complementary) assemblage of
birds to old-growth woodland, particularly small-bodied, non-seed eating birds
• Interventions such as grazing control lead to improvements in vegetation condition and
these changes can, in turn, have positive impacts on temperate woodland birds
A replanted field site in the South West Slopes Restoration
study in New South Wales

8. Key management recommendations
• Conservation initiatives focused on private land are needed. There is a particular need to
support incentive programs that prevent clearing of temperate eucalypt woodlands and
control damaging grazing regimes like high-intensity set stocking
• Maintain funding schemes that are clearly leading to successful outcomes, such as those that
have catalysed major restoration efforts—both natural regeneration and replanting
Measuring vegetation condition on an Environmental
Stewardship Program Box Gum Grassy Woodlands Project
control site (photo by Geoff Kay)

9. Overview
Written by many active ecologists, the book describes and communicates ecological science undertaken over the
last 10-70 years in nine different Australian ecosystems. The data used was from 35 core studies. The book
comprised 14 chapters, all with multiple authors. In addition to chapter authors, others wrote feature boxes by
invitation to highlight additional critical information.

10. Introductory chapters
General introduction
Chapter authors: David Lindenmayer, Emma Burns, Nicole Thurgate, and Andrew Lowe
The value of long-term research and how to design effective ecological research and
monitoring
Chapter authors: David Lindenmayer, Emma Burns, Nicole Thurgate, and Andrew Lowe
The first section is a modified version of Lindenmayer et al. (2012) The value of long-term ecological studies. Austral Ecology 37, 745-
757.
Our capacity to tell an Australian ecological story
Chapter authors: Ben Sparrow, Eleanor Dormontt, Nicole Thurgate, Emma Burns, David Lindenmayer, and Andrew Lowe
The cultural imperative: broadening the vision of long-term ecological monitoring to
enhance environmental policy and management outcomes
Chapter authors: Emilie Ens, Emma Burns, Jeremy Russell-Smith, Ben Sparrow, and Glenda M. Wardle

11. Ecosystem chapters
Tropical rainforests of eastern Australia
Chapter authors: Daniel J. Metcalfe, Michael J. Liddell, Matt G. Bradford, and Peter T. Green
Heathland
Chapter authors: David A. Keith, David Lindenmayer, Andrew Lowe, Jeremy Russell-Smith, Sarah Barrett, Neal J. Enright, Barry J.
Fox, Greg Guerin, David C. Paton, Mark G. Tozer, and Colin J. Yates
Alpine ecosystems
Chapter authors: Richard J Williams, Warwick A Papst, Keith L McDougall, Ian M Mansergh, Dean Heinze, James S Camac, Michael
A Nash, John W Morgan, and Ary A Hoffmann
Temperate eucalypt woodland
Chapter authors: David Lindenmayer, Suzanne Prober, Mason Crane, Damian Michael, Sachiko Okada, Geoff Kay, David Keith,
Rebecca Montague-Drake and Emma Burns
Northern Australian tropical savannas
Chapter authors: Jeremy Russell-Smith, Andrew C Edwards, John CZ Woinarski, Alaric Fisher, Brett P Murphy, Mike J Lawes, Beth
Crase, and Nicole Thurgate

12. Ecosystem chapters
Desert complex ecosystems
Chapter authors: Christopher R. Dickman, Glenda M. Wardle, Jeff N. Foulkes, and Nicki de Preu
Chenopod and Acacia shrublands
Chapter authors: Jeff Foulkes, Nicki de Preu, Russell Sinclair, Nicole Thurgate, Ben Sparrow and Andrew White
Tussock grasslands
Chapter authors: Andrew White, David Orr, Paul Novelly and Gary Bastin
Tall eucalypt forests
Chapter authors: Sam Wood, David Bowman, Lynda Prior, David Lindenmayer, Tim Wardlaw, and Richard Robinson

13. The Synopsis
Chapter authors: David Lindenmayer, Emma Burns, Nicole Thurgate, Andrew Lowe, Chris Dickman, Eleanor Dormontt, Emilie Ens, Jeff Foulkes, Ary
Hoffman, David A. Keith, Michael Liddell, Daniel J. Metcalfe, Jeremy Russell-Smith, Ben Sparrow, Glenda M. Wardle, Andrew White, Richard
Williams, and Sam Wood
Value Key example Relevant chapter
Quantifying ecological responses to Victorian alpine and sub-alpine community response to altered grazing Chapter 6
environmental change (natural and/or management, fire, and climate change (simulated through artificial warming
anthropogenic) experiments.
Understanding complex ecosystem For deserts, understanding the impacts of highly variable rainfall in Chapter 10
phenomena that occur over a prolonged combination with fire on vegetation cover and the dynamics of populations
period of different mammals and reptiles.
Providing core ecological data for use in Theoretical models
developing theoretical models and in A conceptual model for each system discussed in the book is featured in all Chapters 1-8, and
parameterising and validating simulation but one of the ten data chapters. The development of these system models 10-13.
models was made possible from monitoring the system over prolonged time
periods.
Parameterising and validating simulation models
Modelling of tree growth data in tall wet eucalypt forests under climate Chapter 13
change scenarios.

14. POLICY HANDBOOK
Learning from long-term research to better manage
biodiversity in Australia
This handbook describes the key findings and messages from
the long-term ecological research for policy makers and the
general public

15. Policy Handbook
Executive summary and Introduction
Essential concepts and messages
Ecosystem summaries
• Ecosystem overview
• The research
• Key discoveries
• Key management recommendations
Critical issues
The social imperative
Recommended Reading
Recommended Web links

16. New synthesis work –
2013/2014 and beyond

20. The Husbandry of long-term sites
How to maintain sites
How to curate
datasets
How to succession
plan
Etc
Etc

21. Ecosystem Chapter Plot Network / Data Custodian Data No. Start Current Temporal
Study Name Type of Year Status Revisit
Plots
Rainforest 5 Tropical CSIRO (Dan Flora; 20 1971 Ongoing 3 years
Rainforest Plot Metcalfe) vegetati
Network (LTERN) on
structure
Rainforest 5 Connell La Trobe Flora; 1 1963 Ongoing 1-6 years
Rainforest Plot University (Peter vegetati
Network (LTERN) Green) on
structure
Rainforest 5 Daintree James Cook Flora; 1 1997 Ongoing 2 weeks leaf
Rainforest University (Mike vegetati litter, 5 years
Observatory (part Liddell) on tree growth
of the TERN FNQ structure
Rainforest ; leaf
Supersite) litter fall
Excerpt from table 1, Chapter 14: A summary table of the 35 core studies featured in data chapters

22. Key Tropical Alpine Heath T. eucalypt Tropical Desert Tussock Acacia and Tall
Ecosystem Rainforest woodland savanna grassland chenopod eucalypt
Processes shrublands forest
Driver
Fire regimes X X XXX X XXX XXX XX X XX
Soil type/ XX XX XXX X XX X X XXX
chemistry
Grazing by X X X X X* X X
native
herbivores
Excerpt from table 3, Chapter 14: Summation of drivers and threats in each system featured, with XXX indicating
high impact and X indicating a lower but significant impact at a system level. The extent of change is not necessarily
present but the potential is reflected. * low outside dog fence, high inside dog fence.

23. Time series [longitudinal]data and
patterns in temporal trends

25. Do patterns become more variable
over time? How does variability vary
between ecosystem types and taxa?

26. Population densities and the change in
variability with the length of “census”

27. Can we develop statistically robust
“essential biodiversity variables”?

30. How to deliver?
“By 2015, establish a national long-term biodiversity monitoring
and reporting system”.
“It is therefore essential that we measure, evaluate and
understand the effectiveness of our biodiversity conservation
efforts”.
“…reprioritise our limited resources towards actions that
evidence tells us are delivering the best possible long-term
outcomes, most efficiently”.
ETC

31. Can we develop statistically robust
“essential biodiversity variables”?

32. A lot of active cross-system synthesis
work in the coming 2 years that will be
based on long-term ecological data