TERN Ecosystem Processes Network
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The Boyagin Wandoo Woodland SuperSite was established in September 2017 by the University of Western Australia. Located in the Boyagin Nature Reserve, approximately 12 km west of Pingelly, Western Australia the SuperSite monitoring activities complement the Avon River Catchment Critical Zone Observatory at the UWA Future Farm in Pingelly that focusses on managed landscapes (rotational dryland wheat cropping and grazing pastures for sheep). The climate is Semi-arid (Dry) Warm Mediterranean. The Boyagin SuperSite is collocated with the Land Ecosystem Atmosphere Program (LEAP) - Boyagin. Boyagin SuperSite is located in the Avon Wheatbelt (AW2-Re-juvenated Drainage subregion) and has a high density of rare and geographically restricted flora and supports populations of several marsupials subject to fox predation (Numbat, Quenda, Woylie, Tammar, Red-tailed Phascogale, Brushtail Possum) that have disappeared from most of the Australian or Western Australian mainland. The Noongar people are the traditional owners at Boyagin.
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Warra Tall Eucalypt SuperSite is a member of the Australian SuperSite Network (SuperSites, http://www.supersites.net.au/), a facility within the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network (TERN, http://www.tern.org.au/). SuperSites aims to answer both network wide and site-specific science questions through long term monitoring using both sensor technology and classical field methods. The Warra Tall Eucalypt SuperSite is located in southern Tasmania, where tall, wet Eucalyptus obliqua forests predominate, and are part of the cool, temperate wet forest biome. These forests are among the most productive terrestrial ecosystems in the world and their management generates a disproportionately high social and political interest. The site also includes some areas of moorland, temperate rainforest, riparian and montane conifer forest and scrubs. Warra is partly within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, which is managed for conservation, and partly within State forest, which is managed for multiple purposes including wood production. Warra Tall Eucalypt was established as a Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) site in 1995, and is one of Australia’s most scientifically productive. It is a hub for intensive, multi-disciplinary research to understand the fundamental ecological processes in E. obliqua forests and the long-term effects that management has on those processes in contrast with natural disturbance. Current research is focussing on the bio-physical processes that support the biota and how they fluctuate across scales both spatial and temporal. Detailed knowledge exists for many elements of the biota at Warra Tall Eucalypt their habitats, their distribution and their response to disturbance. Importantly, research done at Warra Tall Eucalypt has directly driven improvements in forest management more generally, e.g. the introduction of variable retention silviculture in mature tall, wet eucalypt forests. Key research objectives - What are the fundamental ecological processes in E. obliqua wet forests? - What are the current biodiversity and geodiversity of the site and how are these changing, evolving and interacting? - What are the long-term effects of different forest management and fire regimes on biodiversity, geodiversity and ecological processes? - What are the flows of water, nutrients and energy, the biota through which those flows occur, and how do they assemble, interact, and change over time? - How do disturbances, both natural and human-induced alter the biological, physical and geochemical properties of the ecosystem? In particular, what are the mechanisms through which the ecosystem recovers following disturbance, what are the feedbacks that determine or alter those responses, and what are the thresholds beyond which state changes occur? TERN acknowledges the palawa and pakana people (Tasmanian Aboriginal community) as Traditional Owners of lutruwita (Tasmania).
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The Great Western Woodlands SuperSite is a member of the Australian SuperSite Network (SuperSites, http://www.supersites.net.au/), a facility within the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network (TERN, http://www.tern.org.au/). The GWW Supersite comprises a mosaic of temperate woodland, heathland and Mallee vegetation within the Great Western Woodlands (GWW) in south-western Western Australia. The core plots are located on the proposed Credo Conservation Reserve, a former pastoral lease that was established in 1906–07 where it first carried sheep and later cattle. In 2007 the lease was sold to the government and managed by the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife who are collaborators on a range of projects. Native title claims of traditional ownership at this site have been registered by the Marlinyu Ghoorlie and Maduwongga Peoples. Key research objectives include: What are the impacts of climate change and management on the fundamental flows of energy, carbon, water and nutrient stocks in semi-arid woodland ecosystems. • Are old-growth semi-arid woodlands carbon sources or carbon sinks? • Are fire regimes changing in the GWW? • How do GWW biodiversity and fire fuels change with time since fire and what are the implications for fire management? • How do GWW woodlands and shrublands persist at low rainfall? What are the ecological determinants of the Menzies line (the striking boundary between the GWW and mulga) and how does it inform management for climate adaptation? • How will GWW biodiversity be affected by climate change? Will the response of fauna depend predominantly depend on vegetation responses? • How will regional versus population-scale genetic variability in key traits such as water use efficiency contribute to climate adaptation? • What are the thresholds of woodland persistence with respect to fire and rainfall? • What exotic species are invading the GWW, and which are the greatest threat under climate change?
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The Wombat Stringybark Eucalypt SuperSite is a member of the TERN Ecosystem Processes platform (https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/), a field observatory within the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network (TERN, http://www.tern.org.au/). The Wombat Stringybark Eucalypt SuperSite is located in the Wombat State Forest, Victoria, South Eastern Australia at an elevation of 713m. The site is a secondary re-growth forest that was last harvested in 1980. Dominant tree species are Eucalyptus obliqua (messmate stringybark), Eucalyptus radiata (narrow leaf peppermint) and Eucalyptus rubida (candlebark) with an average canopy height of 25 m. The understorey consists mainly of patchy grasses and the soil is a silty-clay overlying clay. The forest is managed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and management includes selective harvesting and prescribed burning regimes. The climate of the study area is classified as cool-temperate to Mediterranean zone with cold and wet winters (May-Aug) and warm and dry summers (Dec-Feb). Key research objectives include: • What are the elements of structure, composition, functions and processes of the dry eucalypt forests of South Eastern Australia required for the sustainable management of these ecosystems? • What is the carbon sink/source strength of a dry sclerophyll forest and what is their contribution to Australia’s National Carbon Inventory? • What is the magnitude of emission and/or uptake of non-CO2 greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide and methane of dry eucalypt forest? • How will climate variability, drought or fire influence the ecosystem processes of dry eucalypt forest? The Dja Dja Wurrung peoples are the traditional owners at Wombat.
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The Victorian Dry Eucalypt SuperSite is a member of the Australian SuperSite Network (SuperSites, http://www.supersites.net.au/), a facility within the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network (TERN, http://www.tern.org.au/) and has two nodes (Whroo and Wombat). The Victorian Dry Eucalypt SuperSite - Whroo site near Shepparton was established in 2011. The vegetation is dominated by two main Eucalypt species: Eucalyptus microcarpa (Grey Box) and Eucalyptus leucoxylon (Yellow Gum). Smaller numbers of Eucalyptus sideroxylon (Ironbark) and Acacia pycnantha (Golden Wattle) are also found on site. The surrounding area includes the Whroo Historical area, and Rushworth State containing remnant native vegetation. Key research objectives include: • What are the elements of structure, composition, functions and processes of the dry eucalypt forests of South Eastern Australia required for the sustainable management of these ecosystems? • What is the carbon sink/source strength of a dry sclerophyll forest and what is their contribution to Australia’s National Carbon Inventory? • What is the magnitude of emission and/or uptake of non-CO2 greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide and methane of dry eucalypt forest? • How will climate variability, drought or fire influence the ecosystem processes of dry eucalypt forest? . The site is on the lands of the Ngurai-illam-wurrung Aboriginal people.
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TERN Robson Creek Rainforest is a field site in Ecosystem Processes (https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes), a field platform within the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network TERN (http://www.tern.org.au/). TERN Ecosystem Processes aims to answer both network wide and site-specific science questions through long term monitoring using both sensor technology and classical field methods. The Robson Creek Rainforest site lies on the Atherton Tablelands in the wet tropical rainforests of Australia at 680-740 m elevation. It is situated in Danbulla National Park within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The climate is seasonal with approximately 60% of rain falling between January – March and the landform is moderately inclined with a low relief although the Lamb Range rises sharply to 1276 m asl immediately to the north of the plot. The traditional owners in this area are the Tableland Yidinji People.
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The Cumberland Plain SuperSite is a member of the Australian SuperSite Network (SuperSites, http://www.supersites.net.au/), a facility within the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network (TERN, http://www.tern.org.au/). Cumberland Plain SuperSite is located in remnant Eucalyptus woodland in the Cumberland Plain, at the University of Western Sydney's Hawkesbury campus in Richmond, New South Wales. Associated research extends into the Blue Mountains ecoregion. These sclerophyll woodlands occur on nutrient-poor alluvium deposited by the Nepean River from sandstone and shale bedrock in the Blue Mountains. Despite this they support high regional biodiversity and endemic biota. Cumberland Plain woodland is a critically endangered ecological community found only in the Sydney Basin Bioregion. It faces major pressures including invasive weeds, altered fire regimes, Western Sydney’s urban development, conversion to agriculture, and extreme climate events. The vegetation structure and species composition in the core 1 ha consists of a mix of Eucalyptus moluccana, Eucalyptus fibrosa and Melaleuca decora in the overstorey and Bursaria spinosa dominating the understorey. The traditional custodians are the Darug peoples, and we invite all interested parties to work with us and share their stories. Key research objectives include: • What are the processes controlling biogeochemical fluxes and the impacts of extreme climate events and climate change on biodiversity, conservation management and restoration of remnant Eucalyptus woodland and pastures of Western Sydney.
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The Calperum Mallee SuperSite is a member of the Australian SuperSite Network (SuperSites, http://www.supersites.net.au/), a facility within the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network (TERN, http://www.tern.org.au/). The SuperSite is located on Calperum Station, near Renmark, South Australia with research plots located in mallee woodland, Callitris woodland and floodplain black box, river red gum and lignum ecosystems. The property was a pastoral grazing lease for nearly 150 years, so it has suffered grazing-induced modifications to its ecosystems that are now being actively restored. The Native Title for the area is held by the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee. Key research objectives include: • What are the fundamental energy, carbon, water and nutrient stocks and flows in the Mallee, Callitris woodland and river floodplain ecosystems? • How are these stocks and flows responding to the management interventions (reduced and controlled grazing, controlled fire, controlled floods on the floodplain)? • How are the biota changing in form, frequency and distribution as climate changes and management interventions are imposed? • How important is the connectivity between these ecosystems for hydrology, faunal movement and as refugia in times of drought?
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The Alice Mulga SuperSite is a part of the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network (TERN, http://www.tern.org), which provides environmental research infrastructure for understanding how and why ecosystem change occurs (https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/). The Alice Mulga SuperSite is located on Pine Hill Cattle Station approximately 200 km north of Alice Springs, Northern Territory. It lies in the expansive arid and semi-arid portion of mainland Australia that receives less than 500 mm of annual rainfall. The site includes Mulga woodland, hummock grassland, and river red gum forest. The SuperSite Core 1 ha is located in a dense Mulga woodland (cover 70–80%). The SuperSite has a second TERN OzFlux tower at Ti Tree East where TERN Surveillance Plots are also located in a mosaic of hummock grassland/Corymbia savanna with patches of Mulga/tussock grass. A third study location in the SuperSite is a river red gum forest along the Woodforde river where where several hydrological and plant ecophysiological studies have been performed. The traditional owners of these lands are the Anmatyerre Nation.
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The Litchfield Savanna SuperSite is a member of the Australian SuperSite Network (SuperSites, http://www.supersites.net.au/), a facility within the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network (TERN, http://www.tern.org.au/). The Litchfield Savanna SuperSite represents high rainfall, frequently burnt, tropical savanna. At 1.9 million km2, tropical savanna is the dominant ecosystem type across northern Australia. Understanding biogeochemical cycles, impacts of fire on sequestration, vegetation and fauna is a national priority. The site is a 5 km x 5 km block of relatively uniform open-forest savanna inside the park, and about 80 km south of Darwin. The infrastructure will help scientists understand the dynamics of vegetation structure and floristics by linking field observations with infrastructure measuring fluxes of carbon, water and energy. The fluxes will be linked to remotely sensed observations of vegetation cover and leaf area taken from the ground, aircraft and space. Key research objectives include: • What are the impacts of prevailing fire regimes (primarily frequency, but also intensity, extent, heterogeneity) on vegetation structure and composition, habitat quality, fragmentation and vertebrate faunal biodiversity? • How does vegetation structure, climate drivers and fire regime influence savanna carbon sequestration rate? • How can fire management contribute to greenhouse gas abatement and carbon sequestration in savanna ecosystems? • What are the impacts of climate change on fire regimes and subsequent feedbacks to savanna carbon and water cycles? Litchfield National Park encompasses the traditional boundaries of 4 Aboriginal language groups: Werat, Koongurrukun, Waray and Mak Mak Marranunggu