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AusPlotsDesigning a surveillance monitoring network for Australia.Presentation by Ben SparrowWith help from the Ausplots [email protected]
Political/Historical context
• Global Financial Crisis• Australian Government response -Stimulus• Favoured Infrastructure – NCRIS (National
Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme)• Research infrastructure – Environmental =
TERN• Not tangible infrastructure eg. Roads, but not
classical research either research – need to deliver Data – Different measures of Success
Primarily funded to support / develop ecological research infrastructure
– integrate existing data and make it accessible to the national and global ecosystem sciences community in a
common format; and
– collect new data strategically in areas of high priority to allow subsequent analysis and modeling of the assimilated
data.
In the context of AusPlots the Plots and their associated data are considered to be infrastructure.
TERNthe Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
What is TERN?
• A Network of scientists and practitioners collecting and delivering ecological research infrastructure.
• Delivered as a number of facilities:• Auscover: Ecological/ biophysical remote
sensing products• Ausplots: Surveillance monitoring of
Australian ecosystems• ACEAS – A Synthesis facility similar to NCEAS
• Coasts: Info in the interface between terrestrial and marine
• Australian Supersite Network (ASN): Highly instrumented study sites.
• Australian Transect Network (ATN): Data and questions on environmental gradients; Space as a proxy for time
• Eco-informatics – Data delivery warehouse; Fully integrated data
• E-Mast – Ecological and biophysical modelling
• Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN): Brings together scientists working on long term sites – Question based targeted monitoring
• Ozflux: a series of flux towers to understand fluxes between land and atmosphere
• Soil and Landscape Grid: Delivering Australian Soil information in line from plot to continent
• Many facilities collaborate together on aspects of their work.
After Eyre et. al. 2011
Population Ecology
Community Ecology
Biogeography/ Landscape Ecology
Types of monitoringAuscover/ E-mast/ ACEAS/ Soil Grid
LTERN/OzFlux/ASN
ATN
Ausplots
Monitoring
Logo
There is ongoing tension between different types of monitoring regarding their relative merits.
Often a monitoring program is judged on what would define a successful monitoring program for a different type of
monitoring.
Each type of monitoring needs to be judged against its aims and objectives.
Which is better?They all have their Place!
All are needed and provide useful contributions to our knowledge of Australian environments.
Each of these endeavours need to cooperate/ collaborate with the others to provide a holistic solution to monitoring.
The most important parts are actually the
arrows!
Surveillance Monitoring• Looks at entire communities ( Is more likely to be concerned with
the trajectory of communities rather than individuals or species)• Versatile and reusable – Useful for many purposes• Drivers unknown (May provide some insight, but that is not the
focus of design)• Broad stakeholder base, given multiple purposes• Detect and quantify change that we don’t know about and weren’t
anticipating • Some hope of method standardisation – If method broad in scope
• Likely to be able to adapt to emerging issues – If method broad in scope
• Has focus areas rather than tightly defined questions – it is likely that this information will inform on many questions.
• Aims to detect and quantify environmental change across large geographical areas.
• Less likely for the same sites to be regularly revisited – Longer re-visit time. (Duration of many years)
• More often assessing long term change rather than shorter term dynamics.
NOT
Logo
Because we want to know if there is a problem, but we don’t have the resources to have the fire
department everywhere all the time!
Logo
Types of environments we work in
Acacia Forests and Woodlands
Chenopod Shrublands, Samphire Shrublands and Forblands
Tussock Grasslands
Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands
Melaleuca Forests and Woodlands
Hummock Grasslands
Eucalypt Woodlands
Eucalypt Open Forests
Tropical Eucalypt Woodlands/Grasslands
AusPlotsAn example of surveillance monitoring
Objectives of AusPlotsNational network of surveillance and ecosystem baseline assessment sites
Developing standardised plot 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 plot infrastructure throughout Australia 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
- analysing the samples collected, and
Storing the data and making it freely availableTo
enable the detection (and trajectory and magnitude) of environmental change across the continent to be determined.
Two Programs
• Ausplots Forests – 48 plots in Tall Eucalypt Forrest – Accurately
quantify Growth of Trees – 1 week a site• Ausplots Rangelands– Rangelands a management – using FAO definition
½ forest– 500+ Sites across the country– 1 day per site– Focus of this presentation
81% of AustraliaWide variety of environments
Wide climatic variationGenerally Data poor / gaps
Where we work
AusPlots
Stage 1. Determining Bioregional groupings using hierarchical clustering techniques
Stage 2. Decisions on which bioregions to sample
Stage 3. GIS analysis within each bioregion
Stage 4. Field Location whilst on ground.
Where? - Stratification
Addresses knowledge gaps
Located where there is a NEED for
data
Respond to local and regional information needs where compatible
Hutchinson et. al., 2005
Prentice/Dong u diag
Relates to a series of Temperature variables
Rela
tes t
o a
serie
s of M
oist
ure
varia
bles
Since the creation of the Rangelands protocols, and their widespread acceptance we’ve added:
» A Tall Eucalypt Forest protocol» A Condition assessment protocol» A Woodlands Protocol» A Vertebrate Fauna Survey Protocol,
With ongoing work on:» A Fungi Protocol» A Ground Dwelling Invertebrates» A Core attributes (quicker) method» Identifying and articulating what re-visits
entail.
New Method Development
Use new / innovative techniques where sensible
Consistent and accurate data Standards, Collection and Curation
A Nationally accepted method
Details all aspects of method
Easy to use and well illustrated
Explains reasoning
Regularly updated
Available at:
http://www.ausplots.org/useourinfrastructure/
Designed to be used with our training course
New modules being added – Check back regularly.
Data collection and curation
66
Field Data Collection App: AusScribe
67
Data Delivery System
Field Collection
Curation
DatabaseStorage
Retrieval
Data Delivery: Soils to Satellites
http://soils2sat.ala.org.au/ala-soils2sat/login/auth
Data Delivery: Aekoshttp://www.aekos.org.au/
Widespread collaborationExtensive Networking / Collaboration / input to the process
The challenges of this kind of project are greater socially than they are scientifically!
Over 50 national and international collaborators working with us on data collection and analysis.
SA SA
National
NationalNational
Collaborator
TAS QLD
NSW
NSWNSWNTWA
WA NSW
National
TERNTERN
TERN TERN
QLD
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.• Work well together in
trying conditions.
Training courses
• At least one per year
• A day of lectures explaining all aspects of the
method• A day learning
each component of our method
(Vegetation, Soils and Technical
Aspects)• Focuses on
theoretical and practical aspects• Pragmatic• Held in the
Rangelands
OutputsStill early days for the project given that re-visits are
only just starting (along with further roll out)Currently used for validation of groundcoverRangeland management programsTaxonomy – New species and range extensionsModelling of climate change scenariosGovernment are supporting surveillance monitoring
as an essential input to future state of environment reporting.
Inform on soil crust ( and hence erosion)
…and many publications2015Christmas M., Breed M., and Lowe A.J. (In review) Constraints and conservation implications for climate change adaptation in plants. Biological ConservationGuerin G.R., Sweeney S.M., Pisanu P., Caddy-Retalic S., and Lowe A.J. (In review) Establishment of an ecosystem transect to address climate change policy
questions for natural resource management. Environmental ManagementGuerin G.R. and Lowe A.J. (In review) Mapping phylogenetic endemism using georeferenced branch extents. Methods in Ecology and EvolutionGuerin G.R., Ruokolainen L. and Lowe A.J. (In press) A georeferenced implementation of weighted endemism. Methods in Ecology and Evolution2014Bowman D.M.J.S., Williamson G.J., Keenan R.J. and Prior L.D. (2014) A warmer world will reduce tree growth in evergreen broadleaf forests: Evidence from
Australian temperate and subtropical eucalypt forests. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 23(8): 925-934. (DOI: 10.1111/geb.12171)Breed M.F., Christmas M.J. and Lowe A.J. (2014) Higher levels of multiple paternities increase seedling survival in the long-lived tree Eucalyptus gracilis.PLOS
ONE, 9(2) e90478 (DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0090478)Guerin G.R., Martín-Forés I., Biffin E., Baruch Z., Breed M.F., Christmas M.J., Cross H.B. and Lowe A.J. (2014) Global change community ecology beyond
species sorting: a quantitative framework based on Mediterranean Biome examples. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 23: 1062–1072.http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.12184
Guerin G.R., Biffin E., Jardine D.I., Cross H.B. and Lowe A.J. (2014) A spatially predictive baseline for monitoring multivariate species occurrences and phylogenetic shifts in Mediterranean southern Australia. Journal of Vegetation Science, 25: 338–348. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12111
McCallum K., Guerin G.R., Breed M.F. and Lowe A.J. (2014) Combining population genetics, species distribution modelling and field assessments to understand a species vulnerability to climate change. Austral Ecology, 39: 17 –28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aec.12041
Prior L.D. and Bowman D.M.J.S. (2014) Across a macro-ecological gradient forest competition is strongest at the most productive sites. Frontiers in Plant Science, 5: 260. (DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00260)
Prior L.D. and Bowman D.M.J.S. (2014) Big eucalypts grow more slowly in a warm climate: evidence of an interaction between tree size and temperature. Global Change Biology, 20(9): 2793-2799. (DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12540)
Schut A.G.T., Wardell-Johnson G.W., Yates C.J., Keppel G., Baran I., Franklin S.E., Hopper S.D., Van Neil K., Mucina L. and Byrne M. (2014) Rapid characterisation of vegetation structure to predict refugia and climate change impacts across a global biodiversity hotspot. PLOS ONE, 9: e82778. (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082778)
Tapper S-L., Byrne M., Yates C.J., Keppel G., Hopper S.D., Van Niel K., Schut A.G.T., Mucina L. and Wardell-Johnson G.W. (2014) Isolated with persistence or dynamically connected? Genetic patterns in a common granite outcrop endemic. Diversity and Distributions, 20(9): 987-1001 (DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12185)
Tapper S-L., Byrne M., Yates C.J., Keppel G., Hopper S.D., Van Niel K., Schut A.G.T., Mucina L. and Wardell-Johnson G.W. (2014) Long-term isolation and persistence of Stypandra glauca R.Br. (Hemerocallidaceae) on granite outcrops in both mesic and arid environments in southwestern Australia. Journal of Biogeography, 41: 2032-2044. (DOI: 10.1111/jbi.12343)
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Getting our message out
• Presentations to community groups.
• Workshops• Targeted
presentations (state agencies, fed Govt.)
• Briefing ministerial advisors
• Well maintained website• Conference presentations• International reference groups /
tours• Regular TERN Newsletter articles
to large mailing list.
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.”
Modular Methods• 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
S1
NEN5N4N3N2N1NW
W5
W4
W3
W2
W1
SW S2 S3 S4 S5 SE
E1
E2
E3
E4
E5
What do we collect?
Voucher Specimens for official Identification and future use.
Vouchers for genetic and isotope analysis
1. Take around 10 cm2 from each voucher specimen
2. Place into a synthetic tea bag and seal
3. Label with adhesive voucher label and scan with app
4. Place bag in box with ⅓ cup silica granules (self indicating and non-indicating granules)
5. Seal box and ensure it is labelled with plot identifier. Preferably 1 box per plot.Change silica every few days until indicator no longer changes colour.
6. Samples can then be used for isotope and DNA analyses
+ Duplicates for Dominant
species
Laying out the measuring tape between the transect end pegs
First point taken at the ‘0’ Meter mark
Point Intercept
Densiometer
Graduated Staff
Laser Pointer
Field Cover Assessment Device (Gandalf’s Staff)
Assesses canopy cover above the device
Indicates height
Assesses Cover below the device
Field Cover Assessment Device (Gandalf’s Staff)
Any vegetation touching the device between the laser pointer and the densitometer is also included
In this example the substrate is litter as that is what the laser is intersecting
Height is read from the staff
Assessing Cover above the device
• Uses a densitometer
• Ensure the device is level using the bubble level
• Use the cross hairs and small circle to identify what is intersected.
No Intersect
In Canopy - Sky
Eucalyptus sp.
Point Intercept Data
Basal Wedge
Three most dominant species nominated in each
strata, in decreasing order of cover
Structural Information
Ground Layer
Cenchrus cilliaris - 1
Mid Layer
Senna artemisioides ssp. Filifolia - 1
Upper LayerAcacia aneura – 1Acacia estrophiolata – 2Hakea divaricata - 3
Emergent Layer
Acacia estrophiolata - 1
During
After
Leaf Area Index
Soil Metagenomic Samples
9 Samples across the siteTop 3cm of soil and crustDried and stored
Soil Pit
9 x 30cm Subsites to sample variability
Store samples in bags and prepare for NSA on return from the field
Bulk density
• 3 depths at pit.• To calibrate
other measures to soil volume
1
Basal Area from Photopoints…..
• Is it possible?
Ways it is currently obtained
105
Basal Wedge
DBH Measurement
Terrestrial LiDAR
An Alternative: A New Photopoint method
Photo Layout
106
•24mm Focal Length•Aperture = F11•ISO 100•Raw Format (+/- JPG)•1.3m to centre of lens•Calibration target used•2.5m Baseline•DGPS Location recorded
A New Photopoint methodThe Tripod
107
Tripod and Star Picket
setup
If terrain not flat then attempt to
copy the average slope.
A New Photopoint methodRaw outputs
108
ETC.
The Scene Reconstruction Process
109
Identifes Like features in images pairsUses this to calculate camera location
Using Camera location information projects information into 3d space
DBH Calculations
Trunks then identified Spectrally, but including 3D information
A Cylinder is fitted to each trunk
The Cylinder is cut at 1.3m (DBH) and the area of the cross section is calculated (DBH for the
individual tree)
These DBH’s are then summed for the whole site.
Currently hasa max depth of view, but improvements being worked on.
Trunk Identification and Basal area calculation
111
Other outputs: pointclouds
112
Other Outputs: Panoramas
113
Benefits
114
Benefits
115
Method Cost Equipment Cost Staff Time Accuracy
Direct Harvesting * *** *** ***
Basal Wedge * * * *
DBH measures * *** *** ***
LIDAR *** *** *** ***
Photopoints ** * * **
Future work
116
Take account of Occlusion
Trial and accuracy assess in a variety of ecosystems
Determine method variation needed for different environments
Automate processing (Work Commenced) – Submission for the public using a web interface
Manage Huge Datasets
Process our archive of 300+ SitesWith your help: Assess performance in snow
Non – Australian environmentsPerformance in urban environments.
Link To Video
How to get samples
At Present have collected approximately:>10,000 Soil samples~2700 Soil metagenomic Samples
>15000 Voucher specimens~ 15000 Genetic Samples~ 16000 Dominant Genetic replicates
All of which can be access following standard protocols
Information pack available for download at our website
Details how to get access.
What can AusPlots offer you?www.ausplots.org.au
For details including Volunteering, HDR, Data, methods, Samples, Training, App etc.
[email protected] 8313 1201