Long-term Ecological Research

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• isr co-ordinated projects



• isr collaborations



• Sustainability-linked Long-term Ecological Research projects

isr is a lead participant in the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (NCRIS TERN) — a national collaboration funded at the state (DEEDI) and federal (DIISR) levels and by participating organisations. NCRIS TERN build links between individuals, government agencies and research institutions with established ecosystem monitoring programs. Using a distributed set or equipment and data, the goal is to have directed, consistent, long-term monitoring and analysis accessible to inform key natural resource management activities at local, state and national scales.

isr is establishing one of the 12 NCRIS TERN OzFlux sites at the South East Queensland peri-urban grassland site at QUT’s Samford Ecological Research Facility (SERF). This network of flux towers capture data on plant productivity, carbon dioxide exchange and sequestration, and water balance enabling researchers to better explain the effect of key episodic events on the environment. isr is also establishing a supersite demonstrator as part of TERN which will contribute site-based data and infrastructure available to the national network.

Under isr management, SERF provides a living laboratory on Brisbane’s fringe for undertaking long-term ecological research and conducting student field trips across several faculties.

isr co-ordinated projects

N2O Network website and data portal QUT researchers Marco Fahmi, Alvin Sebastian Funding source/s Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC), Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) Project snapshot The ISR has set up a repository to collect research data sets from partners within the Nitrous Oxide Research Program. So far, we have collected records from each partner site and made the metadata and data available via a web-accessible data catalogue. The data system has adopted the guidelines set by CIARD (Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development). The program is currently in the process of making data access comply with the AusGOAL (Australian Government Open Access and Licensing) framework. This is one of the projects under the research umbrella of the Nitrous Oxide Research Program

ANDS Data Capture QUT researchers Allan James, Colin Fraser Funding source/s Australian National Data Service (ANDS) Project snapshot In collaboration with QUT’s high performance computing, ISR is developing a desktop application to assist researchers to package and register their data sets. The project is funded by the Australian National Data Services; it replaces ISR’s current software with a refreshed and more robust application that is both backwards compatible and extensible for ISR’s future needs. The software is the final stages of development. It implements the basic functionalities needs to create a data package and upload it to an online repository. Final delivery and acceptance is planned for November 2011.

Australian Supersite Network data portal QUT researchers Marco Fahmi, Alvin Sebastian Funding source/s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)/ Education Investment Fund (EIF) Project snapshot The project will collect ecological data from a number of sites (Samford and Logan-Albert in SEQ, Robson Creek and Cape Tribulation in FNQ) and store them in a central repository. The repository will be part of a full-service web presence that will be maintained by the TERN office. Researchers use the KNB software to describe the data and upload it to the repository.

Environmental acoustics sensors at SERF QUT researchers Jason Wimmer, Paul Roe Project snapshot In collaboration with QUT’s computer science discipline, ISR is deploying a number of acoustics sensors at the Samford Ecological Research Facility. The sensors are currently used to collect bio- and eco-acoustic information such as detecting and identifying bird calls and monitoring the health of the ecosystem by examining its acoustic signature. The acoustics sensors will further be deployed to a number of locations that are part of the Australian Supersite Network. Acoustic data from all these sites will be hosted at QUT with technical infrastructure provided the Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation.

National climate change adaptation research facility (NCCARF) synthesis and integrative research programme - Climate vulnerability assessment (isr/BEE, 2009 - 2010) QUT researchers Prof. Laurie Buys, Aspro Clevo Wilson Funding source/s University of Southern QLD - Business faculty Project snapshot In conjunction with the University of Southern Queensland, QUT were involved in a project for NCCARF on the socio-economic implications of climate change with regard to forests and forest management. The final report is currently in the last stages of editing. The report contains a summary of the main findings from reviewing the literature on the socio-economic impacts of changes to forest composition with a particular focus on climate change impacts on Australian forests. QUT’s role in this study was to provide a social survey of two forest-based communities in relation to the potential impacts of climate change on those communities. The final section contains recommendations on adaptation and future research. The survey identified a number of structural and policy issues that need to be addressed in order to facilitate adaptation of the forestry industry to climate change. While recognising the importance of this industry to the community, a number of social impacts on communities were identified that give a deeper understanding and contextualisation to the broader socio-economic indicators used to assess the industry.

The Australian National Flux Network (OzFlux) South East Queensland Peri-urban Grassland (isr, 2009–10) QUT researchers Prof. Peter Grace, Dr Clemens Scheer, Michelle Gane, David Rowling Funding source/s Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) through NCRIS (TERN) Participants CSIRO, University of Queensland, University of Adelaide, Qld Government, Government of South Australia Project snapshot OzFlux is establishing 12 OzFlux sites nationally. isr will establish and operate one of the sites - the South East Queensland Peri-Urban grassland site at the Samford Ecological Research Facility (SERF). This is referred to as the SERF Flux Tower.     A Flux Tower (or eddy-flux covariance) measures momentum, heat, water and carbon dioxide exchanged between the grassland and the atmosphere.  It also measures a range of meteorological variables such as rainfall, air temperature and humidity.   Gathering data on plant productivity, carbon dioxide exchange and sequestration, and water balance researchers will be able to better respond to key questions about how key episodic events influence our environment and what actions can be undertaken to minimise the impact of the Australia’s growing population.

Integrated data and synthesis framework for reducing N2O emissions from Australian agricultural soils (isr/FAST, 2009–12) QUT researchers Prof. Peter Grace, Dr Clemens Sheer, Prof. Kerrie Mengersen, Prof. Paul Roe Funding source/s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) Project snapshot To understand how changing land use from native vegetation to agriculture has influenced emissions requires information about how and what emissions are produced by various vegetation types and land uses. isr is using manual and automatic sampling to monitor GHGs for a range of sites in southern Queensland to determine their baseline (original) emissions. Land uses include rainforest, cropping, pasture and horticultural sites in the Sunshine Coast region; cotton and wheat cropping systems on the Darling Downs; and native forest and rangelands in the Logan River catchment south of Brisbane. Once ‘baseline’ emission data for a land use is known, various management options can then be examined for reducing GHG emissions including soil amendments (materials added to soil to improve physical properties) and other techniques for reducing nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural soils. Techniques being tested include the addition of biochar to pastures and of nitrogen inhibitors to cropping soils, different fertiliser rates, and types and irrigation regimes in cotton and wheat systems. For more information refer to the N2O Network [external html] This is one of the projects under the research umbrella of the Nitrous Oxide Research Program

Assessment of bioaerosols associated with Swanbank-proximal composting operations (isr/FAST, 2009–10) QUT researchers Dr Jim Smith Funding source/s Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) Project snapshot This project is assessing bioaerosol generation and dispersal from an industrial-scale composting and biosolids treatment facilities, with examination of optimal associated microbial indicators. This will provide baseline data for subsequent bioaerosol monitoring and environmental risk assessment of such operations.

isr collaborations

TERN central portal QUT researchers Duncan Dickinson (CQU), Yi Sun, Dewi Wahyuni, Marco Fahmi Funding source/s Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation (QCIF) Project snapshot ISR will be hosting the software development team that will build a central data portal for the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. The portal will collect metadata from the various organisations constituting the network and delivery them via a web-accessible data catalogue. The team will encompass staff from QUT and UQ with a mix of skills in research data management and IT. It will leverage ISR’s expertise is building research cyberinfrastructure and serving research data. Work on the central portal is expected to start in October 2011.

ACEAS data server QUT researchers Dewi Wahyuni Funding source/s Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS) Project snapshot In conjunction with the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, ISR has developed an online database system that catalogues land management practices across Australia over time (1750 until today). The database allows the users to select data points of interest in Australia and examine impact of land management practices on the state of vegetation over time. It also allows the users to download the raw data for future analysis and re-use. The server is expected to go live in October 2011.

National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network - ISR collaborative partnership with ACEAS (Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis) (isr, 2009-11) QUT researchers Prof. Peter Grace Funding source/s Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) Partners University of Queensland, CSIRO, University of Adelaide, James Cook University, Griffith University & Queensland Government Project snapshot DIISR has invested $20 million in TERN to establish a national and collaborative infrastructure network to enhance ecosystem research. TERN will assist in the collection and management of scientific data to meet the needs of the terrestrial ecosystem research community. The network will also promote terrestrial ecosystems science interaction and planning in Australia. A Host-Synthesis Consortium provides leadership in developing and implementing the collaborative approach for the terrestrial ecosystem research community. isr Director, Peter Grace, is a member of the Host-Synthesis Consortium and actively involved in the formation of the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS) which is hosted by the TERN Office. ACEAS will be a virtual and physical environment for interdisciplinary integration, synthesis planning and modelling as a national service to the ecosystem research community and natural resource managers. Activities will be conducted around Australia to respond to key research questions. Media Green acres in the city - North West News Article presenting the research to be conducted at the Samford Ecological Research Facility which will measure the impacts growing urbanisation has on ecosystems. Author Unknown (5th May 2010) QUT researchers track climate change - International Business Times, AllVoices.com Article presenting the greenhouse gas emissions research to be conducted by the partnership between QUT and TERN, at the Samford Ecological Research Facility. Author Unknown (28th April 2010)

Sustainability-linked Long-term Ecological Research projects