ANU Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/1885/130861

Between 2012 and 2018 the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) integrated key established plot networks across Australia to tackle critical questions associated with the impacts of disturbance on Australian ecosystems. LTERN brought together some of Australia’s leading ecologists as well as drawing together a range of existing long-term ecological monitoring programs to examine Australian ecosystems in new ways. LTERN was composed of 12 ecological plot networks across Australia which had been actively monitored for several years and in some cases decades. These plot networks spanned a number of ecosystems including tropical savannas, tall eucalypt forests, mallee woodlands and shrublands, alpine regions, and deserts. The networks also covered multiple land tenures and land uses including plantation forestry, conservation, restoration, tourism and agriculture. These networks are designed to monitor biodiversity and better understand disturbance regimes associated with fire, logging, livestock grazing, invasive species, extreme weather events and climate change. LTERN data sets can be found in our Data Repository https://datacommons.anu.edu.au/DataCommons/rest/display/anudc:5939?layout=def:display

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  • ItemOpen Access
    Upland Heath Swamps Plot Network: Middleton Creek, Freycinet National Park, Tasmania data packages,1965-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University, 2018) Keith, David; Simpson, Christopher; Wilkins, Katy; Tozer, Mark; Woodward, Richard; Mason, Tanya
    This data package comprises data that were used to produce the graph and conclusions found in figure 7.56 on page 263 of Lindenmayer et. al 2014, Biodiversity and Environmental Change: Monitoring Challenges and Directions. These data show the spread of Cinnamon Water Mould (Phytophthera cinnamomi) across 5 transects in Freycinet National Park, Tasmania. The transects sample different methods of treatment that are designed to alieviate the spread of the disease.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Upland Heath Swamps Plot Network: Dharawal National Park, Sydney Basin data packages, 1983-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University, 2018) Keith, David; Simpson, Christopher; Wilkins, Katy; Tozer, Mark; Woodward, Richard; Mason, Tanya
    Aim: Improve understanding of the roles of climate and fire regimes in the dynamics and persistence of upland swamps and their biodiversity. Key research questions: 1. What structural and compositional changes are occurring in upland swamps? 2. What is the nature of co-variation and feedback between vegetation and soil properties? 3. What are the effects of alternative fire regimes and how can responses be characterised by trends in functional groups of species? Surveys: - Vegetation and soils are systematically surveyed on an irregular basis determined by the occurrence of fires.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network: Central Highlands of Victoria data packages, 1983-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University) Lindenmayer, David B
    Aim: Quantify the inter-relationships between human and natural disturbances and changes in vegetation condition and biodiversity response. Key research questions: How does natural disturbance and/or man-agement intervention alter vegetation condition, and, in turn, the response of biodiversity? What is the relationship between vegetation and carbon biomass? Surveys: Birds and marsupials every year. Vegetation every two years.
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    Upland Heath Swamps Plot Network: Royal National Park, Sydney Basin data packages, 1983-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University, 2018) Keith, David; Simpson, Christopher; Wilkins, Katy; Tozer, Mark; Woodward, Richard; Mason, Tanya
    Aim: Improve understanding of the roles of climate and fire regimes in the dynamics and persistence of upland swamps and their biodiversity. Key research questions: 1. What structural and compositional changes are occurring in upland swamps? 2. What is the nature of co-variation and feedback between vegetation and soil properties? 3. What are the effects of alternative fire regimes and how can responses be characterised by trends in functional groups of species? Surveys: - Vegetation and soils are systematically surveyed on an irregular basis determined by the occurrence of fires.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Woodland Restoration Plot Network: Sydney Basin data packages, 1992-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University) Keith, David
    Aim: Develop robust methods to evaluate the success of native woodland restoration on retired agricultural land. Key research questions: What are the appropriate methods and metrics for detecting change in the biodiversity values of restoration plantings? How do alternative management strategies influence the pace and direction of restoration trajectories? Surveys: Surveys of vegetation are undertaken every four years. Invertebrates are surveyed every seven years. Soil samples are taken every five years. Precipitation, evaporation and temperature are recorded daily.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Victorian Alpine Plot Network: Victoria's Bogong High Plains and other high plains and mountain summits data packages, 1940-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University) Hoffmann, Ary
    Aim: Monitor the dynamics of the major alpine ecosystems, and understand fundamental ecological processes by assessing the effects of disturbance by fire, climate change and invasive alien species on the alpine biota. Key research questions: What are the long term changes in the major vegetation types and faunal assemblages? What are the likely long term effects on the alpine biota of human disturbance, climate change, drought, fire and altered biotic interactions? Surveys: All major vegetation types including heathlands, grasslands, wetlands and rare snow-patch herbfields. Small mammals and invertebrates. Genetics and phenology. The frequency of surveys generally ranges from every 3 to 10 years; some plots are surveyed annually during initial monitoring. The original plots in this network were established in the 1940s; additional plots were set up in the 1980s and following decades. Plots associated with an international climate change experiment were established in 2003.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Tropical Rainforest Plot Network data packages, 1971-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University) Metcalfe, Dan
    Project: Tropical Rainforest Plot Network: quantifying natural forest dynamics in the absence of logging disturbance Abstract: The LTERN Tropical Rainforest Plot Network Rainforest Tree Demographic Data contains stem measurement data from 20, 0.5 ha permanent rainforest plots in Northern Queensland, Australia from 2011 to 2013. This is part of a much larger dataset that spans from 1971 to 2013 that is managed by CSIRO. Except for minor disturbances associated with selective logging on two plots, the plots were established in old growth forest and all plots have thereafter been protected. Plots have been regularly censused and at each census the diameter at breast height of all stems is recorded. The data collected from the 20 plots provides an insight into the floristical composition, structure and long term forest dynamics of Australian tropical rainforests and allows direct comparisons to be made with long-term monitoring plots at a global scale. Bradford, M.G., Murphy, H.T., Ford, A.J., Hogan, D. and Metcalfe, D.J. (2014) Long term stem inventory data from tropical rainforest plots in Australia. Ecology 95:2362. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/14-0458R.1 Study Area Description: The CSIRO permanent rainforest plots are located within 60 km of the north Queensland coast between Mackay (21.5ºS, 149ºE) and the Iron Range on Cape York Peninsula (12.5ºS, 143ºE). The plots have a rainfall range of 1200 to 3500 mm, represent eleven vegetation types, six parent materials, and range from 15 m to 1200 m above sea level.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Jervis Bay Booderee National Park Plot Network: South coast of New South Wales data packages, 2002-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University) Lindenmayer, David B; MacGregor, Christopher
    Project: Jervis Bay Booderee National Park Plot Network: quantifying the inter-relationships between natural disturbance and targeted management interventions and changes in vegetation condition and biodiversity response Abstract: The plot network’s objectives involve quantifying the inter-relationships between natural disturbance and/or management intervention (including weed and feral animal control and prescribed burning) and changes in vegetation condition and biodiversity response. The objectives aim to address the underlying research questions: 1. What is the relationship between vegetation condition and biodiversity, and is this relationship consistent across vegetation types? 2. How do natural disturbance and/or management intervention (including weed and feral animal control and prescribed burning) alter vegetation condition and the response of biodiversity? The Plot Network collects standardized vegetation condition measurements which are repeated every three years, birds point counts (annually), arboreal marsupial and terrestrial mammal surveys (biennially) and reptile surveys (annually). Study Area Description: Booderee National Park on the south east coast of New South Wales, South-eastern Australia. The study commenced in 2002 and encompasses the study of small mammals, birds and reptiles (annually); arboreal marsupials (biennially) and vegetation - every three years.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Nanangroe Plantation Plot Network: Southwest Slopes, NSW, Australia data packages (1997-2018)
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University) Lindenmayer, David B
    Aim: Quantify the inter-relationships between human disturbance, landscape-based management intervention, and changes in vegetation condition and biodiversity response. Key research questions: 1. What are the relationships between vegetation condition and biodiversity? 2. How does management intervention (e.g. plantation establishment) influence the response of biodiversity? Surveys: - Frogs, reptiles, mammals and birds are surveyed every two years. - Vegetation plots are measured approximately every five years.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Three Parks Savanna Fire-Effects Plot Network: Three Northern Territory National Parks data packages, 1994-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University) Russell-Smith, Jeremy; Gillespie, Graeme
    Aim: Deliver research infrastructure to inform how to effectively manage imposed fire regimes in tropical savanna landscapes. Key research questions: 1. What are the effects of management-imposed fire regimes on the responses of the savanna matrix, flora and fauna species? 2. What are the effects of management-imposed fire regimes on vegetation and associated biomass dynamics? Surveys: - The occurrence of fire is assessed bi-annually on-ground and satellite derived fire mapping is conducted three times a year. - A full inventory of vegetation is undertaken every five years. - Terrestrial vertebrates are monitored systematically but on an irregular and less frequent basis.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Desert Ecology Plot Network data packages, 1990-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University, 2018) Wardle, Glenda; Dickman, Chris; Greenville, Aaron; Tamayo, Bobby
    Aim: Assess bird diversity across a range of variation in woody vegetation structure. Key research questions: 1.How does intensity of mechanical disturbance affect bird diversity and abundance? 2. How do populations recover after cessation of such disturbance? 3. What are the size and directions of the natural population fluctuations, and how do they compare with human-induced disturbance? Surveys: Birds and vegetation structure are surveyed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Mallee Plot Network: Murray Darling Basin data packages, 1994-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University) Keith, David
    Aim: Improve understanding of the mechanisms that influence vegetation change, including fire, grazing regimes and climatic variation, and the ability of the ecosystem to sustain its characteristic biota. Key research questions: 1. How do survivorship and fecundity of different plant species vary with time since fire? 2. Do different herbivore species have contrasting effects on standing vegetation? Surveys: - Surveys of vegetation and fauna have been undertaken systematically in relation to fire and herbivore exclusions since 1997. - Automatic weather stations and manual pluviometers recording daily precipitation, evaporation and temperature have been established progressively since 1994.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Desert Uplands Plot Network: Northern Desert Uplands of Queensland data packages, 2004-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University) Metcalfe, Dan
    Aim: Assess bird diversity across a range of variation in woody vegetation structure. Key research questions: 1. How does intensity of mechanical disturbance affect bird diversity and abundance? 2. How do populations recover after cessation of such disturbance? 3. What are the size and directions of the natural population fluctuations, and how do they compare with human-induced disturbance? Surveys: Birds and vegetation structure are surveyed.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Connell Rainforest Plot Network: Davies Creek data packages, 1963-2018
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University, 2018) Green, Peter; Connell, John
    Project: Long term demographic monitoring of rainforest trees to improve our understanding of the mechanisms that maintain diversity in complex, species rich tropical and subtropical rainforests. Abstract: These rainforest tree data packages comprise stand structure and demographic data for rainforest trees at sites in the Connell Rainforest Plots network, one at Davies Creek in Dinden National Park, (25 km south west of Cairns), and one near O'Reilly's guest house in Lamington National Park (84 km south of Brisbane), Queensland. Rainforest tree attributes recorded comprise the size (height or girth) of tagged and mapped, free-standing stems of shrub and tree species. All size classes from tiny seedlings to large canopy trees are included in the monintoring. The plots were initiated by Professor Joseph H. Connell (University of California, Santa Barbara) in 1963, and sampling has been conducted at intervals of 1-6 years since then.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Long Term Ecological Research Network Publications Catalogue : 2012 to 2016.
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University) Long Term Ecological Network (LTERN), Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University.
    This document lists publication outputs generated from the plot network infrastructure that forms the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN). LTERN was formed as part of the Australian Government’s Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) in mid-2012. However the 12 plot networks within LTERN are historic and hence all publications that have been generated as a result of this unique research infrastructure are included. Publications are listed by year, author and title. This document will be updated regularly. We provide a brief graphic overview of the type of publications presented herein and how these are distributed across the plot networks. The volume and quality of publications generated by the plot networks within LTERN demonstrates their valuable contribution to building ecological knowledge.
  • ItemOpen Access
    The Long Term Ecological Research Network: Objectives, design and methods
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University) Burns, Emma; Tennant, Philip; Boyer, Tabitha; Nolan, Kathryn; Dickman, Chris; Gillespie, Graeme; Green, Peter; Hoffmann, Ary; Keith, David; Metcalfe, Dan; Russell-Smith, Jeremy; Wardle, Glenda; Williams, Richard; Lindenmayer, David B
    This document collates and describes the objectives of the LTERN Facility, the questions being examined and the field methodologies employed. It includes field data collection protocols (and associated templates) employed by the researchers, and reflections from lead researchers on what they would do differently if they were designing their monitoring networks today. The publication of this manual is a key step towards LTERN providing an archived and sustainable set of long-term data collection procedures. We also hope that other environmental professionals find the detail useful in the design and deployment of future ecological monitoring initiatives. The LTERN Data Portal—released in October 2013—documents individual site protocols associated with published LTERN data packages (see www.ltern.org.au). The release of data packages from LTERN through the Data Portal will be progressive. In time, the LTERN Data Portal will become the most current and informative source for LTERN data collection procedures.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Making ecological monitoring successful: Insights and lessons from the Long Term Ecological Research Network
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University) Burns, Emma; Tennant, Philip; Dickman, Chris; Green, Peter; Hanigan, Ivan; Hoffmann, Ary; Keith, David; Metcalfe, Dan; Nolan, Kathryn; Russell-Smith, Jeremy; Wardle, Glenda; Welsh, Alan; Williams, Richard; Yates, Cameron; Lindenmayer, David B
    Ecological monitoring allows us to track changes in the environment and helps us see how our actions affect the environment. Long-term monitoring is particularly important, yielding valuable insights that are not possible from shorter-term investigations. We consider successful ecological monitoring to be monitoring that generates knowledge that is useful to others, and can be valuable in adaptive and effective environmental management. Any effective monitoring program requires a number of fundamental considerations, and additional factors should be considered in the design of a long-term monitoring program. This booklet describes what we consider to be the key characteristics of successful ecological monitoring, including long-term monitoring.All these characteristics work together. For example, good project design cannot meet its objectives without long-term funding; data management must be matched by good communication; and good partnerships must be maintained through succession and project planning. In discussing these characteristics and our recommendations for how they may be achieved, we present a series of stories and quotes. These insights are based on the collective experience of research leaders of the 12 plot networks within the Long Term Ecological Research Network, along with other professionals associated with the network. These stories highlight just how difficult it is to do long-term ecological research in Australia. They also illustrate the unique value of this kind of research for helping to understand and manage the Australian environment. We hope that this booklet will support the development of more effective and influential long-term ecological projects in Australia.
  • ItemOpen Access
    A guide to the Long Term Ecological Research Network, Australia
    (Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University) Burns, Emma; Lindenmayer, David B
    The Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) is an integrated community of eminent researchers who undertake long-term research at established plot networks across Australia. LTERN enables researchers to tackle critical questions associated with the effects of disturbance and change on Australian ecosystems. LTERN’s collaborative approach provides important scientific knowledge and data to allow Australians to better understand and interpret environmental change.
  • ItemOpen Access
    Policy Handbook: Learning from long-term research to better manage biodiversity in Australia
    (CSIRO Publishing) Burns, Emma; Lindenmayer, David B
    This handbook describes the key findings and messages from each of the chapters of the book, Biodiversity and Environmental Change. This booklet to provide summary information for policy makers and the general public. The booklet contains overview information on two ecosystems not mentioned in the LTERN Brochure, these are the: Chenopod and Acacia Shrublands, and Tussock Grassland. There is also a simplified explanation of concepts in ecology, discussion on the value of long-term research, a list of known and common threats to Australian biodiversity and discussion on the cultural barriers to effective environmental management in Australia.
Open Access