tern supersites and carbon monitoring_mike liddell
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TERN Supersites and Carbon Monitoring
Presentation by: Mike Liddell, Matt Bradford, Tim Wardlaw, Suzanne Prober
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
What is TERN ?TERN is a researchinfrastructure investmentby the federal governmentand state governments.
TERN has been through2 rounds of funding todate and is heading intothe future with a potentialfurther round of funding.NCRIS-Mark II (and CRIS).
FNQ Rainforest
SEQ Peri-urban
Cumberland Plain
Tumbarumba Wet Eucalypt
Victorian Dry Eucalypt
Warra Tall Eucalypt
Calperum Mallee
Alice Mulga
Litchfield Savanna
Great Western Woodland
The Australian Supersite Network Biogeochemical Observatories
What is a TERN Supersite?
1) An intensive field station in a typical and important biome2) Physical instrumentation3) Scientists and technical support staff4) Transect(s) or Contrasts (10- 400km)
Core activitiesVegetation plot 1 Ha – field monitoringPlant physiological and soil/water measurementsFaunal monitoring – field and sensor monitoringData / Web portal - linked to TERN portal and ANDSOzFlux system – biogeochemical fluxes, microclimate
CARBON MONITORINGThere are 4 areas where the Supersites contribute tocarbon monitoring across the wider TERN network :
1) Providing baseline measures from core 1Ha plots TERN Supersites
2) Link to carbon dynamics at the flux footprint scale TERN Ozflux
3) Link high resolution field data to remote sensing TERN Auscover
4) Linking field measurements to modelling of the carbon (and water) cycles. TERN eMAST
TERN OzfluxEach Supersite hosts an Ozflux tower – OzFluxThis eddy covariance instrumentation provides measurements on the 30 minute EC fluxes from a footprint around the flux tower. Key fluxes are CO2, H2O (latent) and sensible heat.
Some flux towers are in addition carrying out ancillary flux measurementsusing on the ground GHG systems.Wombat uses an FT-IR basedsystem.SEQ Periurban uses a GC based system.
TERN eMASTA team of plant ecophysiologists from ANU (Atkin, Keith et al) have been working at the Supersites to measure a comprehensive and directly comparable set of plant variables.This data will be used subsequently toinform the SVAT type modelling that is being undertaken in eMAST. Development models are being used to evaluate how to most effectively couple Australian plant response toclimate and soil into higherlevel models such as CABLE and LPJ. Enhancing current estimates of both Australia’s and the global carbon balance.
TERN AuscoverEach Supersite (Alice remains to be done) has had airborne campaignscollecting high resolution Lidar (10cm), hyperspectral and ground based Cal/Val measurements such as terrestrial laser scanning.
The aim is to provide detailed5km x 5km data sets to assist in biomass – carbonassessments. Which in turncan be used to calibratesatellite based products thatare produced by Auscover asa national time series.
The Supersites are providingthe locations and the vegetationplots are assisting in cross comparison of biomass estimates
Summary of Supersite Vegetation Protocol Measurements
Measure Priority & frequency in core 1 ha plot
Vascular plant list * Essential, annual
Voucher specimens Essential, at least one per specie, once only
Quantitative abundance – floristics, bare ground, litter and woody debris
Essential, annual, number of points as per AusPlots protocol in year 1 at least
Woody plant DBH and height * Essential, annual for 5 - 10 years then c. 5 years
Structural description Essential, once only
Photopoints Essential, annual
Phenocameras Essential, continuous
Fruiting, flowering Desirable, c. monthly/4x/2x year
Recruitment dynamics Desirable, annual
C, N, P stocks 13C,15N, CHO Desirable, c. 4x/2x year
Plant functional traits Desirable, once only
BIOMASS TO CARBONIn the next section biomass to carbon estimates will be provided.
Above Ground Biomass (AGB) is typically expressed as a function ofdiameter at breast height (D), in addition height and density are used where these are available. eg. AGB = exp{-5.014 + 3.068 ln(D)}AGB is then converted to %C.
1) Great Western Woodlands (GWW) – fire – Suzanne Prober (CSIRO) Arid Mediterranean, Mid-stature-Dry Mixed forest – Salmon Gum.
2) FNQ Rainforest – biodiversity – Matt Bradford (CSIRO) Warm Tropical, Mid-stature – wet rainforest. – Mixed species
3) Warra Tall Eucalypt – forestry – Tim Wardlaw (Forestry Tas) Cool Temperate, Tall-Wet Eucalypt forest – Mountain Ash.
Great Western Woodlands Supersite16 million hectare mosaic of semi-arid woodland, heathland and mallee vegetation in south-west WA.
Globally unique - nowhere else does woodlands persist on 250 mm MAP.
“ Are old-growth semi-arid woodlands carbon sources or carbon sinks?”
“Where do woodland trees source their water from?”
Menzies line
fragmented wheatbelt woodland,
shrubland
intact eucalypt woodland, shrubland
low acacia woodland (mulga)
Great Western Woodlands SupersiteCredo Station nodeFirst vegetation type: Salmon gum woodlandCore 1Ha vegetation plot established in 2012Salmon Gum woodland. Proximity to flux tower.Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 35 Estimated total living biomass C (ton/ha) 24 Second vegetation type: Gimlet woodland1Ha vegetation plot established in 2012.Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 33Estimated total living biomass C (ton/ha) 23
Credo Station ~ 250mm MAP.Groundwater bores drilled in 2013.No water to bedrock (~ 50m)!
Great Western Woodlands SupersiteThe Supersite will be investigating the carbon/water dilemma. Just how do the eucalypts survive as a woodland with no groundwater and only 250mm of annual rainfall?EcophysiologyFuture work will include studying the water relations of the individual species.RootsA much greater proportion of root biomass has been found in these dry adapted speciesin related areas. eg. 25% vs 14%
FNQ Tropical Rainforest Supersite
1) Robson Creek nodeUpland tropical rainforest
2) Daintree nodeLowland tropical rainforestMajor clines in • Altitude • Rainfall• Temperature
Robson Creek
Daintree Rainforest Observatory
“What are the fundamental carbon & water stocks and flows in FNQ tropical forests and are these likely to change significantly in the future?
“How does seasonal water availability relate to species distribution, growth and phenology?”
FNQ Rainforest SupersiteRobson Creek nodeCore 1Ha vegetation plot established in 2012Mixed species upland rainforest 266 species. Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 409Estimated total living biomass C (ton/ha) 247Robson 2000mm MAP.Daintree nodeCore 1Ha vegetation plot established in 2000Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 270Estimated total living biomass C (ton/ha) 148DRO 5700mm MAP.Groundwater bores (3) drilled in 2008. near constant 10m water table.Carbon stocks are not reliant on ground water.
FNQ Rainforest Supersite
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Abo
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Robson Creek Node – spatial variation in AGB ≥10 cm DBH
Sampling unit (1 ha, 20 x 20 m)
Mean = 402.0 ton/ha ± 56.9 SD
CWD volume for core hectare is 87 m3. = 14 ton/ha C
Warra Tall Eucalypt SupersiteManaged / Unmanaged Wet Eucalyptus obliqua forest
“Understand fundamental ecological processes in E. obliqua wet forests”
“Determine long-term effects of different forest management regimes on natural diversity and ecological processes”
Warra SupersiteWarra 1HaCore 1Ha vegetation plot established 2012-13Mixed species wet temperate 19 species. Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 1205Estimated total biomass C (ton/ha) 687Warra 1650mm MAP.
CWD volume in this forest 1236 m3. = 349 ton/ha C!
Longest running Intensive LTER in Australia – 15 years.Ecosystem measurements used toinform management practice.
WARRA
Long Term Ecological Research
15900 ha
World Heritage
State Forest
Aggregated retention (ARN) has been adopted by Forestry Tasmania based on long term studies at the Warra Supersite (Warra LTER).• ARN has replaced CBSClearfell, Burn and Sow.
Supe rb Fairywre n
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ARNhar AGG CON
Tasmanian Thornbill
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Crescent Honeyeater
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Pink Robin
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ARNhar AGG CON
ARNhar AGG CON
ARNhar AGG CON
Warra Supersite :Managing production native forests
• In general the biodiversityoutcomes of ARN are high.• The study of the ecologicaland carbon balance continues.
• Field work has been undertaken by a large number of scientists and support staff from around the country.
• Funding for the infrastructure used in this research hasbeen provided by DIISRTE and State governments.
• This session aims to showcase how the TERN Supersites along with other TERN Facilities are able to contribute to Australia’s understanding of terrestrial biogeochemical cycling.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS