AusPlots

Designing a surveillance monitoring network for Australia.

Ben Sparrow – Ausplots DirectorWith help from the Ausplots Teamben.sparrow@adelaide.edu.au

After Eyre et. al. 2011

MonitoringThere 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!

NOT

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!

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.

TERN

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.

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 Specimensfor 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

Point Intercept Data

Basal Wedge

Three most dominant species nominated in each

strata, in decreasing order of cover

Structural Information

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

2.5m

1.45m

The tripod is set up at each apex of the triangle and a full set of photos taken for 360 degrees at each point.

The centre point is a star dropper standing 1.3m tall (if at all possible) with a mark ( the top of the mark) set 25cm from the top of the pole.

Photopoints

Ellude to what analysis avalible

Full method details available at:

http://www.ausplots.org/useourinfrastructure/

Under the heading of Accepted Method.

AusPlots

Where

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

Prentice/Dong u diag

Relates to a series of Temperature variables

Rel

ates

to

a s

erie

s o

f M

ois

ture

var

iab

les

Addresses knowledge gaps

Located where there is a NEED for

data

Other protocols:

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.

How is it achieved?Extensive Networking / Collaboration / input to the process

Engage with Agricultural, Environmental, Forestry communities as well as NGO’s –Input from all Rangeland States and Territories

The challenges of this kind of project are greater socially than they are scientifically!

SA SA

National

NationalNational

Collaborator

TAS QLD

NSW

NSWNSWNT

WA

WA NSW

National

TERNTERN

TERN TERN

QLD

Collaboration with:

Consistent and accurate data collection

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.

5

Advanced data systems:Field App - what is it?

✤ It’s an (Android) mobile application that electronically collects field data according to the AusPlots data collection specification.

• Ensures data consistency

• Easy data upload

• Removes transcription errors

• Uses dropdowns

• Has checks and balances built in

• Robust vouchering protocol for unknown species

• Ensures all necessary data is collected

• Captures location

• Ease of use

Field App: Plot Creation

38

Field App: Site Description

39

Field App: Veg. Vouchering

40

Field App: Point Intercept

41

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/

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• Ideally others will

collect the data –Want others to adopt sites.

…and many publications2015

Christmas M., Breed M., and Lowe A.J. (In review) Constraints and conservation implications for climate change adaptation in plants. Biological Conservation

Guerin 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 Management

Guerin G.R. and Lowe A.J. (In review) Mapping phylogenetic endemism using georeferenced branch extents. Methods in Ecology and Evolution

Guerin G.R., Ruokolainen L. and Lowe A.J. (In press) A georeferenced implementation of weighted endemism. Methods in Ecology and Evolution

2014

Bowman 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.PLOSONE, 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)

• 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.

Outputs influence management and policy

Still early days for the project given that re-visits are only just starting (along with further roll out)

Assessment of soil metagenomics

Vegetation community distribution related to soil P

Taxonomy – New species and range extensions

Modelling of climate change scenarios

Government are supporting surveillance monitoring as an essential input to future state of environment

reporting.

Inform on soil crust ( and hence erosion)

++++

FAO - Global Drylands AssessmentDiscovered significant amounts of forest occurring in drylands that was previously

unknown – Ausplots Accuracy Assessment.

FAO - Global Forest Survey

Ausplots a member of the foundation committee and providing advice on:

• Standardised method

• Modular design of methods

• Data collection via App

• Data Management systems

FirePlots can be used to validate fire analysis from remote sensing sources

Also track the response of particular communities post fire.

+ Fire history notes taken at the site.

Calculating carbon

Information from

• Point intercept (cover, height, species, lifeform)

• Basal Wedge (Basal Area)

• Photopoints (Basal Area)

Can all be used as inputs to allometric equations to quantify the amount of carbon at the site.

Changes in these figures over time will provide insight to carbon sequestration.

Soil Samples, and Bulk density information is also available to calculate soil carbon and change

Monitoring and Evaluation

Methods meet D of E information requirements – They supported the creation of the new modules

Allows accurately assessment of change and so easy to monitor the effect of a management intervention

Often the “missed” bit of any project.

Ausplots addresses one the major outcomes of Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010-2030 – to “Implement robust national monitoring, reporting and evaluation.”

Monitoring Pastoral leases – Directly + RS

Used in the NT and Nationally to inform / validate fractional cover products

The national validation has a direct link into our database and analyses and transforms our data into a suitable format on the fly.

Assists assessing land cover change on pastoral lands.

Data collection method designed to be entirely compatible with fractional cover assessment.

Collect “in-canopy Sky” class and “Branch” categoryTranslation script written in conjunction with Auscover.

Capacity Building

Cert 1 – Kakadu

Cert 3 – MJ Rangers

Other groups join for

One off surveys.

Uni / TAFE Guest Lectures

Genuine interest in a

career in this kind of work.

TO involvement in surveys if possible – the future 10 year plan will make this more achievable.

Modular format so some modules can be adopted by ranger groups.

We aim to teach others how to monitor these plots through time, with our help only when necessary.

Photopoints close to web release:

Collect own photos using the protocols

Zip in a specified format

Submit to the website

E-mailed with the results.

Tooling – need the right tool for the right job

We can provide tools to ease data collection

New modules including citizen science if possible

Ease of data management

Collection – publication in 3 days

Easy to manage data

Web interface to DB for management

Make data easily available online

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.

A 10 year program has been confirmed from 2017/18 – Money indexed and identified in the forward estimates.

Aim to complete the roll out and commence revisits (some sites several.)

With a long term project we’re looking for long term partners / collaborators to work with.

Clearly demonstrate the value/need for long term surveillance monitoring data across the continent.

What can AusPlots offer you?www.ausplots.org.au

For details including Volunteering, HDR, Data, methods, Samples, Training, App etc.

Ben.sparrow@adelaide.edu.au08 8313 1201