Phinn TERN Principles and Strategic PLan

TERN’s Principles and Strategic Plan

2011 TERN Symposium

• Presentation Aim

• Access to, and Sharing of Ecosystem Data & Knowledge

• TERN’s Principles

• TERN’s Objectives & Driving Questions

• TERN’s Facilities

• TERN’s Strategic Plan(s) – Valuing and Sustaining Long Term Ecosystem Research


Presentation Aim

• To demonstrate how TERN is establishing a network of ecosystem scientists, managers and infrastructure in Australia for the purposes of collecting, storing and sharing research data sets and knowledge.








• Good ecosystem science and management requires access to long –term DATA

Source: Longstaff, B.J., T.J.B. Carruthers, W.C. Dennison, T.R. Lookingbill, J.M. Hawkey, J.E. Thomas, E.C. Wicks, and J. Woerner (eds) Integrating and applying science: A handbook for effective coastal ecosystem assessment. IAN Press, Cambridge, Maryland.U.S.A.,

• Open access to ecosystem data (and meta-data) is essential

• Sharing data and knowledge to build capacity to “monitor” key ecosystem properties and answer key questions

#1: ACEAS Research fellowMapping land-cover and function change (R.Thackway):

Combining field records, historic maps and image data

1962

Source: Fig 3 http://143.188.17.20/data/warehouse/brsShop/data/workshop_16_thackway.pdf


#1: ACEAS Research fellowMapping land-cover and function change (R.Thackway):

Combining field records, historic maps and image data

1962

Source: Fig 3 http://143.188.17.20/data/warehouse/brsShop/data/workshop_16_thackway.pdf


#2: State to national scale biomass estimation (methods + products):

Field based biomass survey data set

Lidar and ground based lidar

Imaging radar data sets

Imaging radar correction Imaging radar + field biomass for biomass mapping algorithm development

Validated State-wide biomass maps + science publications

Source: Joint Remote Sensing Research program (J.Armston) TERN Auscover








TERN’s Principles:

• Understanding and advancing our understanding of Australia’s ecosystems and the challenges they face, requires:

a. Sharing of knowledge and data in appropriate ways.

b. A “network” of like-minded scientists with common requirements for quality assured, archived long term data sets, and the capacity to act collaboratively to request research and infrastructure funding

c. Individual ecosystem scientists being willing to share their knowledge and data, based on the understanding that it is contributing to the collective benefit of the ecosystem

TERN’s Principles continued:• Understanding and advancing our understanding of

Australia’s ecosystems and the challenges they face, requires:

d. Recognition that TERN is being built as a resource to be shared by the ecosystem science community;

e. TERN data sets to be shared and used under proper licensing conditions that enable free and public access, but enables the data user and contributor to advance their work.

TERN’s principles cover a range of ecosystems and other NCRIS environmental data facilities:








TERN’s primary objective, is to provide:

….the network and resources to enable sustained, long-term collection, storage and sharing of ecosystem data to meet terrestrial ecosystem science and management needs in Australia.

(NCRIS TERN Investment Plan, 2008)

Science questions driving TERN and its facilities:



• Current NCRIS + EIF Super-science funding for TERN








TERN – Facility Structure

1212

OzFlux

Coasts

Eco-Informatics

Multi-scale Plot Systems

Soils

ACEAS

Scaling –Integrating –

Modelling

AusCover

Strategic

Data collection and distribution

Use of data

Integrating data into knowledge and management

TERN Office& Data Portal

TERN overview

Data collection and distribution: TERN Portal

SupersitesSupersitesPlot networksPlot networksOzFluxOzFluxAusCoverAusCoverCoastsCoastsSoilsSoils AusPlotsAusPlots

Multi-Scale Plot Network

Scaling/ModellingScaling/Modelling

EcoinformaticsEcoinformatics

ACEASACEAS TERN PortalTERN Portal

Data collection and distribution: AusCover

Click symbol for more detail

SoilsSoils SupersitesSupersitesPlot networksPlot networksAusCoverAusCover AusPlotsAusPlots





CoastsCoasts OzFluxOzFlux

Data collection and distribution: OzFlux – CO2, Energy and Water Fluxes


SoilsSoils SupersitesSupersitesPlot networksPlot networksOzFluxOzFluxAusCoverAusCover AusPlots

AusPlots





CoastsCoasts

Data collection and distribution: Multi-scale plot network: AusPlots

Back to TERN-level diagram

Data collection and distribution: Multi-scale plot network: LTER Plot Networks


Data collection and distribution: Multi-scale plot network: Supersites


Data collection and distribution: Coastal Ecosystems


SoilsSoils SupersitesSupersitesPlot networksPlot networksOzFluxOzFluxAusCoverAusCoverCoastsCoasts AusPlotsAusPlots





Data collection and distribution: Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia



SupersitesSupersitesPlot networksPlot networksOzFluxOzFluxAusCoverAusCoverCoastsCoastsSoilsSoils AusPlots

AusPlots





Data collection and distribution: Ecoinformatics

SoilsSoils SupersitesSupersitesPlot networksPlot networksAusPlotsAusPlots





CoastsCoasts OzFluxOzFluxAusCoverAusCover







Integration and Synthesis: Scaling and Integration for Ecosystem Models

Integration and Synthesis: Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS)







Scientists from the wider ecosystem

science community

International community

(3) TERN research infrastructure 2011-2014

Project Plan

Establish/Engage Community(ies)

Design infrastructure

Data portal (data, meta-data, processes)Data

Licensing

Build + Deploy Infrastructure

DeliverData on portal

Develop and im

plement long-term

sustainability plans.

TERN Portal

ACEAS

Ecoinformatics

Auscover

Ozflux

Multi-scale Plot Network

Coasts

Soils

Scaling, Integration and modelling








• Work in Progress: TERN Strategic Plan, 2011-2014 and Beyond

Core Business

Infrastructure for Pure and Applied ResearchTERN’s focus is on understanding, monitoring and managing Australian ecosystems.

Community engagementA broad range of users will be able to access research on biophysical components of Australia’s ecosystems; to understand their composition and how they are changing over time.

Operational managementTERN Central will serve as the single entry point to TERN for the public and for key users of TERN data in the ecosystem science community in Australia and internationally and ecosystem management programs in Australia at national and state levels.

Developing and Supporting Long-term Ecosystem ResearchTo ensure its sustainability, TERN will migrate to other spheres and seek alternative funding sources and revenue streams as it works towards its vision of 2014 and beyond.

Key statement from the discussion paper:

“Long-term and standardised observations of our environment are perhaps the most important contribution research infra-structure can make to support our understanding of how our environment is changing.

This was a priority in the 2006 and 2008 Roadmaps and remains the top priority.”

(DIISR, 2011: 13)

Questions?

Professor Stuart [email protected]

www.tern.org.au

Technology

Phinn TERN Principles and Strategic PLan