Short introduction to a few digital platforms developed in Australia for biological and environmental data discovery and analysis (ALA, TERN, BCCVL, ecocloud), and the underpinning training program for these tools, ecoEd. Presented at Charles Darwin University on 20 November 2018 as part of the Data Readiness training for environmental researchers.
Nightside clouds and disequilibrium chemistry on the hot Jupiter WASP-43b
Digital tools and training for environmental sciences in Australia
1. Digital tools and training
for environmental sciences
Dr Chantal Huijbers
Training & Engagement Manager
Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory / ecoEd
2. Understanding and predicting changes in environmental systems
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cambio-climatico.jpg
3. Future climate data
170+ plausible future climates
• 40+ global climate models
• 4 climate change scenarios
984 monthly time steps to 2100
Mean future climate, bioclimatic
indices, extreme events
510 million x 1 km pixels
Current climate: mean climate,
bioclimatic indices, extreme events
Land cover: natural vegetation,
primary productivity, land use
change
Soil, substrate
Topography, altitude
Hydrology: run-off, streams and
lakes
Climate and
environmental data
Species data
Presence / Absence / Abundance
~1.6 million species catalogued
~310,000 plants
~1 million animals
~80% not yet described
Other facets of biodiversity
• Genetic diversity
• Species traits
• Functional units
Requires a lot of different types of data…
4. …in different formats, and from lots of different sources
Land Use of Australia 2010-11
Major vegetation groups
Annual average rainfall
(current)
5. Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)
spatial.ala.org.a
u
www.ala.org.au
7. Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory (BCCVL)
www.bccvl.org.au
Species occurrence data
Precipitation Max temperature
Vegetation GPP
Species Distribution Model
Predicted distribution
under current climate
Climate Change projection
Predicted distribution
under future climate
8. Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory (BCCVL)
current
2075
RCP 8.5
Range
change
current
2075
RCP 8.5
Range
changeLeadbeater’s Possum
Gymnobelideus leadbeateri
Mountain Ash
Eucalyptus regnans
9. Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory (BCCVL)
current 2075Mountain Ash
Leadbeater’s possum
Overlap of distributions
Large reduction in
overlapping
distributions by the
year 2075
18. Aims
• Educate and upskill the next
generation of environmental scientists
and managers
• Provide a reference point for the
environmental science community
• Develop a network of enthusiastic
professionals
• Increase the reach and impact of
Australia’s eResearch infrastructure
19. ecoEd modules
10 Eco Data
Things
Data Quality
Spatial Data
for Ecology
Multi-criteria
decision
analysis
Biodiversity &
Climate
Change
ecoEd
Environmenta
l
Metagenomic
s
20. ecoEd modules
10 Eco Data
Things
Data Quality
Spatial Data
for Ecology
Multi-criteria
decision
analysis
Biodiversity &
Climate
Change
Data
Management
Data
analysis
Data
collection
22. ecoEd Champions
• Enthusiastic communicators
• Deliver training in their institution and
related organisations
• Act as a trusted advisor
• Feedback
• Exchange knowledge and ideas
23. ecoEd Champions training
• 8 Champions from 6 institutions
across Australia and NZ
• 2 full face-to-face training days
• Co-branded teaching material
(presentation, workshop handout,
teacher information)
• Guide Champions in re-delivery
within their own institutions
24. ecoEd
future
vision
• ecoEd modules integrated in curriculum
• Capacity building for next generation decision
makers and research leaders
• Integrated environmental management:
ecology, genetics, human health, urbanisation and
economics
• Lift the number of professionals with post-
graduate qualifications in data-science and
ecoinformatics
e.g. through Graduate/Diploma programs
25. UniversitiesNCRIS
facilities
Government
& Industry
Delivery of
advanced skills
and tools into
curriculum
Innovative
pathways
between industry
and researchers
ecoEd: integration between infrastructure, academia and industry
Consolidated
training and
support for
informed decision-
making
26. www.ecoed.org.au
Follow us on Twitter: @ECOEd_
Contact:
c.huijbers@griffith.edu.au
“Tools like BCCVL and ecocloud open the field to a whole new array of
researchers
who understand the systems they are working on, but do not have the
technical skill-sets or hardware to properly answer their questions.”
– Professor Shawn Laffan, UNSW
Editor's Notes
One of the main aims for people working in environmental sciences is to better understand our natural environment, and how it's affected by both natural and anthropogenic impacts. Because if we understand how biodiversity and environmental processes respond to change then we can also better predict how systems will be affected under different future scenarios.
For an accurate assessment of the current state of the environment and its response to changes, we need a lot of data. This data usually comes in a variety of formats, and is collected and aggregated by various facilities.
Even when a user would know where to find data and how to access it, it then also has to be transferred in the right formats to be used in analytical tools. While projects such as the Research Domain Clouds funded by ANDS, Nectar and RDS are aimed to facilitate the connectivity between data sources, tools and platforms, we also need to ensure that users understand how to use it.
Training and support across infrastructures is key to enable researchers and managers to benefit of the investments in national research infrastructures
National eResearch Collaboration Tools and Resources
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
