The document summarizes research from several TERN supersites on carbon monitoring across Australia. The supersites provide baseline carbon measures, link field data to carbon dynamics at different scales, connect high resolution data to remote sensing, and inform ecosystem modeling. Specific sites discussed include the Great Western Woodlands, FNQ Rainforest, and Warra Tall Eucalypt supersites. Research at these sites measures vegetation, biomass, carbon stocks, and contributes long-term data to understand carbon cycles and impacts of changes like forest management.

1. TERN Supersites and
Carbon Monitoring
Presentation by: Mike Liddell, Matt Bradford, Tim Wardlaw, Suzanne Prober

2. Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
What is TERN ?
TERN is a research
infrastructure investment
by the federal government
and state governments.
TERN has been through
2 rounds of funding to
date and is heading into
the future with a potential
further round of funding.
NCRIS-Mark II (and CRIS).

3. 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

5. What is a TERN Supersite?
1) An intensive field station in a typical
and important biome
2) Physical instrumentation
3) Scientists and technical support staff
4) Transect(s) or Contrasts (10- 400km)
Core activities
Vegetation plot 1 Ha – field monitoring
Plant physiological and soil/water measurements
Faunal monitoring – field and sensor monitoring
Data / Web portal - linked to TERN portal and ANDS
OzFlux system – biogeochemical fluxes, microclimate

6. CARBON MONITORING
There are 4 areas where the Supersites contribute to
carbon 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

7. TERN Ozflux
Each Supersite hosts an Ozflux tower – OzFlux
This 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 measurements
using on the ground GHG
systems.
Wombat uses an FT-IR based
system.
SEQ Periurban uses a GC
based system.

8. TERN eMAST
A 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 to
inform 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 to
climate and soil into higher
level models such as CABLE
and LPJ. Enhancing current
estimates of both Australia’s and the global carbon balance.

9. TERN Auscover
Each Supersite (Alice remains to be done) has had airborne campaigns
collecting high resolution Lidar (10cm), hyperspectral and ground based
Cal/Val measurements such as terrestrial laser scanning.
The aim is to provide detailed
5km x 5km data sets to
assist in biomass – carbon
assessments. Which in turn
can be used to calibrate
satellite based products that
are produced by Auscover as
a national time series.
The Supersites are providing
the locations and the vegetation
plots are assisting in cross comparison of biomass estimates

10. 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

11. BIOMASS TO CARBON
In the next section biomass to carbon estimates will be provided.
Above Ground Biomass (AGB) is typically expressed as a function of
diameter 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.

12. Great Western Woodlands Supersite
16 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, shr
ubland
low acacia woodland
(mulga)

13. Great Western Woodlands Supersite
Credo Station node
First vegetation type: Salmon gum woodland
Core 1Ha vegetation plot established in 2012
Salmon Gum woodland. Proximity to flux tower.
Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 35
Estimated total living biomass C (ton/ha) 24
Second vegetation type: Gimlet woodland
1Ha vegetation plot established in 2012.
Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 33
Estimated total living biomass C (ton/ha) 23
Credo Station ~ 250mm MAP.
Groundwater bores drilled in 2013.
No water to bedrock (~ 50m)!

14. Great Western Woodlands Supersite
The 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?
Ecophysiology
Future work will include studying the
water relations of the individual species.
Roots
A much greater proportion of root biomass
has been found in these dry adapted species
in related areas.
eg. 25% vs 14%

15. FNQ Tropical Rainforest Supersite
1) Robson Creek node
Upland tropical rainforest
2) Daintree node
Lowland tropical rainforest
Major 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?”

16. FNQ Rainforest Supersite
Robson Creek node
Core 1Ha vegetation plot established in 2012
Mixed species upland rainforest 266 species.
Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 409
Estimated total living biomass C (ton/ha) 247
Robson 2000mm MAP.
Daintree node
Core 1Ha vegetation plot established in 2000
Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 270
Estimated total living biomass C (ton/ha) 148
DRO 5700mm MAP.
Groundwater bores (3) drilled in 2008.
near constant 10m water table.
Carbon stocks are not reliant on ground water.

17. FNQ Rainforest Supersite
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Abovegroundbiomass(Mg/ha)
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

18. Warra Tall Eucalypt Supersite
Managed / 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”

19. Warra Supersite
Warra 1Ha
Core 1Ha vegetation plot established 2012-13
Mixed species wet temperate 19 species.
Above ground biomass (ton/ha) 1205
Estimated total biomass C (ton/ha) 687
Warra 1650mm MAP.
CWD volume in this forest 1236 m3.
= 349 ton/ha C!
Longest running Intensive LTER in
Australia – 15 years.
Ecosystem measurements used to
inform management practice.
WARRA
Long Term
Ecological Research
15900 ha
World Heritage
State Forest

20. Aggregated retention (ARN) has been adopted by
Forestry Tasmania based on long term studies at the
Warra Supersite (Warra LTER).
• ARN has replaced CBS
Clearfell, Burn and Sow.
Supe rb Fairywre n
0
0 .2
0 .4
0 .6
ARNhar AGG CON
Tasmanian Thornbill
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Crescent Honeyeater
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
Pink Robin
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
ARNhar AGG CON
ARNhar AGG CON
ARNhar AGG CON
Warra Supersite :
Managing production native forests
• In general the biodiversity
outcomes of ARN are high.
• The study of the ecological
and carbon balance
continues.

21. • 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 has
been 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