Investigators and Partners

This project is the product of the combined efforts of many interdisciplinary researchers of various expertise and is currently operated by:

• Prof Lindsay Hutley (Ecophysiologist)(CDU)
• Prof Jason Beringer (Micrometeorology)(UWA)

Project Overview

The site provides nationally consistent observations of vegetation dynamics, faunal biodiversity, micrometeorology (climate, radiation, fluxes of carbon and water), hydrology and biogeochemistry to examine the impacts of fire regime, climate on carbon stocks and GHG emissions, and impacts on habitat quality via ongoing monitoring of vegetation structure and fauna. A wide range of ground based observations of vegetation structure and floristics is planned and all will link to remote sensing of fire and vegetation change over time. Measurements of carbon sequestration through time will be achieved via the instrumentation capable of directly measuring CO2, water use and surface energy properties (energy balance, reflectance). The tower will provide longterm measurements as part of the Ozflux network and the infrastructure is partly funded through the NCRIS TERN OzFlux facilities.

Key research questions

Provide information as part of a larger network of flux towers established along the North Australian Tropical Transect (NATT) gradient, which extends ~1000km south from Darwin 12.5?S. The towers provide flux data across the savanna?s heterogeneous `top end? ecosystems including open forest savanna, open savanna woodland and seasonally inundated floodplains.

Examine spatial patterns and processes of land-surface-atmosphere exchanges (radiation, heat, moisture, CO2 and other trace gasses) across scales from leaf to landscape scales within Australian savannas.

Determine the climate and ecosystem characteristics (physical structure, species composition, physiological function) that drive spatial and temporal variations of carbon, water and energy fluxes from north Australian savanna.

Determine if fluxes of carbon, water vapour and heat over the various ecosystems as derived from the various measurement techniques can be combined to form a comprehensive and consistent estimate of the regional fluxes and budgets across the landscape.

Provide long-term consistent observations of energy, carbon and water exchange between the atmosphere and the `top end? grassland.

The Site Location

The Sturt Plains flux station is located approximately 280km north of Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. It was established in August 2008 and is managed by Monash University external and Charles Darwin University. The Sturt Plains OzFlux Site is located at: Latitude: -17.1507 S Longitude: 133.3502 E

Site Characteristics

The flux tower site is 280km north of Tennant Creek, amongst a low lying plain dominated by Mitchell Grass (gen. Astrebla). Elevation of the site is close to 250m and mean annual precipitation at a nearby Bureau of Meteorology site is 640mm.

Maximum temperatures range from 28.4?C (in June/ July) to 39.1?C (in December), while minimum temperatures range from 11.2?C (in July) to 24.4?C (in December).

The instrument mast is 5 meters tall. Heat, water vapour and carbon dioxide measurements are taken using the open-path eddy flux technique. Temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall and net radiation are measured. Soil heat fluxes are measured and soil moisture content is gathered using time domain reflectometry.

Ancillary measurements taken at the site include LAI, leaf-scale physiological properties (gas exchange, leaf isotope ratios, N and chlorophyll concentrations), vegetation optical properties and soil physical properties. Airborne based remote sensing (Lidar and hyperspectral measurements) was carried out across the transect in September 2008.

Biomass Harvest - mean live biomass: 0.00 gm-2 (standard error: 0.00) , mean standing dead biomass: 163.42 gm-2 (standard error: 16.73), mean litter biomass: 148.99 gm-2 (standard error: 21.32), total mean biomass: 312.40 gm-2 (standard error: 30.80), Soil- Clay: 14.47% (volume <1?m), Silt: 51.23% (volume <1?m), Sand: 34.30% (volume <1?m), Sand (>1 ?m): 1.02% (total weight)

Data

Data from this site is available through the OzFlux data portal international FLUXNET database or via the investigators email jason.beringer[@]uwa.edu.au

Further Information

• Prof. Jason Beringer
• Prof. Lindsay Hutley
• School of Agriculture and Environment
• Charles Darwin University
• The Australian Flux Network (OzFlux)
• The Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Network (TERN)
• The Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Network (TERN) Supersite network
• The National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)
• The International FLUXNET

Acknowledgements

This site is produced by Prof. Jason Beringer, UWA, School of Agriculture and Environment and proudly part of the Australian Flux Network(OzFlux) and partly supported by the Australian NCRIS Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN). Australian Research Council grants supported this work (DP0344744, LP0774812, DP0772981, LP0990038, DP130101566 and FT110100602)