Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and the Super Science Initiative.
Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia
The Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia Facility will produce a comprehensive fine-scale grid of functional soil attributes and key landscape features. This is essential information for modelling and managing Australian landscapes and ecosystems, but is not currently available. Ecosystem research capability will be enhanced through an immediate improvement in the capacity to extrapolate from existing plots/sites, to effectively place new plots, and to design more effective landscapeâ€scale research. The grid is consistent with the developing Global Soils Map and with the evolution in Australian soil information over the past decade.
With completion of the facility, Australian soils information will be consistent, readily available, comprehensive and relevant to current and developing modelling processes, and uncertainty estimates will make clear where there is need for more survey effort.
The Soil and Landscape Grid is a two stage facility – both stages are necessary to meet the needs identified for the Soils Facility. The first stage uses currently available funding to establish the baseline for the facility and the first estimation of the key features of the soils grid. This will be achieved by using a combination of the existing soils data (especially that captured in the common data framework of the Australian Soil Resource Information System (ASRIS)); developments in new soil measurement techniques and proximal soil sensing, digital soil mapping and accompanying information and communication technology (ICT) improvements; and spatial statistics to provide the best possible estimates of the key soil functional attributes at a scale important in ecosystem processes.
Stage 2 will capture a much wider set of source data, will broaden the attributes estimated, will reduce and categorise the uncertainty of the estimates, and substantially improve the access to and ease of use of the facility.
Components of the National Soil and Landscape Facility
Read the feature article on the soils facility in TERN's November 2011 e-newsletter.
Facility Director:
Mike Grundy
CSIRO Land and Water
P: +61-(0)7 3833 5633
E:
If you are in Adelaide on Tuesday 27 March, you might be interested in attending The ACEAS Great Debate as a prelude to the TERN Symposium.
Registration to the 3rd TERN Annual National Symposium is now open. Program and registration information are on the symposium webpage.
TERN's AusCover Facility is holding a Data Users Workshop in Brisbane on 8 March. Visit the web page for links to the program and information on how to register.
TERN's AusPlots Sub-Facility is holding a Field Method Training workshop at the Renmark and Calperum Station Supersite in South Australia, 4-9 March. Limited places available, so get in quick!
In our December newsletter the TERN Director summarises — and celebrates — the huge effort that has gone into creating the TERN network so far. We introduce you to the complex world of the Australian Supersite Network. At workshops in Adelaide and Perth, TERN facilities work with various collaborators; we invite you to get involved in TERN; and there's some wild talk. You'll have to read the newsletter to find out more.
New research supersite will tell woodlands climate story (media release)
What would it take to get you to share (both deposit and use) data in TERN facility portals? If this question interests you join our discussion on LinkedIn.
