Australian Long-term Agroecosystem Research (ALTAR)
The ALTAR network is designed to provide independent, high-resolution, long-term data on carbon and water dynamics in Australian farming systems. By monitoring real working farms, ALTAR aims to uncover the potential of managed systems to balance productivity with environmental resilience.
ALTAR monitoring network
TERN’s Ecosystem Research Infrastructure is supporting researchers at the Sustainable Agroecosystems research group (QUT), who have established monitoring sites on real working farms as part of the ALTAR network.
These farms have a range of site histories, management systems, geology, elevation, climate and vegetation types.
ALTAR sites monitor and track environmental data, and provide it to stakeholders.
Our story
ALTAR is a national research infrastructure initiative, providing independent, open-access data to support better decisions in Australian agriculture—and to help navigate the path towards more resilient and sustainable farming.
As interest grows in climate-smart and regenerative agriculture, there remains a lack of solid, long-term evidence on what truly improves environmental outcomes in real-world farming systems.
ALTAR fills this gap by generating independent, field-based data that reflects how farming practices perform over time.
ALTAR is committed to making data practical and accessible. By translating complex datasets into clear, actionable insights, ALTAR empowers farmers to make informed decisions about on-farm management.
Beyond the farm gate, ALTAR also helps define reasonable bounds for carbon farming and other sustainability initiatives.
With transparent, independent data, farmers can engage in carbon projects with greater confidence on their own terms.
Similarly, policymakers and industry leaders can draw on ALTAR’s independent data to track progress, shape evidence-based targets, and drive meaningful outcomes for the sustainability of Australian agriculture.
Data streams
Eddy-covariance flux towers & meteorological data
Continuous measurements of carbon and water balance (CO₂ exchange, rainfall, evapotranspiration).
Phenocameras
Automated time-lapse cameras track vegetation growth and seasonal changes.
Above-ground biomass
Measuring pasture and woody vegetation growth.
Soil cores
Carbon, Nitrogen and soil nutrients.
Greenhouse gas fluxes
Nitrous oxide (N₂O) using static chambers.
Ecoacoustics
Recording bird and insect sounds to monitor biodiversity.
BioCondition survey
Assessing ecological condition of vegetation and landscapes.
Management data
Fertiliser application, movement of animals, etc.
Above: Soil cores sampled from a monitoring site.
How will the data be used?
Data generated from ALTAR sites benefits policy makers, farmers and researchers. There are many applications to use the data which support land management and environmental sustainability.
Policy makers may use this data to:
- Track emissions over time using high-resolution data on GHGs.
- Inform national and state-level sustainability targets, such as emissions intensity benchmarks, natural capital accounting.
- Evaluate policy effectiveness: using real-world data to assess the long-term impact of public investments or incentive programs (e.g. carbon farming, drought resilience grants).
- Set credible baselines and boundaries for schemes like carbon farming or biodiversity credits.
Farmers may use this data to:
- Understand the long-term benefits and trade-offs of different management practices on soil health and environmental outcomes.
- Benchmark performance against regional trends in carbon stocks, nitrogen cycling, and pasture resilience.
- Build confidence in sustainability decisions using independent data, reducing reliance on external consultants.
- Supports participation in carbon or environmental markets by aligning farm practices with evidence-based thresholds or eligibility criteria.
Researchers may use this data to:
- Access robust, open-access datasets for modelling, meta-analysis, and cross-site comparisons.
- Validate and calibrate ecosystem models using empirical long-term field data.
- Contribute to national and global knowledge on improved management with data rooted in diverse Australian farming contexts (treatment and control sites).
Meet the Team
Project Lead
Project Manager
Technical Lead
Technical Lead
Contact
- Dave Rowlings
- Elaine Mitchell
- Liam Grace
- Caitlin Moore
General enquiries:
- tern@uq.edu.au
- +61 (0)7 3365 9097
-
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The University of Queensland
80 Meiers Road
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Australia