Ecosystem Data Services and Analytics

Simplify your research data collection with the help of the research data repository managed by TERN Australia. We host a diverse range of ecosystem and environmental data, including that related to ecoacoustics, leaf area index, images and more.

The TERN research data collection provides analysis-ready environment data that facilitates a wide range of ecological research projects undertaken by established and emerging scientists from Australia and around the world. The resources which we provide support scientific investigation in a wide array of environment and climate research fields along with decision-making initiatives.

Explore our data portals

Open access ecosystem data collections via the TERN Data Discovery Portal and sub-portals:

Access all TERN Environment Data
Discover datasets published by TERN’s observing platforms and collaborators. Search geographically, then browse, query and extract the data via the TERN Data Discovery Portal.

Tools that support the discovery, analysis and re-use of data

  • Cloud-based virtual desktop to run and share experiments (CoESRA)
  • Data submission, harmonisation and retrieval of ecological data (SHaRED)
  • Discovery, mapping and analysis of landscape-scale ecosystem datasets (Data Visualiser)
  • Cloud-based analysis, synthesis and training platform

Search EcoPlots data
Search, integrate and access Australia’s plot-based ecology survey data.

Download ausplotsR
Extract, prepare, visualise and analyse TERN Ecosystem Surveillance monitoring data in R.

Search EcoImages
Search and download Leaf Area Index (LAI), Phenocam and Photopoint images.

Explore our data services

Tools that support the discovery, anaylsis and re-use of data:

Visualise the data
We’ve teamed up with ANU to provide 50 landscape and ecosystem datasets presented graphically.

Access CoESRA Virtual Desktop
A virtual desktop environment that enables users to create, execute and share environmental data simulations.

Submit data with SHaRED
Our user friendly tool to upload your data securely to our environment database so you can contribute to Australia’s ecological research.

Other data portals, tools and services

The Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia uses the best available data from existing databases, new sensor measurements and novel spatial modelling to present fine spatial resolution (3 arc-seconds or approximately 90 x 90 m pixels) digital soil and landscape attribute maps.

The Australian Cosmic-Ray Neutron Soil Moisture Monitoring Network (CosmOz) delivers soil moisture data for 16 sites over an area of about 30 hectares to depths in the soil of between 10 to 50 cm. In 2020, the CosmOz soil moisture network, which is led by CSIRO, is set to be expanded to 23 sites.

The TERN Mangrove Data Portal provides a diverse range of historical and contemporary remotely-sensed datasets on extent and change of mangrove ecosystems across Australia. It includes multi-scale field measurements of mangrove floristics, structure and biomass, a diverse range of airborne imagery collected since the 1950s, and multispectral and hyperspectral imagery captured by drones, aircraft and satellites. This project has been recognised as contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

TERN’s ausplotsR is an R Studio package for extracting, preparing, visualising and analysing TERN’s Ecosystem Surveillance monitoring data. Users can use the package to directly access plot-based data on vegetation and soils across Australia, with simple function calls to extract the data and merge them into species occurrence matrices for analysis or to calculate things like basal area and fractional cover.

The annual Australia’s Environment products summarise a large amount of observations on the trajectory of our natural resources and ecosystems. Use the data explorer to view and download maps, accounts or charts by region and land use type. The website also has national summary reports and report cards for different types of administrative and geographical regions.

Meet the Data Services & Analytics team leaders

Dr Siddeswara Guru

Data Services and Analytics Platform Lead

Mr Gerhard Weis

Solution Architect

Ms Wilma Karsdorp

Senior Software Engineer
Analysis-ready ecosystem data

Our research data collection makes it easier for scientists and researchers to investigate and answer their questions by providing them with open data, research and management tools, infrastructure, and site-based research tools.

The TERN Data Discovery Portal provides open access ecosystem data. Our tools support data discovery, analysis, and re-use. The services which we provide facilitate research, education, and management. We maintain a network of monitoring site and sensor data streams for long-term research as part of our research data repository.