Research Resources
TERN provides services to researchers by publishing open access, quality-controlled Big Data that comes from the multi-scale ecosystem observatory that TERN operates. TERN undertakes ecosystem observation from continental to regional to local scale using its network of sophisticated monitoring sites that capture real-time data on vegetation dynamics, soil conditions, carbon cycling, water fluxes, and ecosystem responses to environmental change.
We take pride in delivering only the highest quality data and analytical tools to researchers from academia, government, industry and community so they can address society’s grand challenges through achieving a better understanding of drivers of ecosystem integrity.
Research Resources: what we offer
The environmental trends published each year by TERN and ANU in Australia’s Environment report are summarised as Australia’s Environment Condition Score (ECS). Raw data used in deriving the ECS can be downloaded as CSV files. Scorecards with Environmental Condition Scores are available for states & territories, federal and state electorates, local government areas, statistical areas, natural resources management regions, National Parks, Ramsar wetlands, drainage basins, river regions and bioregions.
TERN has earned an international reputation for its development of a range of standardised protocols that underpin systematic collection of ecosystem data from field surveys, biodiversity monitoring and used of sensors. It has also developed web-based apps that allow data to be entered directly onto a smart phone or tablet, regardless of platform, from where it is automatically downloaded to TERN’s databases for analysis. These standard field data collection protocols are now being adopted widely by other agencies. See, for example, the Ecological Monitoring System Australia (EMSA) and the Threatened Species Index.
The TERN Australia Soil and Herbarium Collection located in Adelaide, South Australia, is continually growing, with over 100,000 vegetation and soil samples collected by TERN from around 1000 sites across the continent and which represent every major ecosystem.
Plant specimen identifications have been verified by professional taxonomists from state, territory and national herbaria. The collection is nationally and internationally unique because all samples can be linked to other soil and plant samples and detailed environmental context data from sample locations. This provides a comprehensive understanding of the condition of hundreds of Australian ecosystems, how they are changing, and how different parts of the environment interact.
Thousands of samples are borrowed by scientists from Australia and overseas each year to support research in environmental science, agriculture and even pharmaceutical development.
For the Australian and international scientific communities, we provide TERN data, samples, and site-based research infrastructure. Based on word-of-mouth and Web of Science and similar bibliographic search engines picking up researchers’ acknowledgement of TERN for use of data and/or sites used in research, TERN maintains a database of publications that result from the work of those researchers. TERN then publishes a cumulative annual list of publications as a service to the ecological community. The community is heading towards 3000 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles or books that have been enabled by TERN’s Big Data and/or observatory sites. since 2010. Help grow the list by acknowledging TERN!
TERN’s education strategy is to develop resources in response to the needs expressed by our ecological community. We focus on modules that grade from developing awareness of ecosystem concepts, through intermediate and onto those designed for advanced users of TERN data.
If you’re looking for data assistance or support, our TERN knowledge base is the place to find what you’re looking for. Search in the knowledge base or open a support ticket and send our team an email. We will get back to you as soon as possible while providing dedicated customer support services.