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| Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network |
| Abbreviation | ATERN |
| Formation | 2000s |
| Type | Research network |
| Headquarters | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |
| Region served | Australia |
| Parent organisation | Australian Research Council |
Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
The Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network is a national research infrastructure initiative supporting long‑term ecological monitoring and experimental studies across Australia. It coordinates observational sites, standardized protocols, and data management to inform decision‑making related to Biodiversity hotspots, Great Barrier Reef catchments, and arid zone conservation in contexts such as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments and national environmental reporting. The network interfaces with agencies like the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and universities including the Australian National University, University of Melbourne, and University of Sydney.
The network provides long‑term ecological data from sites spanning Tasmania, the Kimberley, the Nullarbor Plain, and the Australian Alps to support research by institutions such as Monash University, University of Western Australia, Queensland University of Technology, James Cook University, and the University of Queensland. ATERN’s datasets feed into synthesis activities led by centres like the Fenner School of Environment and Society, the Australian Antarctic Division, and the CSIRO Land and Water division, and inform national programs such as the National Environmental Science Program and international initiatives including the Group on Earth Observations.
The network emerged from early 21st century calls for coordinated ecology infrastructure during reviews by the Australian Research Council and the Department of the Environment and was shaped by contributions from research stations like the Arid Recovery Reserve, Stewart Research Station, and the Daintree Rainforest Observatory. Funding cycles involved partnerships with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence schemes, the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, and philanthropic support from bodies comparable to the Ian Potter Foundation. Major milestones included integration of legacy datasets from the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERENO) analogues, adoption of standardized protocols influenced by the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTER) model, and participation in synthesis workshops with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the International Long Term Ecological Research Network.
Governance combines oversight by advisory boards with representation from the Australian Academy of Science, state agencies such as the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment, and stakeholder institutions including the Parks Australia network. Operational management is coordinated by host institutions in cooperation with research infrastructure programs administered by the Australian Research Data Commons and reporting aligned to frameworks used by the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the Bureau of Meteorology. Ethics and Indigenous engagement protocols draw upon agreements with organisations such as the Aboriginal Land Council and research guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council for culturally sensitive fieldwork.
The network supports topics including vegetation dynamics, carbon cycling, fire ecology, and invasive species, collaborating on projects with the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, the Threatened Species Recovery Hub, and the Carbon Neutral Universities Network. Examples of focused studies connect to initiatives by the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (UK), comparative projects with the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network (US), and national syntheses that inform reports to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and submissions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Field experiments have been co‑designed with conservation programs run by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, restoration trials with the World Wildlife Fund Australia, and landscape modelling with the CSIRO.
Data stewardship follows principles promoted by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Committee on Data (CODATA), using metadata standards aligned with the Australian Research Data Commons and DOI assignment practices similar to those at the Australian National Data Service. The network integrates sensor data from flux towers associated with the OzFlux network, remote sensing products from Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology, and species occurrence records cross‑referenced with the Atlas of Living Australia. Data portals and APIs have been developed drawing on technical expertise from the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre and university e‑research teams, supporting reproducible science in partnership with repositories like the Australian Data Archive.
ATERn operates through formal collaborations with agencies and organisations including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Australian National University, state parks agencies such as Parks Victoria, and international partners like the International Long Term Ecological Research Network, the Global Earth Observation System of Systems, and the Group on Earth Observations. Sectoral partnerships extend to environmental NGOs including the World Wildlife Fund, industry consortia, and Indigenous ranger programs coordinated with the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation. Cross‑disciplinary links are maintained with modelling groups at the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences and climate research teams at the CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research.
Data and syntheses from the network have informed national biodiversity assessments submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity, contributed to regional fire management strategies used by the Country Fire Authority (Victoria), and supported carbon accounting approaches relevant to the Emissions Reduction Fund. Publications based on network data have appeared in journals associated with the Australian Academy of Science and international outlets used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The network’s long‑term records underpin management decisions for protected areas such as the Kakadu National Park and catchment planning for the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, and contribute to training programs at universities including the University of Tasmania and Deakin University.
Category:Research networks in Australia