An introduction to the Australian and New Zealand flux tower network –
OzFlux

J. Beringer; L. B. Hutley; I. McHugh; S. K. Arndt; D. Campbell; H. A. Cleugh; J. Cleverly; V. Resco de Dios; D. Eamus; B. Evans; C. Ewenz; P. Grace; A. Griebel; V. Haverd; N. Hinko-Najera; A. Huete; P. Isaac; K. Kanniah; R. Leuning; M. J. Liddell; C. Macfarlane; W. Meyer; C. Moore; E. Pendall; A. Phillips; R. L. Phillips; S. M. Prober; N. Restrepo-Coupe; S. Rutledge; I. Schroder; R. Silberstein; P. Southall; M. S. Yee; N. J. Tapper; E. van Gorsel; C. Vote; J. Walker; T. Wardlaw

doi:10.5194/bg-13-5895-2016

Biogeosciences (Oct 2016)

An introduction to the Australian and New Zealand flux tower network – OzFlux

J. Beringer,
L. B. Hutley,
I. McHugh,
S. K. Arndt,
D. Campbell,
H. A. Cleugh,
J. Cleverly,
V. Resco de Dios,
D. Eamus,
B. Evans,
C. Ewenz,
P. Grace,
A. Griebel,
V. Haverd,
N. Hinko-Najera,
A. Huete,
P. Isaac,
K. Kanniah,
R. Leuning,
M. J. Liddell,
C. Macfarlane,
W. Meyer,
C. Moore,
E. Pendall,
A. Phillips,
R. L. Phillips,
S. M. Prober,
N. Restrepo-Coupe,
S. Rutledge,
I. Schroder,
R. Silberstein,
P. Southall,
M. S. Yee,
N. J. Tapper,
E. van Gorsel,
C. Vote,
J. Walker,
T. Wardlaw

Affiliations

J. Beringer: School of Earth and Environment (SEE), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
L. B. Hutley: School of Environment, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, NT, 0909 Darwin, Australia
I. McHugh: School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Australia
S. K. Arndt: School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Richmond, 3121, VIC, Australia
D. Campbell: School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
H. A. Cleugh: CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship, Yarralumla, ACT, 2600, Australia
J. Cleverly: School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia
V. Resco de Dios: Producció Vegetal i Ciència Forestal, Universitat de Lleida, 25198, Lleida, Spain
D. Eamus: School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia
B. Evans: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
C. Ewenz: Airborne Research Australia, Flinders University, Salisbury South, SA, 5106, Australia
P. Grace: Institute for Future Environments and Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
A. Griebel: School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Richmond, 3121, VIC, Australia
V. Haverd: CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship, Yarralumla, ACT, 2600, Australia
N. Hinko-Najera: School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Richmond, 3121, VIC, Australia
A. Huete: Remote Sensing Research Group, Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia
P. Isaac: CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship, Yarralumla, ACT, 2600, Australia
K. Kanniah: Faculty of Geoinformation and Real Estate, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Johor, 81310, Malaysia
R. Leuning: CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship, Yarralumla, ACT, 2600, Australia
M. J. Liddell: Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4878, Australia
C. Macfarlane: CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 5, Floreat 6913, Western Australia
W. Meyer: Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
C. Moore: School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Australia
E. Pendall: Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
A. Phillips: Forestry Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
R. L. Phillips: Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
S. M. Prober: CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 5, Floreat 6913, Western Australia
N. Restrepo-Coupe: Remote Sensing Research Group, Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia
S. Rutledge: CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship, Yarralumla, ACT, 2600, Australia
I. Schroder: International CCS & CO2CRC, Resources Division, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
R. Silberstein: Centre for Ecosystem Management, Edith Cowan University, School of Natural Sciences, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia
P. Southall: Centre for Ecosystem Management, Edith Cowan University, School of Natural Sciences, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia
M. S. Yee: Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Australia
N. J. Tapper: School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Australia
E. van Gorsel: CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship, Yarralumla, ACT, 2600, Australia
C. Vote: Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 2678, Australia
J. Walker: Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Australia
T. Wardlaw: Forestry Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5895-2016
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 21
pp. 5895 – 5916

Abstract

Read online

OzFlux is the regional Australian and New Zealand flux tower network that aims to provide a continental-scale national research facility to monitor and assess trends, and improve predictions, of Australia's terrestrial biosphere and climate. This paper describes the evolution, design, and current status of OzFlux as well as provides an overview of data processing. We analyse measurements from all sites within the Australian portion of the OzFlux network and two sites from New Zealand. The response of the Australian biomes to climate was largely consistent with global studies except that Australian systems had a lower ecosystem water-use efficiency. Australian semi-arid/arid ecosystems are important because of their huge extent (70 %) and they have evolved with common moisture limitations. We also found that Australian ecosystems had a similar radiation-use efficiency per unit leaf area compared to global values that indicates a convergence toward a similar biochemical efficiency. The two New Zealand sites represented extremes in productivity for a moist temperate climate zone, with the grazed dairy farm site having the highest GPP of any OzFlux site (2620 gC m−2 yr−1) and the natural raised peat bog site having a very low GPP (820 gC m−2 yr−1). The paper discusses the utility of the flux data and the synergies between flux, remote sensing, and modelling. Lastly, the paper looks ahead at the future direction of the network and concludes that there has been a substantial contribution by OzFlux, and considerable opportunities remain to further advance our understanding of ecosystem response to disturbances, including drought, fire, land-use and land-cover change, land management, and climate change, which are relevant both nationally and internationally. It is suggested that a synergistic approach is required to address all of the spatial, ecological, human, and cultural challenges of managing the delicately balanced ecosystems in Australasia.

Published in Biogeosciences

ISSN: 1726-4170 (Print); 1726-4189 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General): Ecology; Science: Biology (General): Life; Science: Geology
Website: http://www.biogeosciences.net

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