1. Productivity and Efficiency Gains in Ecosystem
Science and Management for Australia
By: Professors Stuart Phinn and Andrew Lowe
TERN - Associate Science Directors

2. Presentation Question:
How does Australia make the most of its ecosystem
research data collection and sharing facilities for
improving ecosystem science and management,
and sustain them in perpetuity?

3. Presentation Aims
(1) Outline factors requiring long term ecosystem
research data collection and sharing.
(2) Present TERN’s Science Plan to develop an enduring
resource that is used as part of standard practice in
ecosystem science and management in Australia.

4. Contents
1. Needs for sustained ecosystem science infrastructure.
2. Building a collaborative network of ecosystem scientists
where data publication, sharing and re-use is standard.
3. Sustaining essential ecosystem research data collection,
analysis, modelling and synthesis activities.
4. Scientific directions for sustaining long-term operations.

5. 1. Needs for sustained ecosystem
science infrastructure
• Current and future ecosystem science and management
challenges
• Ecosystem science without long term data?
• Models for sustaining ecosystem science infrastructure

6. • Current ecosystem science and management challenges
• Lack of accessible mechanisms for inter-linking science and policy at all
levels of government?
• Assured funding for pure and applied research – at sufficient levels and on
a sustainable basis.
• Lack of a defined ecosystem science community and lobby.
• Lack of a coordinated, longer term, strategic vision for ecosystem research
in Australia .
Source: Longstaff, B.J., T.J.B. Carruthers, W.C. Dennison, T.R. Lookingbill, J.M. Hawkey, J.E. Thomas, E.C. Wicks, and J. Woerner (eds)
Integrating and applying science: A handbook for effective coastal ecosystem assessment. IAN Press, Cambridge, Maryland.U.S.A.,

7. • Current ecosystem science and management challenges
Critical ecosystem science questions driving TERN activities:
• How are Australia’s ecosystems changing over time?
• What is the impact of management policies on Australian ecosystems and
ecosystem processes?
• How are the spatial distributions of Australian plant and animal species
changing are some becoming extinct?
• How are introduced plant and animal species affecting native species?
• Are natural disturbance regimes (fire, flood, cyclones) changing over time
and what is their impact?

8. • Ecosystem science without long term data?
Key questions unable to be examined:
• What type of vegetation is present?
• What are the impacts of disturbance and recovery?
• What are the impacts of management activities?
• What is a “natural change” and what is “human induced”?
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min
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9. • Ecosystem science with long term data

10. • Ecosystem science without long term data?
Longitudinal trends vegetation cover
on Main Camp plots in the Simpson
Desert Study - cover of spinifex (alive
and dead) assessed by eye at six fixed
quadrats on 3 – 12 1-ha study plots,
expressed as means ± SE.
Longitudinal trends in fauna
populations at the Main Camp site
in the Simpson Desert Study:
capture rates of Spinifex Hopping-
mouse Notomys alexis
Dickman, C.R., Wardle, G.M., Foulkes, J. N. and de Preu, N. (2013) Desert complex environments. Chapter 10 . In: Lindenmayer, D.B.,
Burns, E., Thurgate, N., and Lowe, A. (Editors)(2013). Monitoring environmental change. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

11. • Models for sustaining ecosystem science infrastructure?
TERN’s Science Plan:
• Aim:
Explain how Australian ecosystem scientists and decision makers can use TERN
infrastructure to conduct and access the highest quality science required to
understand and manage Australian ecosystems.

12. 2. Building a collaborative network of
ecosystem scientists where data
publication, sharing and re-use is standard
• Research Code of Conduct and Best Practice
• TERN and the Ecosystem Science Research Cycle
• Collaborative (non-disciplinary) Networks

13. • Research Code of Conduct and Best Practice
• The Australian Code for the Responsible
Conduct of Research cites ‘good stewardship of public
resources used to conduct research’ as one of the key
pillars of a strong research culture.
• Responsibilities of institutions:
2.1 Retain research data and primary materials
2.2 Provide secure research data storage and record-keeping facilities
2.3 Identify ownership of research data and primary materials
2.4 Ensure security + confidentiality of research data +primary materials
• Responsibilities of researchers:
2.5 Retain research data and primary materials
2.6 Manage storage of research data and primary materials
2.7 Maintain confidentiality of research data and primary materials

14. • Ecosystem science research cycle(s)
Ecosystem Science
Enhanced ability to
Research output: revise, question and Knowledge gap:
new data and expand knowledge research
publications questions
r
Data analysis,
Proposal and
integration and
planning
synthesis
Storage, Data collection,
preservation and verification,
Enables large scale and
discoverability quality assurance
coordinated data
of data and control
collection, sharing and
multiple re-uses
Data + meta-data,
licensing

15. • TERN and the Ecosystem Science Research Cycle: Impacts
• TERN’s infrastructure significantly expands the traditional data
collection/analysis process to a more complete research data life-cycle .
• TERN’s infrastructure enables data to be collected, stored, linked to
appropriate meta-data and licensing
• Data can be discovered and re-used by the Australian and international
ecosystem science and management communities.

16. • TERN and the Ecosystem Science Research Cycle: Impacts
From scientific and research investment points of view, this enables:
• Multiple returns on an initial investment in
data collection when data re re-used;
• Data collection methods to be shared,
reviewed and replicated;
• Established and nationally accepted data storage,
meta-data and licensing resource;
• Coordinated ongoing investment in ecosystem data
collection infrastructure and operational programs

17. • Collaborative (non)-disciplinary networks
Source: www.fas.org

18. 3. Sustaining essential ecosystem data
collection, analysis, modelling and
synthesis activities
• Understanding the decision-making process and
implementing evidence-based policy
• Essential Data Collection, Analysis, Modelling and Synthesis
• Steps for Sustaining Ecosystem Data Collection, Analysis,
Modelling and Synthesis

19. Understanding the decision-making process
and implementing evidence-based policy
request
Policy and
legislation
collate
Incentivise
derive
and drive
Recommend-
ations for action
Knowledge On-
and decision-
analysis translate
making inform ground
and activities
incorporating
synthesis and
economic and
political drivers outcomes
knowledge
publish
gaps
collate Monitoring
outcomes

20. Essential Data Collection
• Current essential data:
- Operational
- Legislated
• Commonly accepted and widely used:
- “Essential Climate Variables”
- Establish “Essential Ecosystem Variables”
• Examples from global observing systems
Intergovernmental Platform on
Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services

21. Essential Data Collection
• Global Climate Observing System - www.wmo.int/pages/prog/gcos
“All Essential Climate Variables are technically and economically feasible for
systematic observation. It is these variables for which international exchange is
required for both current and historical observations.”

23. Essential Data Collection, Analysis, Modelling and Synthesis
• Establish ecosystem variables collected through TERN
Auscover Ozflux
Multi-Scale Plot Network
AusPlots Transects Network LTERN Supersites Network
Coasts Soils

24. Steps for Sustaining Ecosystem Data Collection, Analysis,
Modelling and Synthesis
For 2013-20 focus on:
• Providing and maintaining data collection and
processing infrastructure
• Adopting the “ecosystem science research cycle” as standard practice in
all areas of Australian ecosystem science research and working with
“evidence-based policy cycle”
• Enabling the coordination of ecosystem science community needs
• Providing integration and coordination functions across
terrestrial, atmospheric, aquatic and marine ecosystem
data collection and sharing activities

25. 4. Scientific directions for sustaining
long-term operations
• How are long term funding directions set?
• Planning the Strategic or Decadal Plan

26. How are long term funding directions set?
• Key science questions?
• Scientific consensus for decadal and strategic plans
• Public requests
• Political interests and process

27. How are long term funding directions set?
• Focus on using a collaborative model:
• For Australia’s research fabric to remain
sustainable it requires funding for national
research infrastructure.
• Address the needs identified in the 2011
Strategic Roadmap for Australian Research
Infrastructure.
• ………the provision of marine, terrestrial and
atmospheric observing systems……
• Landmark investments relate to large-scale
facilities that are often regarded as part of
the global research capacity and that engage
national and international collaborators

28. How are long term funding directions set?
• Societal challenges to be addressed using the National Research
Investment Plan:
• Living in a Changing Environment
• Promoting Population Health and Wellbeing
• Managing Our Food and Water Assets
• Securing Australia’s Place in a Changing World
• Lifting Productivity and Economic Growth

29. • Example approach of linking needs across a dispersed community –
Earth Observation Strategic Plan + National Policy

30. Unpacking the EOS approach and learnings for TERN
• Community that is collaborative open and working together
• Ecosystem science community large (>5000)
needs coordination, individuals and peak bodies
• As group agree and prioritise key infrastructure
• Imagine large infrastructure that supports work – formalise ideas – decadal plan
• Justify investment - economic, national standing & public good
• Technological advances- sensing, analysis, informatics and modelling
• Australia as a world leader
• Jobs (core ~5000, associated 10-20,000)
• Monitoring and managing the earth system that sustains us
• Ecosystem Services = US$33 trillion per year >> Global National Product = US$18 trillion
• Cost to save all threatened species = $81 billion << Bankers’ bonuses = $156 billion
• Coordinated lobbying for high level support
• Societies, groups and large projects (AAS, ESA, TERN, NERP, CoE, Wentworth)
• Individuals (Fellows AAS, Laureate, Future)
• Government and political

31. TERN’s role as a coordinating ecosystem research network
• Catalyzing and establishing a coordinating group with these initial tasks:
• Determine what representation is required for Australian ecosystem sciences
• Determine the priorities for these communities.
• Engage relevant professional communities and bodies
• Establish a process to deliver a Decadal Plan for Ecosystem Science
Agreed to progress with Ecological Society of Australia

32. A Future for Ecosystem Science ?
Managing Ecosystems
Data Collection
Ecosystem Science Education +
Data Storage, Curation and Sharing
Understanding Ecosystems Training
Data Processing and Analysis
Commonwealth, State Long Term Funding Research + Education
and Local Governments Institutions
Coordinated Ecosystem Science
Communities
Ecological Bio-geophysical Informatics
Spatial Analysis & Modelling

33. International Partners
TERN is supported by the Australian Government through
the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy
and the Super Science Initiative

34. Questions?
Professor Stuart Phinn
s.phinn@uq.edu.au
Professor Andy Lowe
a.lowe@adelaide.edu.au
www.tern.org.au