The QBEIS survey database (formerly CORVEG) contains ecosystem physical and vegetation characteristics, including structural and floristic attributes as well as descriptions of landscape, soil and geologic features, collected at study locations across Queensland since 1982. The resulting survey database provides a comprehensive record of areas ground-truthed during the regional ecosystems mapping process and a basis for future updating of mapping or other relevant work such as species modelling.<br /><br /> Only validated survey data is made publicly available and all records of confidential taxa have been masked from the dataset. Data is accessible from the TERN Data Infrastructure, which provides the ability to extract subsets of vegetation, soil and landscape data across multiple data collections and bioregions for more than 100 variables including basal area, crown cover, growth form, stem density and vegetation height.

High quality digital images are captured using a digital SLR camera at the plots (core 1 hectare vegetation plot, Callitris and Floodplain) at the TERN Calperum Mallee SuperSite using the panoramic photopoint method. The panoramic photopoint method may be the most informative in open forests/woodlands and rangelands. Three photopoints are established configured in an equilateral triangle (2.5m sides) with the centre marked with a star dropper and the location recorded with DGPS. At each photopoint take photographic sequences in a 360° panorama, with up to 40 photographs with a minimum 50% overlap between consecutive photographs. For more information about the method, see <a href= 'http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/2.1.4287.3607'>White, el al. (2012) AusPlots Rangelands Survey Protocols Manual Version 1.2.9.</a> <br> The Calperum Mallee SuperSite was established in 2011 and is located on Calperum Station with research plots located in mallee woodland (burnt in 2014), Callitris woodland and a river floodplain (recovering from extensive grazing), consisting of black box, river red gum and lignum. The core 1 ha plot is located in mallee woodland. For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/calperum-mallee-supersite/ .</p> <br /> Other images collected at the site include digital cover photography, phenocam time-lapse images taken from fixed under and overstorey cameras, five-photopoint images and ancillary images of fauna and flora.

For some time, Remote Sensing Sciences, has produced Foliage Projective Cover (FPC) using a model applied to Landsat surface reflectance imagery, calibrated by field observations. An updated model was developed which relates field measurements of FPC to 2-year time series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) computed from Landsat seasonal surface reflectance composites. The model is intended to be applied to Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, given their similar spectral characteristics. However, due to insufficient field data coincident with the Sentinel-2 satellite program, the model was fitted on Landsat imagery using a significantly expanded, national set of field data than was used for the previous Landsat FPC model fitting. The FPC model relates the field measured green fraction of mid- and over-storey foliage cover to the minimum value of NDVI calculated from 2-years of Landsat seasonal surface reflectance composites. NDVI is a standard vegetation index used in remote sensing which is highly correlated with vegetation photosynthesis. The model is then applied to analogous Sentinel-2 seasonal surface reflectance composites to produce an FPC image at Sentinel-2 spatial resolution (i.e. 10&nbsp;m) using the radiometric relationships established between Sentinel-2 and Landsat in Flood (2017). This is intended to represent the FPC for that 2-year period rather than any single date, hence the date range in the dataset file name. The dataset is generally expected to provide a reasonable estimate of the range of FPC values for any given stand of woody vegetation, but it is expected there will be over- and under-estimation of absolute FPC values for any specific location (i.e. pixel) due to a range of factors. The FPC model is sensitive to fluctuations in vegetation greenness, leading to anomalies such as high FPC on irrigated pastures or locations with very green herbaceous or grass understoreys. A given pixel in the FPC image, represents the predicted FPC in the season with the least green/driest vegetation cover over the 2-year period assumed to be that with the least influence of seasonally variable herbaceous vegetation and grasses on the more seasonally stable woody FPC estimates. The two-year period was used partly because it represents a period relative to tree growth but was also constrained due to the limited availability of imagery in the early Sentinel-2 time series. The FPC dataset is constrained by the woody vegetation extent dataset for the FPC year.

High quality digital site reference images are captured for the core 1 hectare vegetation plot of the site on an annual basis to provide context for researchers to understand the general layout and vegetation of the study site, and as a visual reference to monitor any changes over time. Photopoints are taken annually using the five point photopoint method. The set of images for each year usually consists of twenty images: four images taken at each corner of the plot facing each of the four cardinal points, and four images taken from the centre of the plot facing each corner. <br /> The Litchfield Savanna SuperSite was established in 2013 in Litchfield National Park. Site selection was influenced by the history of long-term monitoring work undertaken in this area by the Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research (formerly Bushfires NT). The core 1ha plot is dominated by <em>Eucalyptus miniata</em>. The site is representative of the dominant ecosystem type across northern Australia: frequently burnt tropical savanna in high rainfall areas. For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/litchfield-savanna-supersite/ . <br /> Phenocam images are also collected at the site.

The woody vegetation extent for Queensland is attributed with an estimated age in years since the last significant disturbance. The method uses a sequential Conditional Random Fields classifier applied to Landsat time series starting 1988 to predict woody cover over the time period. A set of heuristic rules is used to detect and track regrowing woody vegetation in the time series of woody probabilities and record the approximate start and end dates of the most recent regrowth event. Regrowth detection is combined with the Statewide Land and Trees Study (SLATS) Landsat historic clearing data to provide a preliminary estimate of age since disturbance for each woody pixel in the woody extent. The 'last disturbance' may be due to a clearing event or other disturbance such as fire, flood, drought-related death etc. Note that not all recorded disturbances may result in complete loss of woody vegetation, so the estimated age since disturbance does not always represent the age of the ecosystem. The age since disturbance product is derived from multiple satellite image sources and derived products which represent different scales and resolutions: Landsat (30&nbsp;m), Sentinel-2 (10&nbsp;m) and Earth-i (1&nbsp;m).

High quality digital site reference images are captured for the core 1 hectare (ha) vegetation plot of the site on an annual basis to provide context for researchers to understand the general layout and vegetation of the study site, and as a visual reference to monitor any changes over time. Photopoints will be taken annually using the five point photopoint method. The set of images for each year usually consists of twenty images: four images taken at each corner of the plot facing each of the four cardinal points, and four images taken from the centre of the plot facing each corner. <br /><br /> The Tumbarumba Flux site was established in 2000 and started measuring in 2001. The 1 ha plot was established in 2015. Preliminary images have been captured since 2000 using various sampling strategies and protocols. The overstorey is dominated by <em>Eucalyptus delegatensis</em> and <em>Eucalyptus dalrympleana</em>. For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/tumbarumba-wet-eucalypt-supersite/.<br /><br/> Other images collected at the site include digital cover photography, phenocam time-lapse images taken from fixed under and overstorey cameras, and ancillary images of fauna and flora.

High quality digital site reference images are captured for the core 1 hectare vegetation plot of the site on an annual basis to provide context for researchers to understand the general layout and vegetation of the study site, and as a visual reference to monitor any changes over time. Photopoints will be taken annually using the five point photopoint method. The set of images for each year usually consists of twenty images: four images taken at each corner of the plot facing each of the four cardinal points, and four images taken from the centre of the plot facing each corner. <br /><br /> The Cumberland Plain SuperSite was established in 2012 in endangered remnant Eucalyptus woodland and is subject to pressure from invasive weeds, altered fire regimes, urban development, conversion to agriculture and extreme climate events. However, the woodland is in excellent condition with the exception of edge effects. The site is located on the Hawkesbury Campus of the University of Western Sydney in New South Wales. For additional site information, see https://deims.org/a1bb29d8-197c-4181-90d8-76083afd44bb/ . <br /> </p><p>Other images collected at the site include digital cover photography, phenocam time-lapse images taken from fixed overstorey cameras, and ancillary images of fauna and flora.

High quality digital images are captured using a digital SLR camera at the plots (core 1 hectare vegetation plot) at the Samford Peri-Urban SuperSite using the panoramic photopoint method. The panoramic photopoint method may be the most informative in open forests/woodlands and rangelands. Three photopoints are established configured in an equilateral triangle (2.5m sides) with the centre marked with a star dropper and the location recorded with DGPS. At each photopoint take photographic sequences in a 360° panorama, with up to 40 photographs with a minimum 50% overlap between consecutive photographs. For more information about the method, see <a href= 'http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/2.1.4287.3607'>White, el al. (2012) AusPlots Rangelands Survey Protocols Manual Version 1.2.9.</a> <br> The Samford Peri-Urban SuperSite was established in 2010 in remnant fringe eucalypt forest, near urban development in the Samford Valley. The upper storey is dominated by <em>Corymbia intermedia</em>, <em>Eucalyptus siderophloia</em> and <em>Lophostemon suaveolens</em>. For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/samford-peri-urban-supersite/ . <br /><br /> Other images collected at the site include digital cover photography, phenocam time-lapse images taken from fixed overstorey cameras, five-photopoint images, and ancillary images of fauna and flora.

The far north Queensland microclimate (FNQ-microclim) is an ongoing long-term microclimate monitoring project from across five tropical rainforest sites (Daintree Rainforest SuperSite, Cape Tribulation; Daintree Rainforest SuperSite, Cow Bay; Rex Range; Mt. Lewis National Park; and Mt. Bellenden Ker), located within an elevation range of 40 - 1550 m a.s.l. Microclimate parameters include: a) air temperature (about 15 cm above ground), b) near surface temperature at the interface between soil and air (less than 1 cm above ground), c) top soil temperature (about 8 cm below ground), and d) top soil moisture (up to 10 cm below ground). Data are recorded every 15 minutes using the TMS-4 sensors (Temperature Moisture Sensor, T.M.O.S.T s.r.o, Prague, Czech Republic).

High quality digital site reference images are captured for the core 1 hectare vegetation plot of the site on an annual basis to provide context for researchers to understand the general layout and vegetation of the study site, and as a visual reference to monitor any changes over time. Photopoints will be taken annually using the five point photopoint method. The set of images for each year usually consists of twenty images: four images taken at each corner of the plot facing each of the four cardinal points, and four images taken from the centre of the plot facing each corner. <br /> The Alice Mulga SuperSite was established in 2010 at Pine Hill Cattle Station with research plots located in low open woodland Mulga (<em>Acacia aneura</em>) and non-Acacia, hummock grassland, and river red gum forest. The core 1 ha plot is located in a dense Mulga woodland (cover 70–80%). For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/alice-mulga-supersite/ . <br /> Other images collected at the site include digital cover photography, phenocam time-lapse images taken from fixed under and overstorey cameras, panoramic landscape and ancillary images of fauna and flora.