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    The Australian Phenology Product is a continental data set that allows the quantitative analysis of Australia’s phenology derived from MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) data using an algorithm designed to accommodate Australian conditions. The product can be used to characterize phenological cycles of greening and browning and quantify the cycles’ inter and intra annual variability from 2003 to 2018 across Australia. Phenological cycles are defined as a period of EVI-measured greening and browning that may occur at any time of the year, extend across the end of a year, skip a year (not occur for one or multiple years) or occur more than once a year. Multiple phenological cycles within a year can occur in the form of double cropping in agricultural areas or be caused by a-seasonal rain events in water limited environments. Based on per-pixel greenness trajectories measured by MODIS EVI, phenological cycle curves were modelled and their key properties in the form of phenological curve metrics were derived including: the first and second minimum point, peak, start and end of cycle; length of cycle, and; the amplitude of the cycle. Integrated EVI under the curve between the start and end of the cycle time of each cycle is calculated as a proxy of productivity.

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    This product provides locations of areas affected by fire including the approximate day of burning. Inputs are daily day time observations from MODIS sensors on Terra and Aqua. Observations are atmospherically corrected and the resulting time series is investigated for sudden changes in reflectance, persistent over multiple days. Variations in observation and illumination geometry are taken into account through application of a kernel driven Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) model.

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    This dataset includes upper and lower thermal limits, voluntary exposure to extreme cold and warm temperatures, ATP levels, and longevity of <i>Acyrtociphom pisum</i> and <i>Hippodamia convergens</i>. Pathogens can modify many aspects of host behavior or physiology, with cascading impacts across trophic levels in terrestrial food webs. These changes include thermal tolerance of hosts, however, the effects of fungal infections on thermal tolerances and behavioral responses to extreme temperatures of prey (<i>Acyrtociphon pisum</i>) and predator (<i>Hippodamia convergens</i>) insect species have rarely been studied. We measured the impacts of fungal infection (at two levels: low and high spore load) on thermal tolerance (critical thermal maximum and minimum), voluntary exposure, energetic cost, and survival of both insect species. Fungal infection reduced thermal tolerance to heat in both insect species, but only reduced tolerance to cold of the predator. Voluntary exposure to extreme temperatures was modified by the infection, energetic cost increased with infection and thermal conditions, and survival was significantly reduced in both insect species.

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    The project is focused on the topic, 'enhanced heat tolerance of virus-infected aphids lead to niche expansion and reduced interspecific competition. The two aphid species studied are <i>Rhopalosiphum padi</i> and <i>Rhopalosiphum maidis</i>. The project had some of the following objectives: [1] Spatial distribution of two aphid species on the host plants [2] Upper thermal limits of two aphid species. [3] Effects of the viral infection on the host plant thermal profile. [4] Levels of expression of heat shock protein genes of virus-free and viruliferous aphids. [5] Locomotor capacity of aphids, effects of viruses on the locomotor capacity. [6] Effects of viral infection, temperature, and competition on the lifespan and fecundity of <i>R. padi</i> [7] Effects of viral infection, temperature, and competition on the lifespan and fecundity of <i>R. maidis</i> [8] Temperature of acrylic tubes used on aphid experiments. [9] Thermal lethal dose 50 of virus-free and viruliferous aphids [10] Thermal preference of virus-free and viruliferous aphids. This information can be very useful for ecologist working on insect population dynamics as well as physiologist and eco-physiologists doing meta-analyses of expression of heat shock protein genes induced by symbionts.

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    Heatwaves are defined as unusually high temperature events that occur for at least three consecutive days with major impacts to human health, economy, agriculture and ecosystems. This dataset provides time-series of heatwave characteristics such as peak temperature, number of events, frequency and duration from 1950 to 2016 in Australia. The analysis were based on daily minimum and maximum temperature obtained from the Australian Water Availability Project (AWAP). The data is available as spatial time-series (5km grid-cell) and aggregated time-series for all Local Government Areas in Australia.

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    The Norfolk Island Green Parrot (Cyanoramphus cookii) Wild Breeding Project (2013-2014) dataset contains records of Green Parrot breeding success and survival rates per nesting site, including number of eggs laid, number of chicks hatched and number of chicks fledged. Records of sex composition are recorded as well as records of parental attendance and any nesting disturbance. For information on study site coordinates (restricted data) for this species, please contact the dataset author.