The Woodland Restoration Plot Network Drought data package contains Hutchinson’s Drought Indices calculated for the Prospect Reservoir, a location in close proximity of the Woodland Restoration Plot Network plots. The Hutchinson climatic drought indices were invented by Professor Michael Hutchinson at the Australian National University in 1992. Professor Hutchinson designed two indices to reflect the duration and the severity of agricultural droughts using precipitation data. Professor Hutchinson subsequently collaborated with Mr Ivan Hanigan at LTERN to extend the drought indices with new methods, and a computer program was written to compute the indices using a range of climatic data sources. The Woodland Restoration Plot Network Drought data package was created from three different data sources: 1) the Bureau of Meteorology Station data 1887-2014, 2) the Australian Water Availability Project’s gridded climate data 1900-2014 and 3) the TERN EMAST gridded climate data 1970-2012. The project conducted a comparative analysis of the different climatic data sources, which differ in terms of their temporal extent and spatial resolution. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Woodland Restoration Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/woodland-restoration

This package contains automatic weather station readings from a site in Tarawi Nature Reserve, first set up in May 2015, replacing an older manual rainfall gauge. Between 1996 and 2011, 53 experimental sites were established on dune crests and upper slopes, of which 29 are located in Tarawi Nature Reserve, 16 are in Scotia Sanctuary and 8 are in Danggali Conservation Park. After initial censuses in three consecutive years (before and after prescribed fire) or two consecutive years (after wildfire), sites are revisited approximately every five years. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Mallee Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/mallee.

These data are the rainfall readings from sites in Tarawi Nature Reserve and Scotia Sanctuary. Between 1996 and 2011, 53 experimental sites were established on dune crests and upper slopes, of which 29 are located in Tarawi Nature Reserve, 16 are in Scotia Sanctuary and 8 are in Danggali Conservation Park. After initial censuses in three consecutive years (before and after prescribed fire) or two consecutive years (after wildfire), sites are revisited approximately every five years. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Mallee Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/mallee.

These data are the rainfall readings from sites in Tarawi Nature Reserve and Scotia Sanctuary. Between 1996 and 2011, 53 experimental sites were established on dune crests and upper slopes, of which 29 are located in Tarawi Nature Reserve, 16 are in Scotia Sanctuary and 8 are in Danggali Conservation Park. After initial censuses in three consecutive years (before and after prescribed fire) or two consecutive years (after wildfire), sites are revisited approximately every five years. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Mallee Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/mallee.