<p>Digital Hemispherical Photography (DHP) upward-looking images are collected twice per year to capture vegetation and crown cover at the Warra Tall Eucalypt SuperSite. These images are used to estimate Leaf area index (LAI). The images are captured at the times of estimated maximum and minimum LAI. </p> <p> The Warra Tall Eucalypt SuperSite was established in 2012 and is located in a stand of tall, mixed-aged <em>Eucalyptus obliqua</em> forest (1.5, 77 and &gt;250 years-old) with a rainforest / wet sclerophyll understorey and a dense man-fern (<em>Dicksonia antarctica</em>) ground-layer. The site experienced a fire in January 2019, which consumed the ground layer and killed a high proportion of the understorey trees but stimulated dense seedling regeneration. For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/warra-tall-eucalypt-supersite/. </p><p> Other images collected at the site include photopoints, phenocam time-lapse images taken from fixed under and overstorey cameras, panoramic landscape and ancillary images of fauna and flora. </p>

An estimate of persistent green cover per season across Australia from 1989 to the present season, minus 2 years. This is intended to estimate the portion of vegetation that does not completely senesce within a year, which primarily consists of woody vegetation (trees and shrubs), although there are exceptions where non-woody cover remains green all year round. It is derived by fitting a multi-iteration minimum weighted smoothing spline through the green fraction of the seasonal fractional cover (dp1) time series. A single band image is produced: persistent green vegetation cover (in percent). The no data value is 255.

This product has been superseded and will not be processed from early 2023. Please find the updated version 3 of this product at https://portal.tern.org.au/metadata/TERN/169dbb12-846f-4536-9dab-e31378d16b41. Two fractional cover decile products, green cover and total cover, are currently produced from the historical timeseries of seasonal fractional cover images. These products compare, at the per-pixel level, the level of cover for the specific season of interest against the long term cover for that same season. For each pixel, all cover values for the relevant seasons within a baseline period (1988 to 2013) are classified into deciles. The cover value for the pixel in the season of interest is then classified according to the decile in which it falls.

<p>Digital Hemispherical Photography (DHP) upward-looking images are collected up to twice per year to capture vegetation and crown cover at Wombat Stringybark Eucalypt SuperSite. These images are used to estimate Leaf area index (LAI). The images are captured at the times of estimated maximum and minimum LAI. </p><p> The site was established in 2010 in the Wombat State Forest in Central Victoria. The site is dry eucalypt forest with main species <em>Eucalyptus obliqua</em>, <em>Eucalyptus radiata</em> and <em>Euclayptus rubida</em>. For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/wombat-stringybark-eucalypt-supersite/. </p><p> Other images collected at the site include photopoints, phenocam time-lapse images taken from fixed under and overstorey cameras and ancilliary images of fauna and flora. </p>

Two fractional cover decile products, green cover and total cover, are currently produced from the historical timeseries of seasonal fractional cover images across Australia, available for each 3-month calendar season. These products compare, at the per-pixel level, the level of cover for the specific season of interest against the long term cover for that same season. For each pixel, all cover values for the relevant seasons within a baseline period (1990 - 2020) are classified into deciles. The cover value for the pixel in the season of interest is then classified according to the decile in which it falls.<br> This product is based upon the JRSRP Fractional Cover 3.0 algorithm.

The seasonal dynamic reference cover method product compares the current ground cover level of each pixel to a reference pixel based on the historical timeseries and is available for Queensland from 1987 to present. It is created using a modified version of the dynamic reference cover method developed by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2012.02.021">Bastin et al (2012) </a>. This approach calculates a minimum ground cover image over all years to identify locations of most persistent ground cover in years with the lowest rainfall, then uses a moving window approach to calculate the difference between the window's central pixel and its surrounding reference pixels. The output is a difference image between the cover amount of a pixel's reference pixels and the actual cover at that pixel for the season being analysed. Negative values indicate pixels which have less cover than the reference pixels.<br> The main differences between this method and the original method are that this method uses seasonal fractional ground cover rather than the preceding ground cover index (GCI) and this method excludes cleared areas and certain landforms (undulating slopes), which are considered unsuitable for use as reference pixels.<br> This product is based upon the JRSRP Fractional Cover 3.0 algorithm.

<p> Digital Cover Photography (DCP) upward-looking images are collected at least twice per year to capture vegetation cover at Calperum SuperSite. These images can be used to estimate Leaf area index (LAI), Crown Cover or Foliage Projective Cover (FPC). The images are captured at the times of estimated maximum and minimum LAI.</p> <p> 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> <p> Other images collected at the site include photopoints, phenocam time-lapse images taken from fixed under and overstorey cameras, panoramic landscape and ancillary images of fauna and flora. </p>

The data set contains distance measures of primary (wind-borne) and secondary (on ground) seed dispersal during spring, summer and autumn, using empirical observations and detailed measurement of wind characteristics. Seeds were collected from populations of <i>Callitris verrucosa</i> within the reserve and was placed parallel to, and 100 m from the burn edge within the burnt site. For the empirical observation of seed dispersal we chose six release locations, three locations in each of the two sites, about 6 km apart that had both recently undergone a planned burn, one in spring 2009 and the other in autumn 2011. Within those two sites the three release locations were positioned 800 m apart from each other along a transect that was placed parallel to, and 100 m from the burn edge within the burnt site. To assess primary (wind-borne) seed dispersal, 20 randomly chosen seeds were released from each of three different heights (1 m, 2 m and 3 m) at each of the six sites, giving a total of 360 seeds released per season. Seeds were only released within a horizontal wind speed range of 8 - 25 km/h. At lower wind speeds seeds would not take-off and at higher wind speeds seeds could not be relocated. This data set could be reused in a similar study carried out for the same species in a different location. <br> To understand the effect of standing vegetation on the secondary (on-ground) seed dispersal, we established groups of 10 seeds on the ground within 10 m of each of the six previous release locations. Seed were left for 4 days before relocated and distances to the starting point were measured. This was repeated during all 3 seasons. Out of the 180 seeds released,161 (89%) seeds could be relocated. <br> Wind measurements were taken on a sand dune crest in the site that was burned during autumn 2011 using an ultrasonic anemometer (Model WindMaster (Part 1590-PK-020), Gill Instruments Ltd, Lymington, UK). Measurements continued for two weeks in spring, summer and autumn. The anemometer measured horizontal wind speed, horizontal wind direction, and vertical wind speed every 0.1 s, producing a dynamic, three dimensional wind speed vector. Measurements were taken at 2 m height. The data can be used for studies dealing with wind movements in mallee during Spring, Summer and Autumn as well as comparative seed dispersal studies using the same or other wind dispersed plant species.

<p>Digital Cover Photography (DCP) upward-looking images are collected twice per year to capture vegetation cover within the core hectare at Cumberland Plain SuperSite. These images can be used to estimate Leaf area index (LAI), Crown Cover or Foliage Projective Cover (FPC). The images are captured at the times of estimated maximum and minimum LAI. In addition, DCP images have been taken on a monthly basis from 2018-2020 at a subset of sites in the core hectare, co-located with litterfall traps and under-canopy radiation sensors, to evaluate more detailed seasonal dynamics of LAI and other aspects of canopy growth. </p><p>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/ . </p><p>Other images collected at the site include photopoints, phenocam time-lapse images taken from fixed overstorey cameras, and ancillary images of fauna and flora. </p>

<p>Digital Hemispherical Photography (DHP) images are collected twice per year to capture vegetation and crown cover at Robson Creek Rainforest SuperSite. Images are taken at the end of the wet season and the end of the dry season and the dates will differ each year. These images are used to estimate maximum (wet season) and minimum (dry season) Leaf area index (LAI) for the rainforest biome. </p><p> The 25 hectare site was established in 2009 and lies on the Atherton Tablelands in the wet tropical rainforests of Australia at 680-740 m elevation. It is situated in Danbulla National Park within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The forest is classified as Regional Ecosystem (RE) 7.3.36a, complex mesophyll vine forest (Queensland Government 2006). The climate is seasonal with approximately 60% of rain falling between January and March and the landform is moderately inclined with a low relief. There are 208 species in the site, and average canopy height is 28 m, ranging from 23 to 44 m. All stems ≥ 10 cm diameter are measured, tagged and mapped. For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/robson-creek-rainforest-supersite/. </p><p> Other bioimages collected at the site include photopoints, phenocam images taken from fixed under and overstorey cameras and ancillary images of fauna and flora. </p>