<p>This dataset comprises a comprehensive archive of soil pit samples collected from TERN Ecosystem Surveillance monitoring plots across Australia. Soil is characterised from a 1-meter soil pit located near the southwest corner of each 1-hectare monitoring plot. A soil sample is collected down the soil profile from each recognised horizon, and are collected as part of the soil characterisation process including detailed morphological and profile descriptions. Collected following the standardised Ecosystem Surveillance methodology, the dataset includes over 5,800 soil pit samples archived in the TERN Australia Soil and Herbarium Collection, located at the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus.</p> <p>Each record includes detailed metadata such as voucher barcode for soil collected from each horizon at the soil pit, site and visit information and sampling details. Soil pit samples are accessible and available for loan upon request through the EcoPlots Samples portal via an Expression of Interest.</p>

<p>This dataset lists soil profile observations described in the rangeland sites across Australia by the TERN Surveillance Monitoring team, using standardised AusPlots methodologies.</p> <p>Soil profile characteristics are observed and collected at each site as part of the AusPlots Soil and Landscapes methods. For each soil profile sampled, soil horizon's colour, electrical conductivity, effervescence, soil ped characteristics, soil pH, texture and coarse fragments characteristics are described as part of the AusPlots Soil characterisation to 1&amp;nbsp;m+ method. Soil specimens for the soil horizons are also collected for preservation.</p>

<p> TERN Ecosystem Surveillance is a plot-based field monitoring platform that tracks the direction and magnitude of change in Australia’s environments. Information on soils and vegetation is collected according to standardized, widely endorsed and consistent protocols across all plots, and includes the collection of soil and vegetation samples for subsequent analysis.</p> <p>Data collected by TERN is stratified across the entire continent to ensure adequate coverage of major Australian ecosystems, and measures are repeated at least once a decade, with the aim to establish replicate plots throughout the ecosystem types existing within Australia’s Major Vegetation Groups (MVG’s). Additional plots located in key environmental transition zones will be re-measured every five to ten years.</p> <p>TERN users include researchers, land managers and policy-makers who require access to terrestrial ecosystem attributes collected over time from continental scale to field sites at hundreds of representative locations. TERN provides model-ready data that enables users to detect and interpret changes in ecosystems. In addition, TERN curates The TERN Australia Soil and Herbarium Collection, with over 180,000 vegetation and soil samples (and associated contextual environmental data), available to loan through the EcoPlots Samples portal via an Expression of Interest.</p> <p>TERN’s world-class surveillance monitoring infrastructure will support long-term ecological inventory, environmental monitoring, environmental prediction, reporting and assessment, and underpin decisions about our greatest environmental challenges.</p>