Scientists, statisticians, park rangers, Aboriginal custodians, students, an agronomist and an artist were part of a team that came together to collect data in LTERN’s Three Parks Savanna Fire Effects plots, helping scientists to examine the impact of bushfires on the biodiversity in this unique region.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology plays a critical role in Australia, using its expertise and services to assist Australians to deal with the harsh realities of our natural environment. Now, thanks to a partnership with TERN’s AusCover facility, the Bureau has been able to enhance its capacity for dealing with the daily meteorological data we all rely on.

Droughts and high temperatures have severe impacts on Australia’s forest ecosystems, and in extreme cases can lead to widespread forest mortality. A multi-disciplinary working group brought together by ACEAS is analysing current patterns of forest death to determine how vulnerable our forests will be to extreme droughts in the future.

Australia is a continent of extremes, and the frequency and intensity of extreme events is likely to increase as climate change takes hold. Do we understand enough about the processes driving these events to prepare for the future? In this month’s newsletter, we look at some of the ways different groups are using TERN’s infrastructure to help Australians anticipate and cope with extremes.

The practical challenges posed by the extremes of Australia’s natural environments are well known to any field researcher. Earlier this month, the team at the FNQ Rainforest Supersite had to work through unseasonably wet conditions – more than 120 mm of rain – to install a new 40 m flux tower.

Data, expertise, and synthesis opportunities enabled by TERN have all played a role in the development of a new scientifically-robust risk assessment framework to support the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems