Abstract
Abstract. OzFlux is the regional Australian and New Zealand flux tower network that aims to provide a continental-scale national research facility to monitor and assess trends, and improve predictions, of Australia's terrestrial biosphere and climate. This paper describes the evolution, design, and current status of OzFlux as well as provides an overview of data processing. We analyse measurements from all sites within the Australian portion of the OzFlux network and two sites from New Zealand. The response of the Australian biomes to climate was largely consistent with global studies except that Australian systems had a lower ecosystem water-use efficiency. Australian semi-arid/arid ecosystems are important because of their huge extent (70 %) and they have evolved with common moisture limitations. We also found that Australian ecosystems had a similar radiation-use efficiency per unit leaf area compared to global values that indicates a convergence toward a similar biochemical efficiency. The two New Zealand sites represented extremes in productivity for a moist temperate climate zone, with the grazed dairy farm site having the highest GPP of any OzFlux site (2620 gC m−2 yr−1) and the natural raised peat bog site having a very low GPP (820 gC m−2 yr−1). The paper discusses the utility of the flux data and the synergies between flux, remote sensing, and modelling. Lastly, the paper looks ahead at the future direction of the network and concludes that there has been a substantial contribution by OzFlux, and considerable opportunities remain to further advance our understanding of ecosystem response to disturbances, including drought, fire, land-use and land-cover change, land management, and climate change, which are relevant both nationally and internationally. It is suggested that a synergistic approach is required to address all of the spatial, ecological, human, and cultural challenges of managing the delicately balanced ecosystems in Australasia.
Highlights
1.1 The role of flux research in AustraliaGlobal environmental change is one of the greatest challenges facing the planet (Steffen et al, 2011)
Natural terrestrial ecosystems provide a range of services such as carbon sequestration and climate regulation, water balance, biodiversity, ecotourism, resources, and food (Costanza et al, 1998; Eamus et al, 2005), yet they are at risk from climate change and variability, land-use change, and disturbance (Schroter et al, 2005)
In 2009 initial funding was provided to Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), which provided nominal support for many OzFlux sites along with other capabilities such as intensive ecosystem monitoring (SuperSites), remote sensing (AusCover), modelling, TERN synthesis (ACEAS), coastal, soil, and plot-based networks (AusPlots), and Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) facilities and transects (Australian Transect Network)
Summary
Global environmental change is one of the greatest challenges facing the planet (Steffen et al, 2011). Of particular concern are potential increases in the effects of climate-induced physiological stress and interactions with other climate-mediated processes such as insect outbreaks and wildfire (Allen et al, 2010; Evans et al, 2013) This has important effects on carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions because carbon stored in woody vegetation is vulnerable to increased fire risk through burning under climate change (Bowman et al, 2013). These vegetation groups occur primarily in arid and semi-arid climates that dominate the landscape (this paper) and provide a crucial source of information in understanding the role of Australian semi-arid vegetation in the global carbon cycle (Ahlström et al, 2015; Poulter et al, 2014). We will conclude by looking ahead at the future direction of the network
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