from the director - serf · 2010-11-25 · serf manager isr project manager phone 07 3138 2466...
TRANSCRIPT
Samford Ecological Research Facility Institute for Sustainable Resources
Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434 Brisbane Queensland, 4001 Australia Phone +61 7 3138 1904 Fax +61 7 3138 4438 Email [email protected]
www.serf.qut.edu.au | www.isr.qut.edu.au
© Q
UT
2010
Mar
ketin
g an
d C
omm
unic
atio
n 17
412
Samford Ecological Research Faci l i ty Newsletter November 2010
Professor Peter Grace SERF Director ISR Research Director and Professor of Global Change Phone 07 3138 9283 Email [email protected]
Michelle Gane SERF Manager ISR Project Manager Phone 07 3138 2466 Email [email protected]
Dr Ian Williamson SERF Research and Education Leader Senior Lecturer, QUT Faculty of Science and Technology Phone 07 3138 2779 Email [email protected]
Annabelle Ramsay SERF Outreach Leader ISR Project Officer Phone 07 3138 7009 Email [email protected]
From the DirectorIt has been a busy year for us, especially with the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) Supersite now in full swing. The Supersite project is a long-term ecological monitoring research project that will examine the impact of urbanisation on natural resources within the Samford Valley.
Through the Supersite project, QUT is installing environmental monitoring infrastructure in the Samford Valley. This equipment will collect high resolution data on carbon, nitrogen, water and energy balances. Biodiversity monitoring will be carried out in the contrasting native and managed ecosystems which are typical of the landscape mosaic within peri-urban ecosystems.
QUT has recently installed two water quality stations on Samford Creek at either end of the SERF property. The main station will measure turbidity, conductivity, pH, water depth, dissolved oxygen and flow. The stations will collect data every 10 minutes for the next 10 years. We are also talking with Moreton Bay Regional Council about the possibility of another two sites on the South Pine River, one before and after the junction of Samford Creek.
The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a catchment-scale, water quality model that will be used to evaluate stream flow and nutrient losses at SERF. SWAT will seek to replicate hydrology, plant growth, land management and the nutrient and sediment transport process. The model can readily use soil, topography and land-
use data within a Geographic Information System (GIS). SWAT operates on a daily time step and will be able to perform long-term simulations using the data collected from the Supersite project.
We are very fortunate to have Emeritus Professor Stuart Gage from Michigan State University spending November at QUT. Professor Gage was instrumental in establishing QUT’s acoustic sensor research program (using sounds to measure the health of the environment). Thanks to his earlier work, SERF has become a nationally recognised demonstration site for acoustic sensors. During November, SERF will host an acoustic sensor workshop with Australia’s leading researchers.
Watch this space, as I’m sure over the next few years of data collecting and modelling that SERF is going to produce some interesting results.
And finally, I was delighted to learn that our 2009 Dr E.N. Marks Sustainability Award winner, James Tilbury, is the 2011 Queensland Rhodes Scholar. James is a recent QUT civil engineering graduate already achieving outstanding results in sustainable development. Congratulations James.
Thank you.
Professor Peter Grace SERF Director
SERF information sessionQUT held its fourth annual Community Information Session. Despite the cool wet July weather, there were more than 80 attendees from the Marks family, local community, local government and QUT.
It was a great opportunity for the community to see the new driveway and hear about the latest research at SERF. They also gained a first-hand view of the magnificent renovation of the Barracks.
We also heard about the new Marks online collection. See the article on page two for more information.
PhD research student Jason Wimmer gave a demonstration of one of SERF’s most innovative research projects, the acoustic sensor. These solar powered sensors record the sounds of the environment. These are later analysed to determine the health of the environment, and the presence and absence of species.
The issue of undertaking controlled burning at SERF with the Samford Bush Fire Brigade was raised at the session. However, due to recent rains and the moisture content of the vegetation we have missed the opportunity for this year.
If you wish to attend next year’s annual event, please contact Annabelle Ramsay.
Vegetation survey and botanical collectionAccurate information on species diversity, distribution and abundance is essential for biodiversity assessment and conservation planning. That is, it is important to understand what species are associated with a given area in order to make meaningful management decisions. Based on this premise, a series of vegetation surveys took place at SERF during the months of July and August 2010.
Seven 50m by 10m transects, stratified by broad vegetation patterns, were identified within the boundaries of the research facility. A vegetation survey recorded floristic structural and compositional diversity for each transect based on the guidelines outlined in the Methodology for Survey and Mapping of Regional
Ecosystems and Vegetation Communities in Queensland (Neldner et al. 2005). This document provides specific procedures for vegetation and regional ecosystem survey and mapping for staff employed by the Queensland Herbarium. Botanical specimens from each site were pressed, dried, mounted and collated as part of a botanical reference collection.
Those vegetation areas not containing representative transects (i.e. notophyll vine forest and creek communities) due to topographical and/or biological constraints (i.e. excessive ‘weediness’ or dense understorey) were sampled by a methodical walk-through. Species not identified in previous transects were
collected and their location (GPS coordinates), elevation and habitat recorded. Specimens not previously collected were also pressed, dried, mounted and collated.
The collection recorded 57 botanical families and 143 species. Of these, 54 families and 134 species were represented as physical specimens within the reference collection. The collection may be used as a teaching tool for students, and as an identification guideline for future botanical work within the SERF site. In addition, established transects and associated data may be used for comparative vegetation studies over time, particularly with regard to changing fire regimes, species recruitment and weed management.
References
Neldner VJ, Wilson BA, Thompson EJ and Dillewaard HA (2005) Methodology for Survey And Mapping of Regional Ecosystems and Vegetation Communities in Queensland. (ed. Environmental Protection Agency). Queensland Herbarium, EPA, Brisbane.
For further information about the SERF vegetation survey please email [email protected]
David Tucker Researcher, Institute for Sustainable Resources
Pyrrosia confluens — Notophyll vine forest Tabernaemontana pandacaqui
CRICOS No. 00213J
Research at SERF with Dr David Rowlings
Marks Family Collections OnlineSeptember saw The Marks Family Collections Online go live on the SERF website. It was created in memory of entomologist Dr Elizabeth Nesta (Patricia) Marks who gifted her Samford property to QUT in 2009.
The Marks family has occupied an important place in the medical, scientific and social life of Brisbane and Queensland for over a century. In the course of this time they have been responsible for the development of a number of significant collections. These are now housed in a variety of institutions such as The Samford Museum, Queensland Museum, Queensland Art Gallery, University of Queensland, and the Light Horse Museum at Enoggera. The Marks Family Collections Online aims to comprehensively document the location and description of these many items.
Dr Brian Crozier from Crozier Schutt Associates has been engaged to collate the diverse collection that includes firearms and weapons, domestic items, clothing, glassware, paintings, toys, scientific instruments and photographs.
Other features of the site include short summaries of the Marks family’s endeavours in Brisbane, a biography of Dr E.N. Marks, the history of the property at Camp Mountain, publications by Dr E.N. Marks and her father Dr E.O. Marks, as well as related awards and scholarships.
View the collection at www.serf.qut.edu.au/marks_collections/index.jsp
Mangle (Samford Museum)
The SERF Weather Monitor records weather conditions at Samford 24/7 from its location near the main Barracks. The weather station’s integrated sensor suite (ISS) from Davis Station records a range of meteorological observations including temperature, humidity, rainfall, barometric pressure, wind speed and solar radiation.
Observations are recorded and updated at five-minute intervals. This provides the high resolution,
Selected statistics from the SERF Weather Monitor
Temperature (°C) Precipitation (mm)
2009 2010 2009 2010
Lowest record for the year 1.1 (June) 2.1 (August) 2.6 (May) 10.2 (June)
Highest record for the year 36.8 (February) 37.8 (January) 277.8 (April) 234.8 (February)
real-time weather observation capability at SERF.
With almost two years of weather records to date, the SERF weather station is a valuable part of the SERF environmental sensor network.
SERF weather data is available online at www.serf.qut.edu.au (under Quicklinks/SERF weather monitor).
It’s SERFing weatherOne of several research programs currently operating at SERF focuses on the influence that urbanisation is having on carbon, nitrogen and water cycling in the landscape. Dr David Rowlings is the lead postdoctoral researcher in the project due to finish mid-2013. The outcomes will indicate whether development in the Samford region is modifying nutrient flows to nearby streams. This can have an impact on the local Samford environment and waterways which feed into Moreton Bay, as well as lead to increases in greenhouse gas emissions.
Specialised equipment has been installed in the forest and pasture ecosystems at SERF to measure soil and water quality. This equipment includes automated greenhouse gas sampling systems which have been developed jointly by QUT and the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany to measure gaseous nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane fluxes. A flux station, deployed earlier this year on a pasture, measures carbon dioxide and water vapour using the eddy-flux covariance micrometeorological technique.
Growing up on a cattle property near Crows Nest, one hour north of Toowoomba, there was a natural inclination that Dr Rowlings (aka Dave) would embark on a career in agricultural science and natural resource management. Dave’s most influential role model was actually very close to home. His father, Bob, was a government soil scientist before retiring, and continues to be heavily involved in natural resource management both through his property and his involvement with local Landcare and catchment groups. Dave has always been loyal to the rural landscape, aside from the move to Brisbane to study. At the University of Queensland he completed a Masters in Agricultural Science in
conjunction with the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Denmark, before going on to do a PhD at QUT.
Since 2006, Dave has been studying and working with the Institute for Sustainable Resources at QUT. He has completed his PhD thesis titled Influence of historic land use change on the biosphere-
atmosphere-exchange of C and N trace gases in the humid,
subtropical region of Queensland, and on 14 September 2010 was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science.
Dave Rowlings installing soil sensors
The Institute for Sustainable Resources is proud to announce Jason Wimmer as the winner of the Dr E.N. Marks Sustainability Award for 2010.
Jason has a Bachelor of Computing from Monash University, Melbourne and is currently completing a Doctor of Philosophy at QUT. His PhD research focuses on environmental acoustic sensing. Jason has a distinguished record of excellence in academic achievement in sustainability projects. He is passionate and enthusiastic about the environment and committed to making a significant contribution to sustainability through his research.
Jason is also committed to ongoing professional and personal development activities. Jason continues professional development in his core discipline (IT), however his research is cross-disciplinary involving both IT and ecological research. As a result Jason has undertaken formal ecological studies (QUT Ecological Experimental Design and Introduction to Sustainability units) in addition to extensive reading and personal study in ecology and sustainability.
Jason is involved in a number of ongoing projects, working with ecologists and biologists to refine acoustic sensing techniques to improve their capability to monitor and study the impact of climate change and loss of habitat on native Australian fauna.
For the past two years, he has spent the majority of his time at SERF assisting with bird surveys and deploying and monitoring acoustic sensors.
Jason is currently engaged in a project at SERF with Dr Ian Williamson to assess the effectiveness of various recording
Dr E.N. Marks Sustainability Award winner 2010
schedules and devices in detecting bird species, and comparing these results with manual species survey methods. This project involves deploying 3G-based sensor devices and standalone recording devices throughout the Samford facility, and assisting in conducting manual bird species surveys.
SERF Director, Professor Peter Grace (left) presents Jason Wimmer with his award
CRICOS No. 00213J
Research at SERF with Dr David Rowlings
Marks Family Collections OnlineSeptember saw The Marks Family Collections Online go live on the SERF website. It was created in memory of entomologist Dr Elizabeth Nesta (Patricia) Marks who gifted her Samford property to QUT in 2009.
The Marks family has occupied an important place in the medical, scientific and social life of Brisbane and Queensland for over a century. In the course of this time they have been responsible for the development of a number of significant collections. These are now housed in a variety of institutions such as The Samford Museum, Queensland Museum, Queensland Art Gallery, University of Queensland, and the Light Horse Museum at Enoggera. The Marks Family Collections Online aims to comprehensively document the location and description of these many items.
Dr Brian Crozier from Crozier Schutt Associates has been engaged to collate the diverse collection that includes firearms and weapons, domestic items, clothing, glassware, paintings, toys, scientific instruments and photographs.
Other features of the site include short summaries of the Marks family’s endeavours in Brisbane, a biography of Dr E.N. Marks, the history of the property at Camp Mountain, publications by Dr E.N. Marks and her father Dr E.O. Marks, as well as related awards and scholarships.
View the collection at www.serf.qut.edu.au/marks_collections/index.jsp
Mangle (Samford Museum)
The SERF Weather Monitor records weather conditions at Samford 24/7 from its location near the main Barracks. The weather station’s integrated sensor suite (ISS) from Davis Station records a range of meteorological observations including temperature, humidity, rainfall, barometric pressure, wind speed and solar radiation.
Observations are recorded and updated at five-minute intervals. This provides the high resolution,
Selected statistics from the SERF Weather Monitor
Temperature (°C) Precipitation (mm)
2009 2010 2009 2010
Lowest record for the year 1.1 (June) 2.1 (August) 2.6 (May) 10.2 (June)
Highest record for the year 36.8 (February) 37.8 (January) 277.8 (April) 234.8 (February)
real-time weather observation capability at SERF.
With almost two years of weather records to date, the SERF weather station is a valuable part of the SERF environmental sensor network.
SERF weather data is available online at www.serf.qut.edu.au (under Quicklinks/SERF weather monitor).
It’s SERFing weatherOne of several research programs currently operating at SERF focuses on the influence that urbanisation is having on carbon, nitrogen and water cycling in the landscape. Dr David Rowlings is the lead postdoctoral researcher in the project due to finish mid-2013. The outcomes will indicate whether development in the Samford region is modifying nutrient flows to nearby streams. This can have an impact on the local Samford environment and waterways which feed into Moreton Bay, as well as lead to increases in greenhouse gas emissions.
Specialised equipment has been installed in the forest and pasture ecosystems at SERF to measure soil and water quality. This equipment includes automated greenhouse gas sampling systems which have been developed jointly by QUT and the Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany to measure gaseous nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane fluxes. A flux station, deployed earlier this year on a pasture, measures carbon dioxide and water vapour using the eddy-flux covariance micrometeorological technique.
Growing up on a cattle property near Crows Nest, one hour north of Toowoomba, there was a natural inclination that Dr Rowlings (aka Dave) would embark on a career in agricultural science and natural resource management. Dave’s most influential role model was actually very close to home. His father, Bob, was a government soil scientist before retiring, and continues to be heavily involved in natural resource management both through his property and his involvement with local Landcare and catchment groups. Dave has always been loyal to the rural landscape, aside from the move to Brisbane to study. At the University of Queensland he completed a Masters in Agricultural Science in
conjunction with the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Denmark, before going on to do a PhD at QUT.
Since 2006, Dave has been studying and working with the Institute for Sustainable Resources at QUT. He has completed his PhD thesis titled Influence of historic land use change on the biosphere-
atmosphere-exchange of C and N trace gases in the humid,
subtropical region of Queensland, and on 14 September 2010 was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science.
Dave Rowlings installing soil sensors
The Institute for Sustainable Resources is proud to announce Jason Wimmer as the winner of the Dr E.N. Marks Sustainability Award for 2010.
Jason has a Bachelor of Computing from Monash University, Melbourne and is currently completing a Doctor of Philosophy at QUT. His PhD research focuses on environmental acoustic sensing. Jason has a distinguished record of excellence in academic achievement in sustainability projects. He is passionate and enthusiastic about the environment and committed to making a significant contribution to sustainability through his research.
Jason is also committed to ongoing professional and personal development activities. Jason continues professional development in his core discipline (IT), however his research is cross-disciplinary involving both IT and ecological research. As a result Jason has undertaken formal ecological studies (QUT Ecological Experimental Design and Introduction to Sustainability units) in addition to extensive reading and personal study in ecology and sustainability.
Jason is involved in a number of ongoing projects, working with ecologists and biologists to refine acoustic sensing techniques to improve their capability to monitor and study the impact of climate change and loss of habitat on native Australian fauna.
For the past two years, he has spent the majority of his time at SERF assisting with bird surveys and deploying and monitoring acoustic sensors.
Jason is currently engaged in a project at SERF with Dr Ian Williamson to assess the effectiveness of various recording
Dr E.N. Marks Sustainability Award winner 2010
schedules and devices in detecting bird species, and comparing these results with manual species survey methods. This project involves deploying 3G-based sensor devices and standalone recording devices throughout the Samford facility, and assisting in conducting manual bird species surveys.
SERF Director, Professor Peter Grace (left) presents Jason Wimmer with his award
CRICOS No. 00213J
Samford Ecological Research Facility Institute for Sustainable Resources
Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434 Brisbane Queensland, 4001 Australia Phone +61 7 3138 1904 Fax +61 7 3138 4438 Email [email protected]
www.serf.qut.edu.au | www.isr.qut.edu.au
© Q
UT
2010
Mar
ketin
g an
d C
omm
unic
atio
n 17
412
Samford Ecological Research Faci l i ty Newsletter November 2010
Professor Peter Grace SERF Director ISR Research Director and Professor of Global Change Phone 07 3138 9283 Email [email protected]
Michelle Gane SERF Manager ISR Project Manager Phone 07 3138 2466 Email [email protected]
Dr Ian Williamson SERF Research and Education Leader Senior Lecturer, QUT Faculty of Science and Technology Phone 07 3138 2779 Email [email protected]
Annabelle Ramsay SERF Outreach Leader ISR Project Officer Phone 07 3138 7009 Email [email protected]
From the DirectorIt has been a busy year for us, especially with the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) Supersite now in full swing. The Supersite project is a long-term ecological monitoring research project that will examine the impact of urbanisation on natural resources within the Samford Valley.
Through the Supersite project, QUT is installing environmental monitoring infrastructure in the Samford Valley. This equipment will collect high resolution data on carbon, nitrogen, water and energy balances. Biodiversity monitoring will be carried out in the contrasting native and managed ecosystems which are typical of the landscape mosaic within peri-urban ecosystems.
QUT has recently installed two water quality stations on Samford Creek at either end of the SERF property. The main station will measure turbidity, conductivity, pH, water depth, dissolved oxygen and flow. The stations will collect data every 10 minutes for the next 10 years. We are also talking with Moreton Bay Regional Council about the possibility of another two sites on the South Pine River, one before and after the junction of Samford Creek.
The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a catchment-scale, water quality model that will be used to evaluate stream flow and nutrient losses at SERF. SWAT will seek to replicate hydrology, plant growth, land management and the nutrient and sediment transport process. The model can readily use soil, topography and land-
use data within a Geographic Information System (GIS). SWAT operates on a daily time step and will be able to perform long-term simulations using the data collected from the Supersite project.
We are very fortunate to have Emeritus Professor Stuart Gage from Michigan State University spending November at QUT. Professor Gage was instrumental in establishing QUT’s acoustic sensor research program (using sounds to measure the health of the environment). Thanks to his earlier work, SERF has become a nationally recognised demonstration site for acoustic sensors. During November, SERF will host an acoustic sensor workshop with Australia’s leading researchers.
Watch this space, as I’m sure over the next few years of data collecting and modelling that SERF is going to produce some interesting results.
And finally, I was delighted to learn that our 2009 Dr E.N. Marks Sustainability Award winner, James Tilbury, is the 2011 Queensland Rhodes Scholar. James is a recent QUT civil engineering graduate already achieving outstanding results in sustainable development. Congratulations James.
Thank you.
Professor Peter Grace SERF Director
SERF information sessionQUT held its fourth annual Community Information Session. Despite the cool wet July weather, there were more than 80 attendees from the Marks family, local community, local government and QUT.
It was a great opportunity for the community to see the new driveway and hear about the latest research at SERF. They also gained a first-hand view of the magnificent renovation of the Barracks.
We also heard about the new Marks online collection. See the article on page two for more information.
PhD research student Jason Wimmer gave a demonstration of one of SERF’s most innovative research projects, the acoustic sensor. These solar powered sensors record the sounds of the environment. These are later analysed to determine the health of the environment, and the presence and absence of species.
The issue of undertaking controlled burning at SERF with the Samford Bush Fire Brigade was raised at the session. However, due to recent rains and the moisture content of the vegetation we have missed the opportunity for this year.
If you wish to attend next year’s annual event, please contact Annabelle Ramsay.
Vegetation survey and botanical collectionAccurate information on species diversity, distribution and abundance is essential for biodiversity assessment and conservation planning. That is, it is important to understand what species are associated with a given area in order to make meaningful management decisions. Based on this premise, a series of vegetation surveys took place at SERF during the months of July and August 2010.
Seven 50m by 10m transects, stratified by broad vegetation patterns, were identified within the boundaries of the research facility. A vegetation survey recorded floristic structural and compositional diversity for each transect based on the guidelines outlined in the Methodology for Survey and Mapping of Regional
Ecosystems and Vegetation Communities in Queensland (Neldner et al. 2005). This document provides specific procedures for vegetation and regional ecosystem survey and mapping for staff employed by the Queensland Herbarium. Botanical specimens from each site were pressed, dried, mounted and collated as part of a botanical reference collection.
Those vegetation areas not containing representative transects (i.e. notophyll vine forest and creek communities) due to topographical and/or biological constraints (i.e. excessive ‘weediness’ or dense understorey) were sampled by a methodical walk-through. Species not identified in previous transects were
collected and their location (GPS coordinates), elevation and habitat recorded. Specimens not previously collected were also pressed, dried, mounted and collated.
The collection recorded 57 botanical families and 143 species. Of these, 54 families and 134 species were represented as physical specimens within the reference collection. The collection may be used as a teaching tool for students, and as an identification guideline for future botanical work within the SERF site. In addition, established transects and associated data may be used for comparative vegetation studies over time, particularly with regard to changing fire regimes, species recruitment and weed management.
References
Neldner VJ, Wilson BA, Thompson EJ and Dillewaard HA (2005) Methodology for Survey And Mapping of Regional Ecosystems and Vegetation Communities in Queensland. (ed. Environmental Protection Agency). Queensland Herbarium, EPA, Brisbane.
For further information about the SERF vegetation survey please email [email protected]
David Tucker Researcher, Institute for Sustainable Resources
Pyrrosia confluens — Notophyll vine forest Tabernaemontana pandacaqui
CRICOS No. 00213J