LTERN Data Portal

Desert Ecology Plot Network: Weather Data (daily and monthly), Simpson Desert, Western Queensland, 2013

Citation

Wardle, G; Dickman, C (): Desert Ecology Plot Network: Weather Data (daily and monthly), Simpson Desert, Western Queensland, 2013. Long Term Ecological Research Network. http://www.ltern.org.au/knb/metacat/ltern2.138.37/html

Download EML
Identifier
docid
ltern2.138.37
Data Creators
Individual
Professor Glenda Wardle
Position
Plot Leader
Organization
The University of Sydney
Individual
Professor Chris Dickman
Position
Plot Leader
Organization
The University of Sydney
Abstract

This weather data package comprises weather data for automatic weather stations situated at 13 sites separated by distances of between 5 and 80 km. The weather stations record temperature and rainfall (in 2010, one weather station was set up so that it also began recording wind speed and direction). The air temperature, rainfall, wind speed and wind direction data are recorded in a data logger housed within the instrument stand. The network program uses a core of 12 sites and aims to quantitatively track long-term shifts in biodiversity and ecological processes in relation to key drivers, including unpredictable rainfall and droughts, fire, feral predators and grazing. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Desert Ecology Plot Network's full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/desert-ecology

Contacts for Questions on the Use and Interpretation of Data
Individual
Professor Glenda Wardle
Position
Plot Leader
Organization
The University of Sydney
Address
Heydon-Laurence Building A08
The University of Sydney
Sydney. NSW 2006
Australia
Phone
voice
02 9351 7113 or 0425 382 205
Email Address
glenda.wardle@sydney.edu.au
Individual
Professor Chris Dickman
Position
Plot Leader
Organization
The University of Sydney
Address
Heydon-Laurence Building A08
The University of Sydney
Sydney. NSW 2060
Australia
Phone
voice
02 9351 2318
Email Address
chris.dickman@sydney.edu.au
Individual
Dr Aaron Greenville
Position
Research Assistant
Organization
The University of Sydney
Address
Heydon-Laurence Building A08
The University of Sydney
Sydney. NSW 2006
Australia
Phone
voice
02 9351 8577
Email Address
aaron.greenville@sydney.edu.au
Individual
Mr Bobby Tamayo
Position
Operational Manager
Organization
The University of Sydney
Address
Heydon-Laurence Building A08
The University of Sydney
Sydney. NSW 2060
Australia
Phone
voice
02 9351 8577
Email Address
bobby.tamayo@sydney.edu.au
Project Information and Data Owners
Title
Desert Ecology Plot Network Research Group
Personnel
Role
Data Owner
Individual
Professor Glenda Wardle
Position
Plot Leader
Organization
The University of Sydney
Role
Data Owner
Individual
Professor Chris Dickman
Position
Plot Leader
Organization
The University of Sydney
Role
Plot Network Contact
Individual
Dr Aaron Greenville
Position
Research Assistant
Organization
The University of Sydney
Role
Plot Network Contact
Individual
Mr Bobby Tamayo
Position
Operational Manager
Organization
The University of Sydney
Funding

Since 2012 this project has been part of the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN). This work was supported by the Australian Government’s Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Network (www.tern.org.au) – an Australian research infrastructure facility established under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and Education Infrastructure Fund–Super Science Initiative through the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

Methods and Sampling Information
Methods
Method Step 1
Description
Weather Station setup

The network program uses 12 sites which are spaced at least 15 km apart, each comprising at least two 1-ha trapping grids, or plots which are spaced between 0.5-2 km apart. The 12 primary sites are spaced at least 15 km apart with an Environdata™ weather station at each site.

Instrument
  • Environdata™ weather station
Method Step 2
Description
Data retrieval preparation - general

The air temperature, rainfall, wind speed and wind direction data are recorded in a data logger, which is housed within the instrument stand. Each weather station is protected against stock and other animals within a 6 m × 4 m area enclosed by ‘three strand’ fencing. As an added protection measure (against rats and dingoes), all exposed cables are passed through electrical conduit. Vegetation is cleared from within the fence and to 1 m outside the fence to prevent fire damage.

Instrument
  • Not specified
Method Step 3
Description
Data retrieval preparation - temperature

The weather stations record min, max and average temperature for each day. This is an ongoing dataset that has been recording these temperature data since 1995. Air temperature is recorded using an air temperature sensor that is housed in a sensor shelter located under the data logger housing.

Instrument
  • Not specified
Method Step 4
Description
Data retrieval preparation - rainfall

The weather stations record measured rainfall via a tipping bucket every minute. Data are pooled for each day. The automatic rain gauge is set up approximately 3 m from the instrument stand and housing. In addition to the automatic rain gauge, a manual rain gauge has been set up at each site.

Instrument
  • Not specified
Method Step 5
Description
Data retrieval preparation - wind speed and direction

There is an automatic weather station at a single site in the Simpson Desert, at Main Camp North (model: Environdata™, Warwick, Queensland). The dataset contains recorded wind speed and wind direction data. Wind speed and wind direction data have been recorded at this site since 2010.

Instrument
  • Not specified
Method Step 6
Description
Data retrieval

Power is maintained using a solar panel, which is angled towards the north. The information stored in the data logger is retrieved using a laptop computer (or PDA/tablet) at roughly three-month intervals.

Instrument
  • Not specified
Keywords and Subject Categories
LTERN Monitoring Themes
  • On plot weather
  • Climate change
ANZSRC-FOR Codes
  • 9602 Atmosphere and Weather
GCMD Science Keywords
  • Earth Science Services>Models>Weather Research
Geographic Coverage
Geographic Description
Simpson Desert, Western Queensland.
Bounding Coordinates
West
137.86511 degrees
 
East
138.60589 degrees
 
North
-23.20549 degrees
 
South
-23.99417 degrees
 
Temporal Coverage
Date
2013
Intellectual Rights, Licence and Usage Conditions

CC-BY-4_0 Special Conditions: Data users must request permission from the Data Provider (Glenda Wardle or Chris Dickman) before access to latitudinal and longitudinal data is granted. •Data relating to the exact location of grids (i.e. latitudinal and longitudinal data) is restricted to mediated access in order to mitigate the risk of interference or theft of threatened or rare species. •All other Project or Background Data will be open.

Data Table
derg_weather_station_data_daily_2013_p129t25.csv
Name
derg_weather_station_data_daily_2013_p129t25.csv
Attribute Information
sitename
Name
sitename
Definition
Name of site
Measurement Type
nominal
Measurement Domain
Text Domain
Definition
Text
sitecode
Name
sitecode
Definition
Site code
Measurement Type
nominal
Measurement Domain
Text Domain
Definition
Text
dateofreading
Name
dateofreading
Definition
Date of record
Measurement Type
dateTime
Measurement Domain
Format
YYYY-MM-DD
maxtemp
Name
maxtemp
Definition
Maximum daily temperature
Measurement Type
interval
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
celsius
Number Type
real
mintemp
Name
mintemp
Definition
Minimum daily temperature
Measurement Type
interval
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
celsius
Number Type
real
avetemp
Name
avetemp
Definition
Average daily temperature
Measurement Type
interval
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
celsius
Number Type
real
rainfall
Name
rainfall
Definition
Daily Rainfall
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
number
Number Type
real
maxwind
Name
maxwind
Definition
Maximum daily wind speed
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
kilometersPerHour
Number Type
real
avewind
Name
avewind
Definition
Average daily wind speed
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
kilometersPerHour
Number Type
real
avewinddir
Name
avewinddir
Definition
Average daily wind direction
Measurement Type
interval
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
degree
Number Type
real
maxgust
Name
maxgust
Definition
Maximum daily wind gust speed
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
kilometersPerHour
Number Type
whole
notes
Name
notes
Definition
Notes
Measurement Type
nominal
Measurement Domain
Text Domain
Definition
Text
Physical Structure Description
Object Name
derg_weather_station_data_daily_2013_p129t25.csv
Text Format
Number of Header Lines
1
Number of Footer Lines
0
Record Delimiter
\r\n
Attribute Orientation
column
Simple Delimited
Field Delimiter
,
Distribution
Online
URL
ltern2.139.1
Access
Access Control
Auth System
knb
Order
allowFirst
Allow:
PermissionPrincipal
[read] uid=wardle,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=greenville,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=dickman,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=tamayo,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[all] cn=submitters,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] cn=allusers,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
derg_weather_station_data_monthly_2013_p129t33.csv
Name
derg_weather_station_data_monthly_2013_p129t33.csv
Attribute Information
year
Name
year
Definition
Year
Measurement Type
dateTime
Measurement Domain
Format
YYYY
sitename
Name
sitename
Definition
Name of site
Measurement Type
nominal
Measurement Domain
Text Domain
Definition
Text
month
Name
month
Definition
Month
Measurement Type
dateTime
Measurement Domain
Format
MM
countrainfall
Name
countrainfall
Definition
Number of days weather station was working within the month
Measurement Type
interval
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
number
Number Type
whole
totalrainfall
Name
totalrainfall
Definition
Total monthly rainfall
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
number
Number Type
real
raindays
Name
raindays
Definition
Number of days rain was recorded during the month
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
number
Number Type
whole
meanrain
Name
meanrain
Definition
Mean rainfall per month
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
number
Number Type
real
maxevent
Name
maxevent
Definition
Max rainfall event size per month
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
number
Number Type
real
mean_mintemp
Name
mean_mintemp
Definition
Mean minimum temp per month °C
Measurement Type
interval
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
celsius
Number Type
real
mean_maxtemp
Name
mean_maxtemp
Definition
Mean maximum temp per month °C
Measurement Type
interval
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
celsius
Number Type
real
mean_temp
Name
mean_temp
Definition
Mean monthly temperature °C
Measurement Type
interval
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
celsius
Number Type
real
mean_maxwind
Name
mean_maxwind
Definition
Mean monthly maximum wind speed
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
kilometersPerHour
Number Type
real
mean_avewind
Name
mean_avewind
Definition
Mean monthly wind speed
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
kilometersPerHour
Number Type
real
mean_avewinddir
Name
mean_avewinddir
Definition
Mean monthly wind direction
Measurement Type
ratio
Measurement Domain
Standard Unit
kilometersPerHour
Number Type
real
Physical Structure Description
Object Name
derg_weather_station_data_monthly_2013_p129t33.csv
Text Format
Number of Header Lines
1
Number of Footer Lines
0
Record Delimiter
\r\n
Attribute Orientation
column
Simple Delimited
Field Delimiter
,
Distribution
Online
URL
ltern2.140.1
Access
Access Control
Auth System
knb
Order
allowFirst
Allow:
PermissionPrincipal
[read] cn=allusers,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[all] cn=submitters,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=dickman,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=tamayo,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=greenville,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
Additional Metadata Links
additionalLinks
Additional Metadata : additionalLinks
Metadata
additionalLinks
url
@name
Desert Ecology Plot Network Homepage
http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/desert-ecology
Access
Access Control
Auth System
knb
Order
allowFirst
Allow:
PermissionPrincipal
[read] public
[read] uid=Tamayo,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=dickman,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=wardle,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=greenville,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[all] cn=submitters,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org
[read] uid=wardle,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org