LTERN Data Portal

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.

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.

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.

Occasional recorded averages are outside of the min/max range due to the data logger having been reset or turned off.

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.

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.

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.