All in Climate (General)

Managing Landscapes - matching soils, climate and enterprises

superuser — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:55:18 +0000

IDs and People

Program:

Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms

Research Type:

Research Project

Researchers:

Lester McCormick

Peter Orchard

Graham Schwenke

Subjects

Subjects:

Climate (General)

Landscape Management

Soils

Keywords:

enterprises

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Background

Aims:

Provide a greater understanding of soil health issues and management options in a land-capability framework, not simply an individual paddock basis
Improve skills in establishing and managing tropical perennial grass pastures in northern and central NSW
Assist participating farmers develop and implement a soil health plan that addresses production and environmental concerns
Produce soil health guides incorporating benchmarks and targets for on-going monitoring by participants

Method

Workshop sessions will comprise a mix of theory, demonstrations and practical exercises on land capability, climate variability, soil testing and interpretation, and the interactive development of local best management practices. There will be at least one demonstration site, using research links and on farm research/demonstrations to develop locally-based best management practices.

Professor Derek Eamus

superuser — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:51:15 +0000

"Ecohydrology" - Water, Forests and Climate, a ménage à trois.

Professor Eamus’ research has resulted in several fundamental advances in our understanding of the water budgets of Australian ecosystems, by examining the linkages across leaf, tree, canopy and landscape-scale processes. His work has integrated the interactions of micro-meteorological, soil and plant variables, which determine the rates of water and carbon exchange between landscape and atmosphere.

IDs and People

Program:

Innovation

Program Theme:

Senior Research Fellowships

Research Type:

Senior Research Fellow

Researchers:

Professor Derek Eamus

Subjects

Subjects:

Climate (General)

Landscapes

Water (General)

Keywords:

Ecohydrology

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Professor Graham Farquhar

superuser — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:36:34 +0000

Linking plant evaporative demand and pan evaporation

Professor Farquhar is Professor of Environmental Biology at the Research School of Biological Sciences, ANU . He is a world leader in researching and modelling the interactions between plants and their environment. As a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Professor Farquhar shared the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize with other IPCC scientists.

IDs and People

Program:

Innovation

Program Theme:

Senior Research Fellowships

Research Type:

Senior Research Fellow

Researchers:

Professor Graham Farquhar

Subjects

Subjects:

Climate (General)

Innovation

Keywords:

carbon dioxide fixation

plants

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Characterising southwest Australia's rainfall variability using speleothems and climate models

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:07:09 +0000

Dr Pauline Treble has used chemical analysis in the layers formed on cave stalagmites to discover the prehistoric variability of Australia’s rainfall. These have then been compared with climate model’s predictions of the past.

IDs and People

Program:

Innovation

Program Theme:

Innovation Call

Research Type:

Innovation Call

LWA Project Code:

002275

Host Organisation:

Australian National University

Researchers:

Dr Pauline Treble

Subjects

Subjects:

Climate (General)

Current Activities

Status:

Active

Resources

External Links:

Drying caves studied for climate change link (The West Australian, 14 July 2008)

Modelling impacts of vegetation cover change on regional climate

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:22:49 +0000

Climate change is now the major and most urgent environmental issue facing Australia. Australia is particularly vulnerable to climate change, as it will compound existing land use pressures on natural resources, agriculture and native ecosystems. Australia’s current policy response to climate change has focused on mitigation and adaptation of forecasted changes attributable to greenhouse gas emissions. However, these responses do not include the two-way interactions and feedbacks of the land surface on climate.

IDs and People

Program:

Innovation

Program Theme:

Innovation Call

Research Type:

Innovation Call

LWA Project Code:

002378

Host Organisation:

University of Queensland

Researchers:

Dr Clive McAlpine

Subjects

Subjects:

Climate (General)

Mapping and Modelling

Project Information

Summary:

In this study, we addressed the question - is Australia’s regional climate sensitive to land cover change? We conducted simulation experiments using the CSIRO MARK 3 climate model to compare the effects on regional climate based on differences between pre-European and 1990 vegetation cover. The two experiments aimed to reproduce the Australian climate for the period 1951-2003, with the only difference being the conversion of land cover from native vegetation to pastures and crops. Consistent with actual climate trends since the 1950s, simulated annual and seasonal surface temperatures showed statistically significant warming for eastern Australia (0.4-2°C) and southwest Western Australia (0.4-0.8°C), being most pronounced in summer. Mean summer rainfall showed a decrease of 4-12% in eastern Australia and 4-8% in southwest Western Australia which coincided with regions where the most extensive land clearing has occurred. Further, the study found an increase in temperatures on average by 2°C, especially in southern Queensland and New South Wales, for the recent 2002/2003 drought. The findings suggest that the large scale clearance of native vegetation is amplifying the adverse impacts associated with El Niño drought periods, which together with rainfall deficiency, is having a strong impact on Australia’s already stressed natural resources and agriculture. Implications for Policy: We suggest that policy needs to recognise that climate change is a two-way process, and that broad scale clearing of native vegetation cover has a strong influence on climate in addition to greenhouse gases. Protecting and restoring Australia’s native vegetation therefore needs to be a critical policy and management consideration in mitigating the effects of climate change.

Current Activities

Status:

Active

Climate Witness - a dispersed, national observer network for NRM phenology

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:59:17 +0000

Citizens observing and sharing ecological information can provide vast amounts of actionable information for NRM when twinned with a well designed information aggregation and analysis system.

IDs and People

Program:

Innovation

Program Theme:

Innovation Call

Research Type:

Innovation Call

LWA Project Code:

002471

Host Organisation:

Earthwatch Institute

Researchers:

Mr Jason Alexandra

Subjects

Subjects:

Climate (General)

Knowledge Management

Current Activities

Status:

Active

Northern Australia Irrigation Futures

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:53:14 +0000

This project will deliver a framework for use by policy makers, regulators, managers, and investors to ensure irrigation is developed in a sustainable manner across northern Australia. Stage I of the project will involve development of the full project team, key client/stakeholder/collaborative network, and detailed work plan and budget. Stage II will involve carrying out the work plan agreed to in Stage I.

IDs and People

Program:

National Program for Sustainable Irrigation

Legacy (KMS) Project ID:

CDS23

Host Organisation:

CSIRO Land and water

Researchers:

Dr Keith Bristow

Subjects

Subjects:

Climate (General)

Landscapes

Native Vegetation

Soils

Water (General)

Irrigation

Keywords:

Policy

Tropical

Decision Support Systems

Ecological Management

Project Information

Outcomes:

A more informed and knowledgeable community and irrigation industry able to capture advantage of key biophysical and socio-economic features when designing and implementing irrigation developments in northern Australia
Whole of system irrigation management practices that meet catchment goals thereby safeguarding the health and services of surface and groundwater systems, wetlands, estuaries and marine environments
Regional adoption of new State policies that support development and management of sustainable irrigation schemes and practices
A sustainable irrigation industry in northern tropical Australia that delivers a wide range of economic and social benefits whilst minimising environmental impacts

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Background

Project Background:

Irrigation is fundamental to the Australian economy and the reality is that further irrigation developments will occur in northern (tropical) Australia. An opportunity exists to address new developments in a proactive way by designing irrigation systems to fit specifically within the northern Australian environment, thereby minimising the risk of mistakes and problems experienced by irrigation schemes in other parts of the country.

Aims:

To delineate key landscape attributes (including soil & water resources, climate, vegetation, rivers, near shore marine environments, & where appropriate links to people, industries, markets) relevant to ecologically sustainable irrigation across northern Australia.
To use key landscape attributes to develop sustainability indicators and associated management criteria covering a range of scales (field, farm, district, irrigation scheme, catchment) for northern Australia.
To develop an overall framework that, through their involvement, is embraced by policy makers, regulators, investors and managers, to help ensure any irrigation is managed in a consistent, ecologically sustainable manner in northern Australia.
To use a number of linked case studies and stakeholder input to support and inform development and testing of the framework.
Through provision of a robust framework, contribute tools and knowledge to support considered debate, decision making and long term strategic planning for northern Australia & Australia as a whole.

Location

State & NRM Region:

Queensland

Northern Territory

Locations:

Daly River

Ord River

Burdekin River

Northern Australia

Improved Seasonal Forecasts for Wool Producers in Australia’s Pastoral Zone

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:34:58 +0000

IDs and People

Program:

Land, Water and Wool

Program Theme:

Climate Variability

Research Type:

Demonstration Project

Research Scale:

State

Legacy (KMS) Project ID:

QNR30

Subjects

Subjects:

Climate (General)

Livestock (Sheep)

Livestock (Pastoral)

Landscape Management

Keywords:

Woolgrowers

Land Management

Stocking Rate

Climate Variability

Pastures

Seasonal Forecasting

Project Information

Summary:

Much of Australia’s rangelands are characterised by extreme climate variability which represents a major challenge for woolgrowers. In order to maintain or increase productivity while minimising negative environmental impacts on the land, producers need access to reliable seasonal climate forecast (SCF) information at critical times for key management decisions.

Current Activities

Status:

Pending

Background

Aims:

The objective of Improved Seasonal Forecasts for Wool Producers in Australia’s Pastoral Zone was to support and provide tools for the regional Managing Climate Variability Sup-program projects. It aimed to make SCF products more relevant to producers and their advisors through pasture growth simulation and prediction using Aussie GRASS, a national spatial pasture growth program.

Location

State & NRM Region:

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

Western Australia

Victoria

Geographic Zone:

Broadacre: Wheat-Sheep

Broadacre: Pastoral