ausplots field data collection with ausscribe
TRANSCRIPT
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09/03/16, Andrew Tokmakoff
AusPlots field data collection with AuScribeInfrastructure for Ecological Monitoring
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Objectives
✤ To cover:
✤ introduce AusPlots, and explain why it exists
✤ show how AusPlots data is collected (and handled and published)
✤ a small demo of the AuScribe field data collection App
✤ For you to consider:
✤ what our work might mean for you
What is AusPlots Rangelands?
✤ AusPlots is based at Adelaide University and is one of 12 Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) facilities
✤ AusPlots identifies, prioritises, and fills data gaps in environmental monitoring of Australian rangelands bioregions (81% of the continent)
✤ AusPlots has defined a standardised survey methodology and undertakes surveys over a national network of permanent 1 hectare plots, collecting baseline vegetation and soils ecological data.
✤ This work facilitates ongoing evidence-based decision making at local, regional, national and international levels.
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So, what do Australian Rangelands look like?
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Collecting field data in a prescribed methodology
✤ Prescribes a survey methodology forcollecting plot-based vegetation and soils data
✤ consistency of both data and collection method
✤ allows analysis of consistent dataover time, by future researchers
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What is collected? General
✤ High accuracy (DGPS) location data for the plot’s corners, centre and transect start/end points
✤ Site observations in regard to condition, erosion, drainage, micro-relief, lithologiesand landform pattern/element.
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What is collected? Vegetation
✤ Vouchering
✤ Vouchered vegetationspecies (barcoded) over the plot; later sent for Herbarium Determinations.
✤ Genetic vouchering (barcoded) of species and extra sampling of dominant species (up to 4 samples).
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What is collected? Vegetation
✤ Point Intercept
✤ consists of 1010 points, where each point records:
✤ any vegetation intercept(s), indicating the species and intercept height
✤ the substrate;
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✤ Basal Area
✤ recordings in each of the 9 segments of the plot, each consisting of:
✤ a set of vegetation species under observation, the associated wedge factor and the number of ‘hits’
What is collected? Vegetation
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What is collected? Vegetation
✤ Leaf Area Index (LAI)
✤ Site Structural Summary
✤ recording the three most dominant species in the Upper, Middle and Lower strata, (with floristics comments).
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What is collected? Soils
✤ Characterisation of soils (barcoded)
✤ 1 metre deep pit, in 10cm increments (ec, ph, texture and colour)
✤ 9 subsite samples:
✤ barcoded meta-genomics surface soil samples and soil samples in 10cm increments to 30cm depth
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What is collected? Soils
✤ 3 bulk density measurements, which quantify soil fine earth and gravel.
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Where are the plots?
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Australian Transect Network
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The AusPlots Approach: tooling
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Some requirements..
✤ Core function: support data collection according to the protocol
✤ Minimise data double-handling
✤ Maximise integrity of data (e.g. transcription errors)
✤ Use ‘off-the-shelf ’ where appropriate (rapid development)
✤ Be able to function without a network (remote locations)
✤ Offer efficiency gains vs. traditional data collection methods
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System Architecture
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AusPlots RangelandsField Data Collection App
‘AuScribe’
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A quick demo…
Publishing curated data
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✤ Soils 2 Satellites offers visualisation
✤ (e.g. for land managers, consultants)
✤ Aekos offers raw data access, data enrichment and search
✤ (e.g. for ecological scientists)
Publishing to external services
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Field App
cronREST/JSON
(Cloud) SWARM Server
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image of 2s2 map page
Reflecting..
✤Benefits:✤ Integrity of data ✤ Speed of data availability
✤Challenges:✤ getting the UI right; resistance when it is slower than “recording
audio” (with subsequent data entry later on).✤ dealing with legacy data at the same time as introducing new tools.
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Looking ahead…
✤ New modules and protocols
✤ Woodlands, Soils, Veg Condition, and Fauna are likely to be first
✤ iOS support
✤ ‘R’ API to AusPlots data (via Aekos)
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Summary
✤ The AusPlots field data collection App generates clean data that is readily curated and easy to publish.
✤ The solution was developed iteratively, based upon experience from field use and adopted a component-based design for fast results.
✤ Complexity of the data collected led to a custom solution.
✤ ÆKOS and S2S provide publishing platforms for AusPlots data.
✤ Together, we have a field-to-web solution that makes data accessible for use in long-term studies and facilitates informed ecological decision-making.
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Any Questions?
[email protected] Tokmakoff
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Opportunities:Protocol training,
collecting AusPlots data, using collected AusPlots data