TERN Great Western Woodlands SuperSite - Australia

The Great Western Woodlands SuperSite is a member of the Australian SuperSite Network (SuperSites, http://www.supersites.net.au/), a facility within the Australian Terrestrial Ecosystem Network (TERN, http://www.tern.org.au/). The GWW Supersite comprises a mosaic of temperate woodland, heathland and Mallee vegetation within the Great Western Woodlands (GWW) in south-western Western Australia. The core plots are located on the proposed Credo Conservation Reserve, a former pastoral lease that was established in 1906–07 where it first carried sheep and later cattle. In 2007 the lease was sold to the government and managed by the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife who are collaborators on a range of projects. Native title claims of traditional ownership at this site have been registered by the Marlinyu Ghoorlie and Maduwongga Peoples. Key research objectives include: What are the impacts of climate change and management on the fundamental flows of energy, carbon, water and nutrient stocks in semi-arid woodland ecosystems. • Are old-growth semi-arid woodlands carbon sources or carbon sinks? • Are fire regimes changing in the GWW? • How do GWW biodiversity and fire fuels change with time since fire and what are the implications for fire management? • How do GWW woodlands and shrublands persist at low rainfall? What are the ecological determinants of the Menzies line (the striking boundary between the GWW and mulga) and how does it inform management for climate adaptation? • How will GWW biodiversity be affected by climate change? Will the response of fauna depend predominantly depend on vegetation responses? • How will regional versus population-scale genetic variability in key traits such as water use efficiency contribute to climate adaptation? • What are the thresholds of woodland persistence with respect to fire and rainfall? • What exotic species are invading the GWW, and which are the greatest threat under climate change?