Gingin Flux Data Collection

This dataset consists of measurements of the exchange of energy and mass between the surface and the atmospheric boundary-layer in Banksia woodland on the Swan Coastal Plain 70km north of Perth, Western Australia using eddy covariance techniques.

The Gingin site was established in June 2011 by CSIRO and is now managed by Edith Cowan University Centre for Ecosystem Management. The site is a natural woodland of high species diversity. The overstorey is dominated by Banksia spp. mainly B. menziesii, B. attenuata, and B. grandis with a height of around 7m and leaf area index of about 0.8. There are occasional stands of eucalypts and acacia that reach to 10m and have a denser foliage cover. There are many former wetlands dotted around the woodland, most of which were inundated all winter and some had permanent water 30 years ago. The watertable has now fallen below the base of these systems and they are disconnected and are no longer permanently wet. The fine sediments, sometimes diatomaceous, hold water and they have perched watertables each winter. There is a natural progression of species accompanying this process as they gradually become more dominated by more xeric species. The soils are mainly Podosol sands, with low moisture holding capacity. Field capacity typically about 8 to 10%, and in summer these generally hold less than 2% moisture. The water tabl is at about 8.5 m below the surface, and a WA Dept of water long-term monitoring piezometer is near the base of the tower. The instrument mast is 14m tall, with the eddy covariance instruments mounted at 14.8m. Fluxes of carbon dioxide, water vapour and heat are quantified with open-path eddy covariance instrumentation. Ancillary measurements include temperature, air humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, incoming and outgoing shortwave radiation, incoming and outgoing long wave radiation, incoming total and diffuse PAR and reflected PAR. Soil water content and temperature are measured at six soil depths. Surface soil heat fluxes are also measured. A COSMOS Cosmic ray soil moisture instrument is installed, along with a logged piezometer, and nested piezometers installed with short screens for groundwater profile sampling. To monitor the watertable gradient, piezometers will be installed 500 m esat and west of the tower.
For additional site information, see https://www.tern.org.au/tern-observatory/tern-ecosystem-processes/gingin-banksia-woodland-supersite/.
This data is also available at http://data.ozflux.org.au .

Credit
We at TERN acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Australia, New Zealand and all nations. We honour their profound connections to land, water, biodiversity and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
The Gingin Banksia Woodland Site is funded by TERN. It was established by CSIRO and is currently managed by the Edith Cowan University (Centre for Ecosystem Management). The site is co-located with the Land Ecosystem Atmosphere Program (LEAP) – Gingin.
The Gingin flux station is sited on land traditionally owned by the Yued group of the Noongar people.

Purpose
The purpose of the Gingin flux station is to :
quantify recharge to Gnangara groundwater mound, Perth’s most important water resource
Monitor ecophysiological responses to long-term variation in climate and water table drawdown
quantify landscape-scale exchange of carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy in a coastal heath environment
further understand groundwater recharge under changing climate
provide ecophysiological and micrometeorological data representative of an important biome within Australia subject to drying climate, falling watertables, fire and encroachment of feral species
provide enhanced datasets of landscape-scale exchange of carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy along with ecophysiological characteristics and drivers in a semi-arid temperate ecosystems in Australia.