TERN Ecosystem Surveillance: Plant Tissue Sample 

This dataset comprises a comprehensive collection of plant tissue samples representing vascular plants sampled from TERN Ecosystem Surveillance monitoring plots across Australia. Derived from the plant voucher specimens, these tissue samples are critical for accurate species identification and verification, supporting a complete inventory of vascular plant species at each plot. They also serve as reference material for DNA barcoding and stable isotope analyses. Collected following the standardised Ecosystem Surveillance methodology, the dataset includes over 76,000 archived samples housed at the TERN Australia Soil and Herbarium Collection, located at the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus.

Each record includes detailed metadata such as voucher barcode, site and visit information and sampling details. Plant tissue samples are accessible and available for loan upon request through the EcoPlots Samples portal via an Expression of Interest. 

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. 

TERN Ecosystem Surveillance is a national plot-based field monitoring program that tracks the direction and magnitude of change across Australia’s major biomes. Information on soils and vegetation is collected according to standardised, widely endorsed and consistent protocols across all plots, and includes the collection of soil and vegetation samples and specimens for subsequent analysis. TERN plant tissue samples are collected from across the TERN Australia network of of 960 monitoring sites nationally, with 410 plot revisits. The samples are part of the TERN Australia Soil and Herbarium Collection at the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus. The collection is temporal and is associated with rich data including vegetation community, plant species and soil characteristics. This growing library of field samples is open to researchers, offering valuable resources for a range of studies. The collection of plant tissue samples, and associated data, is undertaken in collaboration with Australian states and territories. Plant tissue samples are sub-sampled from the plant voucher specimens which are determined by herbarium identification botanists. The plant tissue samples are accessioned at the TERN Australia Soil and Herbarium Collection. 

Plant tissue samples are sampled from each plant voucher specimen collected in the plot and are referred to as the primary voucher. For the four dominant species in the plot, additional tissue samples are collected from four other individual plants for population genetics, and are referred to as secondary vouchers (1, 2, 3, 4). Plant tissue samples can be used for genetic, molecular, and isotopic analyses. In the field, each sample is placed in a synthetic tea filter bag and stored in a sealed plastic container with silica gel. Long term storage of plant tissue samples is in the TERN Australia Soil and Herbarium Collection’s cool room at 17^oC. Silica gel is monitored and replaced when needed.

A subset of the methods specific to vegetation vouchering is available on the TERN Linked Data Viewer AusPlots Methods: Genetic and Isotope Sample Vouchering.