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Data

TERN Monitoring in the Pilbara region, Western Australia to inform the West Australian Vegetation Extent (WAVE) Pilot Project 2025 

Ver: 1.0
Status of Data: completed
Update Frequency: asNeeded
Security Classification: unclassified
Dataset Published: 2026-06-17
Dataset Last Modified: 2026-08-18
Metadata viewed 25 times
Dataset accessed 10 times
Metadata Created: 2026-05-26
Metadata Last Modified: 2026-08-18
How to cite this collection:
Sparrow, B., Gerlek, A., O'Neill, S., Lewis, D., Steen, C., Starkey, M., Irvine, K., Franson, C. & Tokmakoff, A. (2026). TERN Monitoring in the Pilbara region, Western Australia to inform the West Australian Vegetation Extent (WAVE) Pilot Project 2025. Version 1.0. Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. Dataset. https://dx.doi.org/10.25901/gr2p-st36 
Data can be accessed from the following links:
HTTPTERN WAVE WAAPIL Spatial Data
HTTPTERN WAVE WAAPIL combined data
HTTPTERN DroneScape UAV Plot data link
HTTPTERN WAVE WAAPIL individual plot data
HTTPTERN DroneScape UAV Data Link
HTTPPoint-of-truth metadata URL
HTTPro-crate-metadata.json
Data for this project include the following parameters, presented at the individual plot-based level: Plot location and description; Plot vegetation community description; Plot cover (point intercept); Plot vascular plant species list; Photopoint images; UAV imagery. The data was collected during six surveys between April and July 2025 in the Pilbara Bioregion. Each survey site, a one-hectare plot (100 m x 100 m) was surveyed by TERN Ecosystem Surveillance using standardised field survey protocols, the methods align with AusPlots method and also Ecological Monitoring System Australia (EMSA) methods. DroneScape (TERN's UAV capability) conducted standardised data collection over each of the survey sites. 
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 data collected for this project was funded by TERN, an Australian Government National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) project, and the Western Australian Government Department of Water and Environmental Regulation through the West Australian Vegetation Extent project. 
Purpose
The Pilbara bioregion is one of three pilot regions for the West Australian Vegetation Extent (WAVE) Pilot project. TERN Australia was contracted to conduct on-ground ecological field surveys, and UAV surveys in the Pilbara, to provide data for the pilot. 
Lineage
Data not provided. 
Method DocumentationData not provided.
Procedure StepsData not provided.
Spatial Description
Pilbara Bioregion, Western Australia 
Temporal Coverage
From 2025-04-30 to 2025-07-02 
Spatial Resolution

Data not provided.

Vertical Extent

Data not provided.

ANZSRC - FOR
Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology)
Conservation and biodiversity
Landscape ecology
Photogrammetry and remote sensing
Population ecology
Terrestrial ecology
Data Stream
Site Survey
GCMD Sciences
CALIBRATION
ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS - COMMUNITY STRUCTURE
ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS - INDIGENOUS/NATIVE SPECIES
ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS - SPECIES DISTRIBUTION
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
LANDSCAPE PATTERNS
LIDAR
MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY
PLANTS - ANGIOSPERMS (FLOWERING PLANTS)
VALIDATION
VEGETATION - DOMINANT SPECIES
VEGETATION - FOREST COMPOSITION/VEGETATION STRUCTURE
Horizontal Resolution
30 meters - < 100 meters
Parameters
bare ground cover
coarse woody debris cover
cryptogam ground cover
green ground cover
ground cover
landform element
landform pattern
most dominant species
NVIS class derivation
plant growth form
plant height
scientific name
second most dominant species
stratum type
third most dominant species
vegetation cover type
Project
TERN Ecosystem Surveillance
TERN Monitoring in the Pilbara region (2025)
Temporal Resolution
irregular
Topic
environment
User Defined
West Australia Vegetation Extent (WAVE)
Author
Sparrow, Ben
Co-Author
Gerlek, Alena
O'Neill, Sally
Lewis, Donna
Steen, Carly
Starkey, Michael
Irvine, Katie
Franson, Carla
Tokmakoff, Andrew
Contact Point
Sparrow, Ben
Steen, Carly
Lewis, Donna
TERN Ecosystem Surveillance
Publisher
TERN Ecosystem Surveillance
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
TERN Australia (2025) TERN Monitoring in the Pilbara region, Western Australia. Summary of surveys completed to inform the West Australian Vegetation Extent (WAVE) Pilot Project 2025. Report to the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. TERN, Adelaide.
By Parent record
TERN Ecosystem Surveillance Monitoring
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
80 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, Queensland, 4068, Australia.
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Please advise any work or publications that use this data via the online form at https://www.tern.org.au/research-publications/#reporting 
Please cite this dataset as {Author} ({PublicationYear}). {Title}. {Version, as appropriate}. Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. Dataset. {Identifier}.