Theme Overview

TERN AusCover collects field data for remote sensing calibration and validation (cal/val) at selected sites located within representative and/or conservation significant biomes of Australia.

  • Mangrove monitoring - collection of data, Mangrove monitoring sites

    Collection of derived and quality assessed data files for the mangrove monitoring system for Australia. These data are used to assess historical and current mangrove dieback and health.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Biomass, Mangrove, LiDAR, Drone, UAS
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 4.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      5 km resolution, Mangrove monitoring sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      TBA
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Ongoing generation of derived products
    Data Access

  • Australian Ground Cover Reference Sites Database - ABARES

    The ground cover reference sites database includes site descriptions and field measurements of the different cover fractions at sites across Australia. The data were collected by government agencies in all states and the Northern Territory as part of the ‘Ground cover monitoring for Australia’ project.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Ground cover, land cover, ABARES
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY-SA 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      100 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composites; 2010 to 2014, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated intermittently with new sites or reprocessing
    Data Access

  • Sunphotometer Ozone

    Sunphotometer measurements capture data on atmospheric particles and properties including ozone. The data are used for atmospheric correction of airborne and satellite imagery.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Sunphotometer, Microtops
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      1 ha resolution; AusCover field sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composites; 2011 to ongoing, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated intermittently with new sites or reprocessing
    Data Access

  • Sunphotometer Aerosol Optical Depth

    Sunphotometer measurements capture data on atmospheric particles and properties including aerosols. The data are used for atmospheric correction of airborne and satellite imagery.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Sunphotometer, Microtops
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      1 ha resolution; AusCover field sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composites; 2011 to ongoing, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated intermittently with new sites or reprocessing
    Data Access

  • Hemispherical photography

    Hemispherical photography can be used to estimate the leaf area index (LAI) and provides structural measurements that can be used for cal/val of LiDAR derived products. This dataset includes raw imagery and ancillary data.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Leaf area index, gap fraction, digital photography, RAW
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      1 ha resolution; AusCover field sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composites; 2011 to ongoing, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated intermittently with new sites or reprocessing
    Data Access

  • Tree structural characteristics

    Tree structural characteristics are collected at the centre of each star transect: the basal wedge is used to identify a sample of trees, then direct measurements are taken of each tree.

    • KEYWORDS:
      tree height, canopy height, DBH, vegetation
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      1 ha resolution; AusCover field sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composites; 2011 to ongoing, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated intermittently with new sites or reprocessing
    Data Access

  • SLATS Star transects

    Each plot consists of three transects laid out in a star shape, with 100 observations along each (300 observations in total). Transect measurements include a densitometer for measuring woody vegetation, a laser pointer for measuring the ground cover and low woody vegetation and basel measurements.

    • KEYWORDS:
      densitometer, point intercept
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      1 ha resolution; AusCover field sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composites; 2011 to ongoing, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated intermittently with new sites or reprocessing
    Data Access

  • Terrestrial laser scans - Individual tree point clouds and cylinder models, Rushworth Forest

    Single trees were extracted from the TLS data and quantitative structure models were used to estimate the tree volume directly from the point cloud data. Above-ground biomass was inferred from the derived volumes and basic wood density information.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Biomass, LiDAR, Riegl
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      40 m radius; Rushworth Forest
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composite; 2012-05-04 (4 May 2012)
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      One-off, no update planned
    Data Access

  • Terrestrial laser scans - Riegl, raw and QA data for all sites

    Ground LiDAR, or Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), provides detailed 3D measurements directly related to the quantity and distribution of plant materials above the ground layer.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Biomass, LiDAR, Riegl
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      30 m radius from point of measurement; AusCover field sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composites; 2012 to ongoing, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated intermittently with new sites or reprocessing
    Data Access

  • Terrestrial laser scans - DWEL, raw and QA data for all sites

    Ground LiDAR, or Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), provides detailed 3D measurements directly related to the quantity and distribution of plant materials above the ground layer. DWEL is a dual wavelength instrument that can discriminate green and woody vegetation.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Biomass, LiDAR, DWEL
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      30 m radius from point of measurement; AusCover field sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composites; 2014 to ongoing, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated intermittently with new sites or reprocessing
    Data Access

Download our ‘Good Practice Guidelines’

TERN AusCover supports a nationally consistent approach to the calibration, validation, and delivery of earth observation data products. To ensure that earth observation data is useful to a wide range of users, the collection and delivery of this data needs to be accurate, precise, and use reproducible methods. To support the earth observation community in achieving a high quality and consistent approach nationwide, we’ve developed our ‘Good Practice Guidelines’ that provide advice on calibrating and validating earth observation data.
The Guidelines are provided as a free and accessible tool to anyone working in earth observation. They are also intended to be a dynamic resource that will be updated over time as new knowledge and best-practice processes emerge. Please contact us if you have feedback or questions.
The Guidelines draw upon the knowledge and experience of our national expert network, and also internationally agreed protocols and standards. We are grateful to the external and international reviewers who refined the Guidelines prior to their release.

Download the Guidelines here