Theme Overview

The vegetation composition and diversity data products relate to species identification of individuals, and the aggregated species composition of trees or shrubs in an area.

  • 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

  • Biomass plot library

    The Biomass Plot Library is a collation of stem inventory data across federal, state and local government departments, universities, private companies, and other agencies, driven by the need for cal/val data to underpin national mapping of above-ground biomass. The library will be added to over time.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Biomass
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 4.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      0.05 to 1 ha resolution; Australia wide sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composite; 1936 to ongoing, specific dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Ongoing updates
    Data Access

  • Airborne hyperspectral - raw and QA data for all sites

    Collection of raw and quality assessed or processed (where applicable) data files for each survey site that has been flown. Airborne hyperspectral data can be used for species identification, leaf (canopy) chemistry and tree health.

    • KEYWORDS:
      Hyperspectral, Hawk, Eagle
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      0.3 m resolution; AusCover field sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composite; 2012 to ongoing, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Ongoing QA and generation of derived products
    Data Access

  • Airborne LiDAR - raw and QA data for all sites

    Collection of raw and quality assessed or processed (where applicable) data files for each survey site that has been flown. Airborne LiDAR can be used to derive high resolution terrain or surface models and canopy structural information including individual tree identification.

    • KEYWORDS:
      LiDAR, Reigl
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      0.3 m resolution; AusCover field sites
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 day composite; 2012 to ongoing, specific capture dates for each site
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Ongoing QA and generation of derived products
    Data Access

  • Phenology - MODIS, derived from MOD13C1 EVI

    Characterisation of phenological cycles of greening and browning and quantification of the cycles’ inter and intra annual variability from 2000 to current across Australia.

    • KEYWORDS:
      MODIS, vegetation, phenology
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      0.05 deg (5 km) resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      1 year composite; 2000 to 2015
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Update planned in 2016/17
    Data Access

  • Land Cover Dynamics - MODIS, MCD12Q2(c5) mosaic

    Estimates of the timing of vegetation phenology at global scales. It identifies the vegetation growth, maturity, and senescence that mark seasonal cycles.

    • KEYWORDS:
      MODIS, LPDAAC, vegetation, phenology
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      500 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      2 year composite; 2001 to ongoing
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated as available from USGS
    Data Access

  • Gross Primary Productivity - MODIS, MOD17A2(c5) mosaic

    Cumulative composite of GPP estimates based on the radiation-use efficiency concept. GPP can be used as input to models to calculate terrestrial energy, carbon, water cycle processes, and biogeochemistry of vegetation.

    • KEYWORDS:
      LPDAAC, MODIS, primary productivity, vegetation
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 3.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      1000 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      8 day composite; 2000 to ongoing
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      Updated as available from USGS
    Data Access

  • Vegetation height and structure

    Vertical plant profiles for the Australian continent, including height, cover, age class and L-band backscatter characteristics  based on the ICESat and Landsat time-series and ALOS PALSAR datasets.

    • KEYWORDS:
      ICESat/GLAS, PALSAR, Landsat, vegetation structure, height
    • DATA LICENCE
      & ACCESS RIGHTS:
      How do I attribute?
      CC-BY 4.0
    • SPATIAL COVERAGE
      & RESOLUTION:
      30 m resolution; Australia
    • TEMPORAL COVERAGE & RESOLUTION:
      Single layer derived from data in the period 2003 to 2009
    • PRODUCTION STATUS:
      One-off, no update planned
    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