Wombat State Forest Energy and Mass Flux Measurements 2010-2016

Composed of measurements of energy and mass exchange between the surface and atmosphere in a dry sclerophyll forest using eddy covariance techniques. It includes coherent automated measurements of soil greenhouse gas fluxes (CO2, CH4, N2O) collected with a mobile FTIR spectrometer from 2010 to 2016. The site is a secondary re-growth forest with an average canopy height of 25m, managed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

Use Cases

• Analyze seasonal patterns of CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes in relation to the cool-temperate to Mediterranean climate with cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers.
• Model energy exchange dynamics using eddy covariance data from the 30m (later 33m) measurement height within the Eucalyptus obliqua, Eucalyptus radiata, and Eucalyptus rubida canopy.
• Investigate the impact of forest management practices like selective harvesting and prescribed burning on soil greenhouse gas flux measurements.
• Study the relationship between soil type (silty-clay overlying clay) and understorey composition (patchy grasses) on mass and energy flux data.

Strengths

• Data collection spans 7 years from 2010 to 2016, providing a multi-year temporal series.
• Measurements include three key greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O) using a Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectrometer.
• Site characteristics are well-documented, including dominant tree species, average canopy height of 25m, and mean annual air temperature of 12.1°C (2001-2012).
• Annual rainfall is quantified at approximately 871 mm based on a 142-year long-term average.

Limitations

• The dataset size, row count, and specific column structure are unknown, limiting immediate analytical utility.
• Data is available in HTML and PNG formats, which are not standard for quantitative analysis of time-series flux data.
• The license is not specified, which may create uncertainty for reuse and redistribution.

Provenance

Source

Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network's Data Discovery

Collection Method

Measurements gathered using eddy covariance techniques and a trailer-mounted mobile laboratory with a Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectrometer.

Time Range

2010 to 2016

Freshness

The metadata was last updated in March 2026, but the core measurement time_range ended in 2016.

Geography

Wombat State Forest site, a dry sclerophyll forest in a cool-temperate to Mediterranean climate zone.