Showing items 1 - 6 of 6

Engaging communities for prioritising natural resource management and biodiversity conservation actions

- Milne, Robert, Hansen, Birgita

  • Authors: Milne, Robert , Hansen, Birgita
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Conference proceedings
  • Relation: 3rd Annual Conference of Research@Locate, R@Loc 2016; Melbourne, Australia; 12th-14th April 2016; published in CEUR Workshop Proceedings
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  • Description: Citizen science has a significant contribution to Natural Resource Management (NRM) through the acquisition and sharing of knowledge. Innovative online technology is playing an increasing role in the support and implementation of citizen science activities. Two projects being conducted in Victoria are using web-based spatial applications to facilitate and support the use of community sourced information for natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. The Natural Resource Management planning portal (NRMPP) is a regional catchment planning tool designed for Catchment Management Authorities and Landcare organisations to plan and prioritise natural resource management works. State-wide Flora and Fauna Teams (SWIFFT) is network of community groups, individuals and organisations that is underpinned by online technology to share knowledge and data on biodiversity issues throughout Victoria. Open source web-based spatial platforms are being used to deliver existing data from multiple sources, provide tools for the entry of spatial data and to provide information required for decision making. The focus of the two projects is to build knowledge management systems with tools that can be used by the community, land managers and other stakeholders to manage, control and share their own data in an online environment. Submission and sharing of community biodiversity and NRM data using online spatial platforms, and federating it with regional, state and national environmental data is facilitating community engagement and providing a process for identifying opportunities to collaborate on NRM activities and biodiversity conservation projects.

Liberating soil data for profitable agriculture and catchment health in the Corangamite region, Australia

- Dahlhaus, Peter, Nicholson, Cameron, Ryan, Bret, MacLeod, Andrew, Milne, Robert

  • Authors: Dahlhaus, Peter , Nicholson, Cameron , Ryan, Bret , MacLeod, Andrew , Milne, Robert
  • Date: 2018
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 61, no. 3 (2018), p. 333-339
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Detailed soil data has been collected in the Corangamite region of south-east Australia for over 80 years, as a testament to the productive value of the region’s agricultural soils. Soil science over that period has resulted in soil maps, soil investigation sites and archival materials that provide valuable baseline data for the analysis of trends over time. This legacy data has been brought together with contemporary data in the award-winning Soil Health Knowledge Base, an Internet portal based on spatial data infrastructure that interoperably federates data (open data, research data, industry data, sensor data, legacy data, crowdsourced data … any available data). The portal provides the best available data sources for research and consulting, as well as functions for both the private reward and the public good. The ultimate intent is to provide timely decision support for agricultural enterprises and catchment managers to protect, enhance and restore soil health.

Online Farm Trials

- Milne, Robert, Thompson, Helen, Dahlhaus, Peter, MacLeod, Andrew, Freely, Paul, Nicholson, Cam, Norton, Rob

  • Authors: Milne, Robert , Thompson, Helen , Dahlhaus, Peter , MacLeod, Andrew , Freely, Paul , Nicholson, Cam , Norton, Rob
  • Type: Text , Dataset
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: Online Farm Trials is part of an interoperable web-GIS maintained by Federation University Australia. The Online Farm Trials (OFT) project is funded and supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), and was initiated in 2013 with the aim of using the latest technology to improve access to, and adoption of, grains industry research data and information. Federation University Australia's Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation is leading the project to develop and deliver the OFT Trial Explorer, Report Library and other trial research resources. The project has a strong collaborative approach, working with a range of crop research groups, industry experts and grain industry organisations to ensure the outcomes are highly relevant, practical and beneficial. The Federation University Australia Spatial Online Farm Trials database includes: An accessible online digital library of national farm trial research reports and documents. Direct online access to trial research data in digital form with download capacity. Online analytical/decision tools for growers, agronomists and researchers. Linking of other sources of relevant data and information with trial research through interoperable systems. Increased networking and collaboration on cropping issues and farm trial research. The principle objective of the project is to help growers improve productivity and sustainability of their farm enterprise through improved access to trial research knowledge.

SWIFFT: State Wide Integrated Flora and Fauna Teams

- Dahlhaus, Peter, Milne, Robert, MacLeod, Andrew

  • Authors: Dahlhaus, Peter , Milne, Robert , MacLeod, Andrew
  • Type: Text , Dataset
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: SWIFFT is a combined initiative between the community, conservation, education and government sectors.It aims to advance citizen science through facilitating awareness, information and knowledge sharing in relation to biodiversity and threatened species across Victoria and south-eastern Australia. SWIFFT actively encourages contributions from members of the community, conservationists, field naturalists, farmers, land carers, researchers, scientists, management agencies and environmental consultants. SWIFFT is a place for community members to share projects, activities, outcomes, current events and ideas, and to access information from experts in their field. It is also a place to share images of biodiversity projects, species and habitats or go to find out about these things - helping to build a more informed community. SWIFFT is part of an interoperable web-GIS maintained by the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation(CeRDI) at Federation University Australia (FedUni). Project aim: Key aims of SWIFFT are to build community awareness and understanding of biodiversity and threatened species through sharing information about biodiversity or threatened species projects. Sharing project information can: assist others undertaking similar projects, or those considering starting a project provide opportunities to link science/research with projects increase community understanding and support for biodiversity and threatened species

The Natural Resource Management Planning Portal : Perspectives for NRM planning and reporting

- Hansen, Birgita, Dahlhaus, Peter, Milne, Robert, MacLeod, Andrew, Pitfield, Chris

  • Authors: Hansen, Birgita , Dahlhaus, Peter , Milne, Robert , MacLeod, Andrew , Pitfield, Chris
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Society and Natural Resources Vol. 32, no. 6 (2019), p. 709-719
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  • Description: Natural Resource Management (NRM) is often conducted as a partnership between government and citizens. In Australia, government agencies formulate policy and fund implementation that may be delivered on-ground by community groups (such as Landcare). Since the late 1980s, over AUS$8b of Commonwealth investment has been made in NRM. However, quantitative evidence of environmental improvements is lacking. The NRM Planning Portal has been developed to (1) provide an online spatial information system for sharing Landcare and agency data; and (2) to facilitate NRM priority setting at local and regional planning scales. While the project successfully federates Landcare NRM activity data, challenges included (1) unstructured, non-standardized data, meaning that quantitative reporting against strategic objectives is not currently possible, and (2) a lack of common understanding about the value proposition for adopting the portal approach. Demonstrating the benefit of technology adoption is a key lesson for digital NRM planning.

The vegetation of Peery Lake area, Paroo-Darling National Park, western New South Wales

- Westbrooke, Martin, Leversha, J., Gibson, Matthew, O’Keefe, M., Milne, Robert, Gowans, Stacey, Harding, C., Callister, Katrina

  • Authors: Westbrooke, Martin , Leversha, J. , Gibson, Matthew , O’Keefe, M. , Milne, Robert , Gowans, Stacey , Harding, C. , Callister, Katrina
  • Date: 2003
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Cunninghamia Vol. 8, no. 1 (2003), p. 111–128
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: The vegetation of Peery Lake area, Paroo-Darling National Park (32°18’–32°40’S, 142°10’–142°25’E) in north western New South Wales was assessed using intensive quadrat sampling and mapped using extensive ground truthing and interpretation of aerial photograph and Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite images. 378 species of vascular plants were recorded from this survey from 66 families. Species recorded from previous studies but not noted in the present study have been added to give a total of 424 vascular plant species for the Park including 55 (13%) exotic species. Twenty vegetation communities were identified and mapped, the most widespread being Acacia aneura tall shrubland/tall open-shrubland, Eremophila/Dodonaea/Acacia open shrubland and Maireana pyramidata low open shrubland. One hundred and fifty years of pastoral use has impacted on many of these communities.
  • Description: 2003000642
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