Calperum Ecosystem Research Site

Components

The Calperum Ecosystem Research Site (the Calperum Site) includes an OzFlux tower set in a mallee landscape, and three SuperSite plots covering mallee, Callitris woodland and River Murray floodplain ecosystems; the latter of which is linked with instream monitoring of water quality and quantity. The site also serves as a teaching platform, and focus for ancillary research, regarding earth systems, ecology (in semi-arid and aquatic environments) and hydrology.

Callitris Woodland

Callitris Woodland

Mallee Vegetation

Mallee Vegetation

Mallee Floodplain

Mallee Floodplain

 

 

Research Questions

The Calperum Site is:

  • Investigating fluxes of water vapour, energy and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere, upper soil layers and groundwater, and
  • Monitoring the changes in vegetation and dependent biota associated with the different ecosystems of the Site.

Key research questions are:

  • What are the fundamental energy, carbon, water and nutrient stocks and flows in Mallee, Callitris woodland and River Murray floodplain ecosystems?
  • How are these stocks and flows responding to changes in climate and management (e.g. reduced grazing, controlled fire, and controlled floods on the floodplain)?
  • How are biota changing in form, frequency and distribution as climate and management changes?
  • How important is the connectivity between these mallee, woodland and floodplain ecosystems for hydrology, faunal movement and as refugia in times of drought?