Mitchell Grass Rangeland SuperSite is situated near Longreach in western Queensland in the Mitchell Grass Downs IBRA bioregion, that covers approximately 47 M ha (14% of Queensland and 6% of Australia). The mean annual precipitation is 444 mm. The nearest Bureau of Meteorology station (Longreach Aero 036031) is approximately 10 km away. The black vertosol soil supports sheep and beef cattle grazing in the area. The SuperSite is located at the Longreach Pastoral College (previously the Queensland Department of Primary Industries Rosebank Research Station) with a history of CSIRO research sites in the area.
The TERN SuperSite and OzFlux infrastructure will be established during 2018.
ⒸState of Queensland 2014
Mean Annual Precipitation (BOM station 036031)
Some of the research activity at this SuperSite will focus on the influence of long-term stocking densities on NPP, C exchange and evapotranspiration from the Mitchell grasslands.
TERN OzFlux at the Mitchell Grass Rangeland SuperSite
An eddy-covariance flux tower will be installed by mid-2018. TERN OzFlux will maintain the flux tower instrumentation that continuously measures exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy between the terrestrial ecosystem and atmosphere.
Flux data will be available from the OzFlux data portal
TERN AusPlots at the Mitchell Grass Rangelands SuperSite
There are TERN AusPlots established in the IBRA Mitchell Grass Downs region. AusPlots site data is available in the TERN ÆKOS data repository.
IBRA Mitchell Grass Downs (Central Downs)
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0001
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0002
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0003
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0004
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0005
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0006
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0007
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0008
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0013
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0014
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0015
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0016
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0017
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0018
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0019
IBRA Mitchell Grass Downs (Southern Wooded Downs)
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0009
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0010
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0011
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0012
IBRA Mitchell Grass Downs (Southwestern Downs)
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0023
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0024
IBRA Mitchell Grass Downs (Kynuna Plateau)
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0020
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0021
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0022
IBRA Mitchell Grass Downs (Barkly Tableland)
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0027
AusPlots Rangelands ID: QDAMGD0028
Facilities for Researchers and Educational Visitors
The Mitchell Grass Rangeland SuperSite is located at the Longreach Pastoral College, a short distance from the township of Longreach where there are a range of accommodation options available.
