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| Source: CSIRO. A visualisation of the total nitrogen available at the soil surface (0-5cm average). |
Data on Australia's land surface is now available as a digital grid with two billion 'pixels' that are about 90 by 90 metres, down to a depth of two metres below the surface.
The Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia is the result of a partnership between CSIRO, the University of Sydney, several federal, state and territory government agencies and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN).
The Grid draws information from the partner agency databases, weaving together both historical and current data generated from sampling, laboratory sensing, modelling and remote sensing. It also includes estimates of reliability and is designed to integrate new data in the future.
The Grid will be beneficial to a wide range of applications and users including urban and regional planners, land managers, farming groups, scientists and engineers. Soil and landscape attributes such as soil water, nutrients and clay, affect the sustainability of Australia's natural resources and the profitability of sectors such as agriculture, mining and infrastructure.
"The research community has known we need better ways to make this diverse information available; new science and technology has let us make the most of the rich data we have," said CSIRO Research Director Mike Grundy.
"From exploring new land use options, to making the most of water, to finding habitats for endangered native species, this technology has applications we are only just beginning to imagine."
"Knowledge is power, and our agricultural industries have a very narrow margin for error these days, so the more knowledge to reduce poor decisions, the better," said Alexandra Gartmann, CEO at Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal and former CEO of Birchip Cropping Group, who has worked with rural industries for almost two decades.
"Agribusiness will benefit from this technology, both at the farm scale — with data to inform production models and risk management decisions — and industry scale, as it draws together many years of past research and knowledge for future investment decisions.
"The Soil and Landscape Grid is a huge leap forward. With its national datasets and consistent and comparable data, it has huge potential for regional development, informing planning and decision-making."
Project partners for the Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia comprise CSIRO; the University of Sydney; Geoscience Australia; the Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food; the Tasmania Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment; the South Australia Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; the Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts; the Northern Territory Department of Land Resource Management; the Victoria Department of Environment and Primary Industries; the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage; and The Australian Collaborative Land Evaluation Program. Significant funding for the project was provided by Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network supported through the Australian Government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).
The Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia is the result of a partnership between CSIRO, the University of Sydney, several federal, state and territory government agencies and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN).
The Grid draws information from the partner agency databases, weaving together both historical and current data generated from sampling, laboratory sensing, modelling and remote sensing. It also includes estimates of reliability and is designed to integrate new data in the future.
The Grid will be beneficial to a wide range of applications and users including urban and regional planners, land managers, farming groups, scientists and engineers. Soil and landscape attributes such as soil water, nutrients and clay, affect the sustainability of Australia's natural resources and the profitability of sectors such as agriculture, mining and infrastructure.
"The research community has known we need better ways to make this diverse information available; new science and technology has let us make the most of the rich data we have," said CSIRO Research Director Mike Grundy.
"From exploring new land use options, to making the most of water, to finding habitats for endangered native species, this technology has applications we are only just beginning to imagine."
"Knowledge is power, and our agricultural industries have a very narrow margin for error these days, so the more knowledge to reduce poor decisions, the better," said Alexandra Gartmann, CEO at Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal and former CEO of Birchip Cropping Group, who has worked with rural industries for almost two decades.
"Agribusiness will benefit from this technology, both at the farm scale — with data to inform production models and risk management decisions — and industry scale, as it draws together many years of past research and knowledge for future investment decisions.
"The Soil and Landscape Grid is a huge leap forward. With its national datasets and consistent and comparable data, it has huge potential for regional development, informing planning and decision-making."
Project partners for the Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia comprise CSIRO; the University of Sydney; Geoscience Australia; the Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food; the Tasmania Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment; the South Australia Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; the Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts; the Northern Territory Department of Land Resource Management; the Victoria Department of Environment and Primary Industries; the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage; and The Australian Collaborative Land Evaluation Program. Significant funding for the project was provided by Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network supported through the Australian Government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).
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