PSRF contributes $1.35 million to TREND

TREND is a collaborative initiative between the University of Adelaide, the Department of Water Land and Biodiversity Conservation, Department for Environment and Heritage and the South Australian Research and Development Institute. Together these partners will establish the South Australian TRansect for ENvironmental monitoring and Decision making.

"The TREND program will provide an early warning system for ecosystems shifts due to climate change, helping to plug a fundamental gap in our knowledge about how natural and production systems respond to this change. This will lead to improved modelling that will help inform effective management decisions for the future," said Professor Andy Lowe, Director of the Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity (ACEBB), the Environment Institute.

The TREND program will deliver a study of economically and ecologically important systems, running from Adelaide north through the Mt Lofty Ranges, the Barossa and Clare Valleys to the rangelands and eventually into the northern desert areas of the State. This project will involve and engage the wider community, by providing a forum for direct public involvement in data collection.

Over the next five years, it will provide resources to assist managers of natural and agricultural systems to incorporate climate change into their planning. Ultimately, it will provide a legacy of high-quality monitoring for future generations.

“The TREND line will provide vital data needed for research in climate adaptation and the development of effective and innovative approaches to sustaining our environment and securing our economic future,” Premier Mike Rann said.

"This is the most significant investment in climate change understanding on the ground for any state or territory in Australia," Professor Lowe said.