Wireless networks restore rainforests

An innovative wireless network that could hold the key to preserving Australia’s rainforests is the subject of a University of Queensland seminar to be held next month.

Adjunct Professor Dr Aila Keto, President of the Australian Rainforest Conservation Society (ARCS) will speak at the Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science seminar about an innovative project being conducted adjacent to the rainforest national parks at Springbrook in the Gold Coast hinterland.

Dr Keto said the research, which uses a wireless sensor network (WSN), was essential to providing innovative solutions to environmental monitoring to ensure ecosystem health and resilience and protection of at-risk Australian flora and fauna.

“Rainforests cover barely 0.3 percent of the Australian continent, yet more than half of our plant and animal species rely upon these complex forests,” Dr Keto said.

“Our research explores innovative and potentially more cost-effective approaches to protecting and restoring the Australian landscape starting with World Heritage rainforests on the Springbrook Plateau.”

The state-of-the-art WSN at Springbrook senses temperature, humidity, light, soil moisture and other environmental and biological parameters and relays data to high capacity storage and analysis facilities.

The networked system will stimulate further research into improving the technology and understanding the changes occurring in the revegetation projects underway in the area.

The research site provides an ideal test bed for basic ecological theories and the impacts of climate change.

The project is a collaboration initially between ARCS, CSIRO Information and Communication Technologies and the Environmental Protection Agency but is expected to include universities and other agencies.

The seminar, titled "Wireless Sensor Networks to Monitor and Manage World Heritage Environments: The Springbrook Plateau Case Study – Major Research Opportunities for Universities" will be held on Thursday, December 11, in lecture theatre 116 of the Plant Protection building (Bulding 8107) at UQ Gatton.

For further information about this seminar, please contact Professor Daryl Joyce (07 5460 1725) or Marg Cover (0427 718 780).

Media: Erin Pearl at the Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science (07 5460 1229)