VISION, DESIGN AND STATUS OF SAEON

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VISION, DESIGN AND STATUS OF SAEON
Avinash Chuntharpursat

• SOUTH AFRICAN
• ENVIRONMENTAL OBSERVATION NETWORK

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Origins of SAEON
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Who is SAEON?

• SAEON is a research facility (NB -not
  institute/centre) that establishes and maintains
  nodes (environmental observatories, field
  stations or sites) linked by an information
  management network to serve as research and
  education platforms for long-term studies of
  ecosystems that will provide for incremental
  advances in our understanding of ecosystems and
  our ability to detect, predict and react to
  environmental change

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• The core research programme will strive to
  distinguish between anthropogenic and natural
  change as well as to unravel the relations
  between social change and ecosystem change.
• SAEON will bring better cohesion between research
  programmes nationally and internationally and
  will ensure that LTER data is archived and
  accessible as a national asset for generations to
  come.

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SAEON Summit Declaration

• Recognize that long-term environmental
  observation is essential for achieving
  sustainable growth and development strategies in
  South Africa
• Agree that environmental data visibility,
  availability, and sharing are critical issues
  that will form a key component of their joint
  participation in SAEON

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• Agree that substantial growth in human resources
  through outreach, education, capacity development
  and transformation is essential for the
  successful implementation of long-term
  environmental observation
• Recommend that a substantial investment in
  observational, experimental, and analytical
  infrastructure be made to implement the
  integrated approach required for identifying,
  understanding and predicting environmental
  problems that threaten sustainable growth and
  development, and for informing policy
  interventions to address them.

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A NEW UNDERSTANDING

• Earth observation systems (space, LTER, in situ
  monitoring) are as essential for the management
  of our planet and/or management for sustainable
  and productive environments/habitats than what
  ongoing performance management and business
  information systems are for running a profitable
  organisation
• And thats in part why Government invests in SAEON

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ESSENTIAL APPROACH

• Earth Observation Systems
• Observation is more than just space agencies and
  satellites
• In situ observations common and very useful
• Experimental work at small and large scales used
  to test observational approaches and predictions
  fire, CO2 increase
• Require multiple spatial and temporal scales of
  observation and experiment
• Integrated science approaches and systems
• Question driven research and monitoring

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SAEON VISION

• A comprehensive, sustained, co-ordinated and
  responsive South African Earth observation
  network that delivers long-term reliable data for
  scientific research and informs decision-making.

MJ
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Partnerships
DST, NRF, DPLG, DWAF, NDA, DEAT
SANCOR, ARC, CSIR, GEOSCIENCE, CHAMBER OF MINES,
SAWEATHER SERVICE, SAIAB, SANBI, SANPARKS,
UNIVERSITIES, MORE.
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INTERNATIONAL LINKAGES
www.ilter.edu

• INTERNATIONAL LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH
  NETWORK (ILTER)
• PLANNING, TRAINING, PROJECTS, FUNDRAISING,
  DATA INFORMATION SHARING
• ENVIRONMENTAL LONG-TERM OBSERVATORIES OF
  SOUTHERN AFRICA
• (ELTOSA)

GROUP ON EARTH OBSERVATION (GEO) http//earthobser
vations.org
ICSU
www.saeon.ac.za/eltosa
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SAEON DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION

• Observational design

SAEON Ndlovu Node (Lowveld Savanna)
National Office
Arid Lands
Grasslands / Forests/ Wetlands (mosaic)
Marine-Offshore Incl. Sub-Antarctic
Coastal-Inshore
Fynbos
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OBSERVATION THEMES

• Water
• Nutrient Cycles
• Biodiversity
• Substrate / Sediments
• Disturbance Regimes
• Climate/Atmosphere

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A NODE - CONSTELLATION of SITES
Affiliated sites
Experimental site
Core site
Sample locations inside geographical area
Auxiliary sites outside but associated with the
geographical area
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Synthesis
NODE CONFIGURATION
Remote sensing
Sample locations
Affiliated sites
Core sites
Increasing sampling intensity
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BASIC NODE COMPONENTS

• Office site infrastructure
• Node manager
• Database/GIS
• Education outreach officer
• Research technician/admin
• Node Liaison Committee

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SAEON DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
METADATA PROJECT Establishing a reference
database of long-term programmes containing the
metadata only. To be published on the website.
Managed by Dr Silvia Mecenero.
AVINASH
ACCESSING DATA CREATING PRODUCTS Developing
CoGIS with CSIR to connect distributed spatial
data holdings and to deliver information products
using open source software and innovative
technology that overcomes bandwidth limitations
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SAEON and Capacity DevelopmentEducation and
Outreach

• Science educators need real-life projects
• Platforms for practical Grade 9-11 science
  education
• Platform for tertiary education
• SAEON to develop synergy among universities,
  science institutions schools

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SAEON and Capacity DevelopmentGraduate Student
NetworkWWW.SAEON.AC.ZA/STUDENTS
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SAEON and Capacity DevelopmentScience Careers

• Careers in observation science
• 2006 science related careers to 10 people
• 2009 30 more people

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Timeline
Conceptualisation and planning phase
Institutional implementation and financial
sustainability phase
Scientific sustainability
1987 FRD hosts Symposium on Long-Term Data Series
1998 FRD appoints LTER Steering Committee
1999 NRF hosts LTER Symposium and ILTER Executive
meeting
2000 Submission of a proposal for a South African
LTER to DACST
2001 Interdepartmental meeting to discuss the
proposal
2002 Development of Business Plan DST makes
first grant to SAEON
2003 First meetings of SAEON Advisory Board and
Technical Steering Committee Launch of SAEON
Website

• 2004 Launch of SAEON and SAEON Ndlovu Node
• Finalisation of SAEON Design and Standing
  Rules
• Launch of Education Outreach programme

2005 Designation of hosts for Fynbos,
Coastal-Inshore and Marine Offshore MoA signed
with SAIAB First Accession Agreement signed by
the University of Stellenbosch Launch of
Geo-Spatial Portal Project Launch of Electronic
Newsletter

• 2006 SAEON Summit
• Observation Science Specialist

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Post SUMMIT SCIENCE FUTURES

• Development of a structured assessment of what
  observations, analyses, and experiments would be
  of most benefit across the board
• A science and implementation plan to give effect
  to the identified needs and approaches
• Short-term, high profile integrated products
• Tim OConnor appointed as SAEON Observation
  Science Specialist as of 1 August