Principal biome (main communities)
Temperate broadleaf forest (mainly Eucalyptus obliqua wet forest) with some areas of moorland, temperate rainforest, riparian and montane conifer forest and scrubs.

Description and goals
The Warra Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site has been established to facilitate the understanding of ecological processes of Tasmania's wet (Eucalyptus obliqua) forests. These forests are part of the southern cool temperate wet forest biome. The programs foster multi-disciplinary research within a long-term framework. The site contains both working forests and conservation reserves. Appropriate management prescriptions and practices prevail in different parts of the site.
The main aims are as follows:

• To understand fundamental ecological processes in E. obliqua wet forests.
  
• To assess and monitor biodiversity and geodiversity.
  
• To determine the long term effects of different forest management regimes on natural diversity and ecological processes and thus assess their sustainability.
  
• Where necessary, to develop alternative management regimes.
  
• To provide an integrated multi-disciplinary focus which complements research programs elsewhere in Tasmania.
  
• To link Tasmanian forest research with national and international programs having a long term ecological focus - more.
  

History of the site
The site is partly within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, which is managed for conservation, and partly within State forest, which is managed for multiple purposes including wood production. There has been a history of data collection for forestry purposes since the late 1960s. Parts of the area were first harvested in the early 1970s. The complete logging history, recent fire histories and vegetation survey data are available.

Data sets
GIS layers have been collected at 1:25000 scale and include:

• Forest type maps (vegetation structure) derived from aerial photography.
  
• Geology
  
• Vegetation
  
• Fire history
  
• modelled climate surfaces (ESOCLIM)
  
• satellite images
  
• aerial videography
  
• environmental stratifications
  

Hydrology and climate
There are weirs on Warra Creek, Swanson Creek and King Creek. Sampling commenced in 1998. There 17 monthly river sampling sites on Manuka, Warra and South Weld roads. There are two climate stations: one on Manuka road at an elevation of 125 m and another accessed from Warra road at an elevation of 500 m.

Forest productivity
Continuous forest inventory plots (CFI) have been established in the area since the late 1960s-early 1970s. These are measured at establishment, at five years, 10 years and then 10 yearly.

Biodiversity
Species lists are available for vascular and non-vascular plants, vertebrates and some invertebrate groups.

A stratified system of baseline long term vegetation monitoring plots has been established at Warra, to complement the CFI plots.

Facilities
Access
The Warra LTER Site is a one-and-a-half hour drive from Hobart, adjacent to the Tahune AirWalk. It has several major roads within its boundaries which provide access to the eastern half. The western half of the area is effectively wilderness with access only by foot or river. Several permanent tracks have been established for long term monitoring within the area, both within the working forest and in the wilderness forest areas. Accessible control areas occur in the vicinity.

On site facilities
Currently there are no on site accommodation facilities or field stations in the area but there is a cafe, shelter, toilets, picnic and barbecue facilities located by the Huon River at the Tahune AirWalk. The Huon District office of Forestry Tasmania is located at Geeveston, 40minutes from the site.

Laboratory facilities
There are no on site facilities at Warra as yet. Laboratory space at Hobart may be available through negotiation with the Tasmanian land management and research agencies represented on the Policy Committee.

Research and Data management
The site is managed jointly by Forestry Tasmania, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (Department of Tourism, Arts and the Environment), the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water, the Forests and Forest Industry Council, the Forest Practices Authority, the Bureau of Rural Sciences, the University of Tasmania, the CSIRO and the Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry.  Data are managed and curated by the individual research agencies, with common data sets on vegetation and biodiversity, climate, soil, water and geology, being held by Forestry Tasmania and the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service.

Interested in initiating research at Warra or in collaborating with Warra researchers? Fuller background information on Warra that might aid in funding applications is available here