Anyone wishing to complete authentic research is eligible to use the DRO facilities. Evidence that the research is genuine must be provided by supplying adequate detail about the proposed project through the Research Application Form. This is submitted to the DRO’s Research Committee for approval and must be lodged at least 6 weeks prior to commencement.

Research is coordinated under four main themes:

• Canopy-Atmosphere Interactions
• Biodiversity
• Ecological Process
• Physiological processes

Ensuring the ecological integrity of the site

An important objective in managing the DRO is to ensure that research and other activities do not compromise the ecological integrity of the site. The main strategy used in meeting this objective is a critical review of research proposals in which potential ecological impacts are evaluated. Researchers should therefore keep this in mind when submitting research proposals.

Ecological impacts of several forms are of concern in this context. These include:

• activities which involve the removal of plants, plant parts, animals and other materials from the site
• activities with the potential to disrupt important ecological processes
• activities which might preclude subsequent studies or interfere with current studies on the site

In exceptional circumstances, the scientific review committee which examines research proposals may ask a research applicant to redesign their project to avoid some of these ecological impacts.

Ensuring high quality research outcomes

Another major objective of the DRO is to maximise the quality of the research on the site and the resulting publications. As a general rule, the research must have the capacity to contribute towards a scientific publication or a postgraduate thesis, or it must be a requirement of an undergraduate course.

One step in achieving this objective is a review process for research proposals. Members of a scientific review committee are drawn from senior academic staff at James Cook University. This review committee is asked to assess whether or not the results of a proposed project might reasonably be expected to warrant publication. Members of the committee may subsequently suggest improvements in research design to some applicants.

Another important means of enhancing the quality of research outcomes from the facility is to encourage collaboration and cooperation between researchers.

Data available for researchers

Climate data

TODO: fill out SOME-YEAR in following paragraph

Weather data has been collected since SOME-YEAR on the station with some interruptions at two sites: the clearing adjacent to the rainforest, and above the forest canopy on the tower of the crane. This data includes wind velocity and direction, rainfall, air temperature, relative humidity and solar radiation, and can be made available through collaboration with Dr Michael Liddell.

Flora

TODO: check years are correct below

Within the arc of the crane, all trees which have a DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) greater than 10cm have been identified and tagged. This encompasses a total of 680 trees, comprised of 33 different families and 82 species. A map illustrating the location of each of these trees was created using polar co-ordinates by Martin Freiberg in 2002 and was updated in 2009. The map includes the position of the trees, their height and crown diameter. A DBH census is completed every 5 years on the plot. For a detailed tree species list including the abundance of each species and DBH data please contact the research station directly.

TODO: include other sensor data

Funding

The DRO offers student research grants to Honours, Masters and PhD students enrolled at Australian and international universities. Please visit the Grants page for detailed information.

Fees and Charges

The station must charge bench fees to meet its operating costs. University students and JCU researchers receive subsidised rates. The bench fee includes accommodation, use of the communal kitchen and the laboratory. Separate fees apply for the use of the crane.

TODO: It looks like there’s different fees for ‘everything’ and ‘everything-except-the-crane’. If that’s true the previous paragraph’s language needs tweaking.

Policies and Procedures

Researchers are required to be familiar with and observe all applicable Federal and State regulations as well as DRO and James Cook University policies and procedures. It is the responsibility of researchers to inform themselves of these; DRO and JCU policies are available on the web and at the station.

Non-adherence to these policies may result in levies incurred for cleaning, disposal of material, damage, loss or theft of station property.

Researchers should also familiarize themselves with the General Information Package and the Safety Briefing Notes before their arrival on site.