ANDS User Acceptance Testing of ePiSaT Version 1.0

The user acceptance testing was conducted once the ePiSaT Software was released to the public via github. Each tester was selected for their specialist expertise, thus representing a range of potential users. Firstly, Associate Professor Lindsay Hutley from Charles Darwin University was selected because he provided flux tower data to the project and he understands the ‘flux data’. Secondly, Dr Siddeswara Guru from Queensland University was selected because he understands data processing and software. The reviewers were provided the github repository URL, and the documentation and asked to test if the system was capable of perform as described.

The key outcome is that both reviewers concluded that the package performs as expected and commended it as a positive contribution to the community.  Following are the 2 reviewers complete responses;

Reviewer # 1

Dear Brad,

Thank you for allowing me to review your ePiSaT system.

I have followed simple instructions as provided and looked at your blog that hosts the system.

As novice user to this system, I was able, with no major problems to download and use the test flux data and run the these data through the R scripts.

The system / model appears to be robust and uses the latest gridded climate data and fPAR/GPP products for Australia. Functions as detailed are all standard versions as described in the literature.

I was able to generate 30 minute partitioned GPP and Re that appeared to me to be reasonable and in-line with previous efforts to partition flux data in savanna at a plot scale – your product we have the capability at biome and continental scales.

I could see some savanna specific improvements that could be made (e.g. see the LUE and GPP models of Kannihar et al) but this system is focused on partitioning fluxes but in my view it is relatively user-friendly, well documented and has provided credible outputs. Key variables outputted from the model (Amax, quantum efficiency, respiration etc) are in line with previous efforts to partition this data.

Congratulations on a very useful tool, there are numerous methods to partition flux data and this is a product pitched at integrating current OzFlux data and spatially extrapolate this over space and time, a hugely useful outcome. For a ‘flux ecologist’ like myself GPP and respiration data can now be compared with site values, compared to other models, integrated with maps of fire, soil types, climate envelopes to further unpack spatial and temporal patterns of carbon cycling in savanna.

Regards
Assoc Prof Lindsay Hutley
Principal Research Fellow
Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods
Charles Darwin University

http://riel.cdu.edu.au/people/profile/lindsay-hutley



Reviewer # 2


A selected quote from S.M.Guru;

"I was able to conduct the user acceptance testing on the ePiSaT product ... The plotting functionality is also impressive. Good luck with the software release and there is a huge potential for the product."


S.M.Guru




Dr. Siddeswara Guru

Data Synthesis and Integration Coordinator

Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS)


This project is supported by the Australian National Data Service (ANDS). ANDS is supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy Program and the Education Investment Fund (EIF) Super Science Initiative.

For more information visit the ANDS website ands.org.au and Research Data Australia services.ands.org.au.