Charting the Future of the FLUXNET Network
Kyle Delwiche, Jacob A. Nelson, Natalia Kowalska, Caitlin E. Moore, Gabriela Shirkey, Tonantzin Tarín, James Cleverly, Trevor F. Keenan
Abstract
[Extract] FLUXNET is a global network of micrometeorological tower sites that employ eddy covariance (EC) methods to measure the exchanges of greenhouse gases, water vapor, and energy between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the atmosphere. FLUXNET has played a critical role in advancing our understanding of ecosystem functioning, carbon cycling, and land–atmosphere interactions circa 1997 (Baldocchi 2020) and is now poised to develop an advanced data sharing infrastructure aiming to increase global data availability and accessibility. By providing high-frequency, long-term data across a diverse range of ecosystems, FLUXNET enables researchers to study temporal and spatial variations in fluxes between the Earth surface and atmosphere, thereby contributing to more accurate climate models and better-informed environmental policies.