Annexes

Variable

Tier

Comment

1

2

3

4

5

Latitude, longitude (0)

x

x

x

x

x

Altitude (m)

x

x

x

x

x

to 20 m

Slope, aspect (0)

x

x

x

x

x

Area/volume relationship

x

x

x

Lakes and estuaries

Channel profile

x

x

x

Rivers

Site history

x

x

x

x

x

Biome or land use type

x

x

x

x

x

Soil type and profile

x

x

x

x

x

Water retention curve

x

x

c

Soils; at least 5 points

Near-surface geology/parent material

x

x

x

x

x

Variable

Tier

Comment

1

2

3

4

5

Climatic

Precipitation (mm)

s

s

d

m

Mist and fog where appropriate

Snow cover area and water equivalent (mm)

s

s

d

m

Where appropriate

Air temperature (°C)

s

h

d/2

m

Screened, 1.5 m Min and max

Soil or water temp (°C)

m

h

d

15 cm

Atmospheric humidity (g m^-3)

s

h

d

m

Aspirated

Wind velocity (m s^-1)

s

h

d

m

2 m above canopy

Incoming shortwave radiation (Wm^-2)

s

h

d

Above canopy

Total outgoing radiation (Wm^-2)

s

h

m

For net radiation

Direct and diffuse total incoming radiation

h

h

m

For atmospheric transmissivity

UV-B

h

h

h

Above canopy

Photosynthetically active radiation (mmol m^-2 s^-1)

h

d

m

300-700 nm

Land use, cover and vegetation (or aquatic equivalent)

Land cover (%)

y

y

y

5

y

Standard classes

Cultivation, inputs and yields

y

y

y

5

Tier 4 cultivation only

Herbivores

m

m

m

Species, density, yield

Pest outbreak

m

m

m

5

Species, density, area

Above ground biomass (gm^-2)

y

y

5

5

By Plant Functional Type (PFT) eg grasses, conifer/deciduous trees

Below ground biomass (g m^-2)

5

5

5

Leaf area (m² m^-2)

w

w

m

w

Necromass (g m^-2)

y

y

5

5

Standing dead, above and below ground litter

Phenology

d

d

Main stages

Vegetation structure (%)

5

y

y

5

Crown cover by PFT and height class

Soil

(0-30cm tier 4; to 95% rooting depth by 30cm increments tiers 1-3)

Soil moisture (m³ m^-3)

d

d

d

Bulk density (mg m^-3)

y

y

y

5

Organic carbon (g kg^-1)

y

y

y

5

By CN analyser

Total nitrogen (mg kg^-1)

y

y

y

5

By CN analyser

Extractable nitrate and ammonia (mg kg^-1)

m

m

y

5

Any accepted extractant

Total, organic and extractable phosphorus (mg kg^-1)

y

5

5

5

Any accepted method

Particle size distribution (%)

5

5

5

5

Grave, sand, silt, clay

Soil surface state (%)

y

y

y

5

Standard classes (sealing, compaction, erosion etc)

95% rooting depth (m)

5

5

5

x

Estimated or to rooting

pH

y

y

y

5

In H₂0 and 1M KCl

Extractable bases (cmol kg^-1)

y

y

y

5

Ca, Mg, K, Na; any accepted extractant

Extractable acidity (cmol kg^-1)

y

y

y

5

1M KCl

CEC @ pH 7.0 or 8.3 (cmol kg^-1)

y

y

y

5

Hydrology

Evapotranspiration (mm)

h

h

Transpiration + evaporation from soil + interception

Water table depth (mm)

d

d

m

Or lake level

Runoff (1s^-1)

h

h

d

For catchment

Ground water storage flux

d?

d?

d?

Including bedload

Sediment load (mg m^-2 d^-1)

h

d

Water chemistry (for runoff, rivers, lakes)

Electroconductivity (mS m¹)

h

h

w

pH

h

h

w

Light penetration (cm)

d

d

m

Secchi disc, lake only

Turbidity

?

?

?

Oxygen concentration (mg l^-1)

?

?

?

Chlorophyll concentration (ug/l)

?

?

?

Biological oxygen demand

?

?

?

Rivers only

Dissolved and particulate organic carbon (mg 1^-1)

d

d

m

Major cations eg Ca, Mg, K, Na (mg1^-1)

d

d

m

Nitrogen species (mg 1^-1)

d

d

m

Nitrate in groundwater

Phosphorous species (mg1^-1)

d

d

m

Cryosphere

Sea ice extent (km²)

d

Sea ice motion (km d^-1)

d/2

Snow cover area and water equivalent

d

d

d

5

d

Ice sheet extent and topography

D

D

Glaciers and ice caps extent

D

D

Lake freeze and thaw dates

y

y

Dates

Permafrost active layer (cm)

d

d

m

Permafrost thermal store (W m^-2)

?

?

?

5

Biodiversity (including aquatic equivalent)

Plant species composition

5

5

5

5

In abundance classes

Demography

y

y

Key species only

Rare and endangered species

y

y

5

Population size

Key microflora

y

y

E.g. N fixers, mucorrhizas, methanogens, nitrifyers

Indicator species

m

m

5

Selected taxa

Pollutants

Wet and dry N and S deposition

m

d

d

Teflon buckets

Transition metals

y

D

Concentration in key ecosystem markers eg sediments, top predators

Radionuclides

y

D

Toxic synthetic organic substances

y

D

Ecosystem processes

Net primary production (g m^-2 d^-1)

m

m

y

Soil respiration (g m^-2 s^-1)

m

m

m

Net ecosystem production (g m^-2 d^-1)

h

h

Decomposition rate (mg g^-1 y^-1)

y

y

Standard and local substrate

Nitrogen mineralisation rate (mg g^-1 d^-1)

m

m

y

Secondary production (g m^-2 d^-1)

m

y

Where appropriate (fisheries, grazing systems)

Trace gas exchanges

Carbon dioxide (mmol m^-2 s^-1)

h

h

Methane (mmol m^-2 s^-1)

h

NOx, NMVOC(mmol m^-2 s^-1 N or C atoms)

h

Disturbance (dates and durations, intensity)

Fire

y

y

y

5

m

Windthrow

y

y

y

5

m

Severe storms

Variable

Comments

Exchange rate

Time series, against USD, GBP, DM or Yen

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (national currency)

by sector (agriculture, mining industry, service etc)

Rate of growth of GDP (%per annum)

by sector

Income per capita (local currency)

Energy use (PJ)

by fuel type and sector, eg coal, oil, natural gas. Required by IPCC

Freshwater use (m³)

by sector

Groundwater use (m³)

by source (rivers, groundwater) and by sector

Pesticide (including herbicide) use (tons)

by broad compound category

Fertilizer use (tons)

by element

Agricultural production (local currency)

by product

Agricultural production (tons)

by product

Livestock numbers

by species

Timber harvest (m³)

by category: saw timber, pulp wood, fuel wood

Agricultural land area (km²)

by crop type

Agricultural productivity (tons ha^-1)

per crop

Fish stocks (tons)

by species, freshwater only for GTOS, marine for GOOS

Fish catches (tons)

Road length (km)

by type (multi-lane, two lane surfaced, unsurfaced)

Road vehicle numbers

by type (passenger, light truck, heavy truck)

Passenger traffic (person km)

by mode (rail, road, air, water)

Freight traffic (ton km)

by mode (rail, road, air, water)

Population

by domicile (rural, urban)

Age structure (%)

by sex

Literacy (%)

by sex

Mortality (%)

by sex

Morbidity (%)

by sex

Life expectancy at birth (years)

by sex

Calorific intake (kJ)

Religion

broad category

Armed conflicts

number of casualties

Administrative boundaries

vector file or map

Rare, endangered and recently extinct species

within the national boundaries

Trade in rare and endangered species

required by CITES

Protected areas

map or vector files, by IUCNlevel of protection (eg national parks, resource areas, private reserves)

Emissions to the atmosphere (Tg)

CO₂, N₂O, CH₄, CO NMVOC, aerosols, NO_x (required by IPCC), SO₂

Emissions to water (Tg)

Sewerage, salts, toxic metals, synthetic organic compounds

Waste production for disposal or storage on land (Tg)

mine waste rock and slimes, ash, toxic chemicals, medical waste, nuclear waste

Trade in toxic waste

by category, required by Basel Convention

Investment in environmental protection (local currency)

by type (protected area management, monitoring, eduction, pollution law enforcement, research)

Name

No. of sites

Acid Rain National Early Warning System (ARNEWS), Canada

150

Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)

Benchmark Sites for Agricultural Land, Canada

23

Canadian Forest Service: Health of Sugar Maple in Northeastern N. America

62

Chinese Ecological Research Network (CERN)

22

CIFOR: Forest Ecosystem Management Project

12

ICP for Assessment and Monitoring of Acidification of Rivers and Lakes

> 200

ICP for Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests/Level II

ca. 480

ICP for Res. on Evaluating Eff. of Air Poll. and other Stresses on Agr. Crops

33

ICP for Integrated Monitoring

58

IGBP: Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ)

IGBP Megatransects

12 transects

International Network on Soil Fertility and Sustainable Rice Farming (INSURF)

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

International Tundra Experiment (ITEX)

23

International Union of Forestry Research (IUFRO)

IRF’s Eastern Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative

10

Long-Term Ecosystem Productivity Integrated Research Network (LTEP IRS), USA

4

Long-Term Soil Productivity Network, USA

8

LTER Finland: Eff. of climate change on fishes, fish stocks, fisheries and aquacult.

> 25

MAB: Biosphere Reserve Integrated Monitoring (BRIM)

324

NASA Landsat Pathfinder Global Land Cover Test Sites Project

> 120

Rèseau National de suivi à long terme des ècosystemes forestiers (RENECOFOR)

100

Sahara and Sahel Observatory: ROSELT

67

SCOPE: Biogeochemistry of major world rivers, lakes and estuaries*

101

Smithsonian Institute: Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS)

17

Taiwan Ecological Research Network (TERN)

2

Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, Germany (TERN)

The British Countryside Survey

500

Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme (TBSF)

> 23

UK Environmental Change Network, Freshwater Sites

37

UK Environmental Change Network, Terrestrial sites

11

US Long-Term Ecological Research Network (LTER)

18

US National Park Service Global Change Program

78

US National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA)

18

West and Central African Network: HydroNiger

67

Name

No of sites

A field study of the eff. of elevated ambient CO₂ on ecos. proc. in Chesapeake Bay wetlands

ABRACOS: Anglo-Brazilian Climate Observational Study

4

Baie Du Mont St. Michele Wetlands

Batu Apoi Forest Reserve, Brunei, Borneo: Vertebrate population and tropical ecology

1

BOREAS: Boreal Ecosystems Atmospheric Study

2

Cairngorms , Scotland

Canada: Various projects on acidification of lakes, soil and forests

3

Canadian Forest Service: Turkey Lakes Watershed, Central Ontario

CIFOR: Forest Ecosystem Management Project (Jambi, Sumatra)

Classification of Landsat Thematic Mapper data, Virunga National Park, Zaïre

Craigieburn Research Area, NZ

plot network

Darum Research Station and Program, Sabah (Sabah Foundation)

ECHIVAL: An European Field Experiment in Desertification-threatened Areas (EFEDA)

5

EPA’s National Estuary Program

6

Evolution of a Mediterranean Forest (Quercus ilex)

Fargo Station, North Dakota

12

General Governmental System of Ecological Monitoring in Russia (EGSM)

Glendhu Catchment Study, NZ

2

HAPEX-SAHEL

3

INPA: Long-term river continuum studies: Taruma

INPA: Reserva Ducke

Long-Term Swedish Field Liming Experiment

4

Lower Mekong Basin: Water Quality Monitoring Network

LTER Argentina: Several Programmes on 5 Sites

5

LTER Brazil: Brazilian Coastal Atlantic Forest: extensive studies

LTER Brazil: Floodplain ecology: Ilha da Marchantaria

LTER Brazil: Long-term river continuum studies: Jau

LTER Brazil: Pantanal Region (several studies)

LTER Chile: Terrestrial and aquatic interdisciplinary programmes

3

LTER Finland: Physiological and genetical adaptation of forest trees to climate changes

1

LTER Finland: The Effect of Climate on the Phenology of Perennial Plants

395

LTER France: Hydrological Monitoring of Rivers

> 2

LTER France: Research on Soil Quality

10

LTER France: Terrestrial and marine LTER in the Austral and Indian Oceans

4

LTER Hungary: Balaton Lake Project

LTER Hungary: Biological Monitoring in the Szigetkoz Danube Barrage System

LTER Hungary: Sikfokut Project

LTER Latvia: Pollution of fresh waters

5

LTER Mexico: Several programmes

6

LTER Mongolia: Mongolian Acad. Sci. (MAS): Inst. of Botany and 9 Research Stations

10

LTER Norway: Eff. of climate change on growth and dev. on northern landscape plants

8

LTER Russia: Freshwater Ecosystems

14

Mackenzie Basin Impact Study

Mount Cameroon Project

Ontario Long-Term Ecological Research Program

3

Organic matter turnover in a Western European climate transect in coniferous forests transect

Orongorongo Field Station, NZ

ORSTOM: African lakes and rivers

> 4

ORSTOM: Lower Guinea Area Coastal Basins

Predictive modelling of Backbarrier Salt Marsh response to accelerated sea-level rise, UK

5

Purukohukohu Experimental Basin, NN

3

SALT: Savannas A Long Term

8

The Carbon in the Amazon River Experiment

UNEP: Environment Change and the Productivity of Tropical Grasslands

5

USDA Forest Service: Air Pollution in the Wind River Mountain Wilderness

Vegetation change from global warming in Korea

3

Vegetation monitoring in Lowveld and arid Lowveld of Natal

TIER 2

Ecoregion

Site name

DEG

MIN

LAT

DEG

MIN

LON

No of sites

Icecap Division

McMurdo Dry Valleys

77

S

162

E

Tundra Division

Arctic Tundra/Toolik Lake

68

38

N

149

34

W

Palmer Station

64

40

S

64

3

W

Subarctic Division

Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest

64

45

N

148

0

W

Warm Continental Division

Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station

35

N

85

W

8

Cedar Creek Natural History Area

45

24

N

93

12

W

Harvard Forest LTER Site

42

32

N

72

10

W

Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest

43

56

N

71

45

W

North Temperate Lakes LTER (Trout Lake Station)

46

0

N

89

40

W

Hot Continental Division

W K Kellogg Biological Station

42

24

N

85

24

W

Subtropical Division

Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory

35

0

N

83

30

W

Jiangxi Dagangshang Ecological Experimental Station

27

40

N

114

38

E

Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre

39

N

77

W

Virginia Coast Reserve, LTER

37

27

N

75

40

W

Marine Division

Askov Experimental Station

55

28

N

9

7

E

Bornhöved Lakes District

54

N

10

E

Centro Austral de Investigaciones Cientificas (CADIC)

54

49

S

68

18

W

H J Andrews Experimental Forest

44

14

N

122

11

W

Lake Gardsjon

58

4

N

12

1

E

Projektzentrum Oekosystemforschung

54

6

N

10

15

E

Rothamsted Experimental Station

51

48

N

0

20

W

Solling-B1

51

45

N

9

34

E

Solling-F1

51

45

N

9

34

E

Prairie Division

EEA Balcarce. Subprogramme

PAPA

37

45

S

58

18

W

Konza Praire Research Natural Area

39

5

N

96

35

W

Sanborn Field

38

57

N

93

20

W

Mediterranean Division

Priest River Experimental Forest - LTSP

48

21

N

116

50

W

Waite Permanent Rotation

34

55

S

138

35

E

Tropical/Subtropical Desert Division

Indian Agricultural Research Institute

28

35

N

77

12

E

Jornada LTER

32

30

N

106

45

W

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge

34

21

N

106

54

W

Temperate Steppe Division

Central Plains Experimental Range

40

49

N

104

46

W

Niwot Ridge LTER Site

40

3

N

105

37

W

Rainforest Division

Barro Colorado Island Nature Monument

9

9

N

79

51

W

La Selva Biological Station

10

26

N

83

59

W

Luquillo Experimental Forest

18

18

N

65

52

W

Pasoh Forest Reserve

3

0

N

102

20

E

TOTAL

45

TIER 3

Icecap Division

Ny-Alesund

79

0

N

12

20

E

Subarctic Division

Atikokan Coldwater Lakes Research Site

49

N

94

W

Bear Brooks Watershed in Maine (BBWM)

44

52

N

68

6

W

Caribou/ Poker Creeks Research Watershed

65

15

N

147

30

W

Hietajärvi, ICP Integrated Monitoring Sites FI03

63

9

N

30

40

E

Howland Integrated Forest Study (HIFS)

45

10

N

68

40

W

Pesosjärvi, ICP Integrated Monitoring Sites FI04

66

17

N

29

26

E

Reivo

65

47

N

19

6

E

Valkea-Kotinen, ICP Integrated Monitoring Sites FI01

61

14

N

25

3

E

Velikiy, No 16

66

40

N

33

0

E

Vuoskojärvi, ICP Integrated Monitoring Sites FI05

69

44

N

26

56

E

Warm Continental Division

Aukstaitija Integrated Monitoring Station

55

26

N

26

4

E

Dzukija Integrated Monitoring Station

54

3

N

25

16

E

Hubbard Brook, NH

43

57

N

71

42

W

Long term triple cereal cropping

28

3

N

121

25

E

Observatory Kosetice

49

35

N

15

5

E

Puszcza Borecka (Diabla Gora)

54

9

N

22

4

E

Rucava Area

56

12

N

21

7

E

Réseau de suivi des écosystèmes forestiers HET L1

49

59

N

6

2

E

Réseau de suivi des écosystèmes forestiers HET L2

49

39

N

6

11

E

Sanjiang Plain Mire and Wetland Ecosystem Experimental Station

47

35

N

133

3

E

Taurene Area

57

10

N

25

41

E

Ussuri Reserve

43

42

N

132

29

E

Valdai, No 15

57

51

N

32

21

E

Vilsandi

58

20

N

22

0

E

Zemaitija Integrated Monitoring Station

56

0

N

21

52

E

Hot Continental Division

Fernow Experimental Forest

39

5

N

79

41

W

Hailun Agro-Ecological Experimental Station, CAS

47

26

N

126

58

E

Naiman Desertification Research Station

42

55

N

120

42

E

Pennsylvania State University

40

44

N

77

57

W

ACC

Administrative Committee on Coordination

AMAP

Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme

AVHRR

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer

BATERISTA

Biosphere Atmosphere Transfer and Ecological Research in situ Studies in Amazonia

BAHC

Biospheric Aspects of the Hydrological Cycle

CAB

Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International

CCU

Central Coordinating Committee

CDIAC

Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre

CEO

Centre for Earth Observation

CEOS

Committee on Earth Observation Satellites

CERN

Chinese Ecosystem Research Network

CGIAR

Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research

CICERO

Centre for International Climate and Energy Research, Oslo

CIESIN

Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network

CIFOR

Centre for International Forestry Research

CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

CORINE

Coordination of Information on the Environment

CSD

Commission on Sustainable Development

DDT

Dichloro diphenyl tricholoroethane

DGVM

Dynamic Global Vegetation Model

DIVERSITAS

DIVERSITAS Programme

EC

European Community

ECN

Environmental Change Network

EEA

European Environment Agency

EEOS

European Earth Observing System

EMAP

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Programme

EOS

Earth Observing System

EOSDIS

Earth Observing System Data and Information System

EROS

US Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation Systems

ESA

European Space Agency

EU

European Union

EUROSTAT

European Statistical Office

FAO

Food and Agricultural Organization

FCCC

Framework Convention on Climate Change

GAW

Global Atmospheric Watch

GCM

General Circulation Model

GCOS

Global Climate Observing System

GCOS/GTOS TOP

GCOS/GTOS Terrestrial Observation Panel

GCTE

Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (IGBP)

GDP

Gross Domestic Product

GEF

Global Environment Facility

GEMS

Global Environment Monitoring System

GHG

Greenhouse gases

GIS

Geographic Information System

GOOS

Global Ocean Observing System

GRDC

Global Run off Data Centre

GRID

Global Resource Information Database

GTOS

Global Terrestrial Observing System

HDP

Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Programme

IAI

Inter American Institute for Global Change Research

IBPGR

International Board for Plant Genetic Resources

ICPs

International Cooperative Programmes

ICSU

International Council of Scientific Unions

IGBP

International Geosphere Biosphere Programme

IGBP DIS

Data and Information System for the IGBP

IHP

International Hydrological Programme

ILTER

International Long Term Ecological Research

INENCO

Centre for International Environmental Cooperation

INSURF

International Network on Soil Fertility and Sustainable Rice Farming

IPCC

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

IRRI

International Rice Research Institute, Philippines

IRS

Information Retrieval Service (ESA)

ISLSCP

International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project

ISRIC

Soil Reference and Information Centre

ITE

Institute for Terrestrial Ecology

IUCN

World Conservation Union

IUFRO

International Union of Forestry Research

JSTC

Joint Scientifical and Technical Committee for GCOS

LAMBADA

Large Scale Atmospheric Moisture Balance of Amazonia using Data Assimilation

LME

Large Marine Ecosystem

LOICZ

Land - Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone

LTER

Long Term Ecological Research

LUCC

Land-Use and Land-Cover Change project of IGBP and HDP

MAB

Man and the Biosphere Programme

MARS

Monitoring Agriculture with Remote Sensing

MERIS

Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer

MODIS

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA)

NASDA

National Space Development Agency (Japan)

NAWQA

National Water Quality Assessment

NEP

Net Ecosystem Production

NGO

Non Governmental Organization

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NPP

Net Primary Production

PAH

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

PCB

Polychlorinated Bi phenyls

PG

Planning Group

PHARE

Technical assistance to Eastern European States

RAMSAR

Ramsar Convention Programme

ROSELT

Réseau d’Observatoires de Surveillance Ecologique à Long Terme

RS

Remote sensing

SADC

Southern Africa Development

SAR

Synthetic Aperture Radar

SC

Steering Committee

SCOPE

Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (ICSU)

SOTER

Soil and Terrain data

SPOT

Systeme Probatoire d’Observation de la Terre

START

Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training (IGBP)

TAG

Technical Advisory Group

TEMS

Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites database

TOP

Terrestrial Observation Panel of GCOS/GTOS

TREES

Tropical Ecosystem Environment Observations by Satellite (EC)

UN

United Nations

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme

UNEP HEM

UNEP Harmonization of Environmental Measurement

UNESCO

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNITAR

United Nations Institute for Training and Research

US LTER

US Long Term Ecological Research network

WCMC

World Conservation Monitoring Centre

WCRP

World Climate Research Programme

WDC

World Data Centre (ICSU)

WG

Work Group

WHYCOS

World Hydrological Cycle Observing System

WMO

World Meteorological Organization

WRI

World Resources Institute

WWW

World Weather Watch