STATUS OF NETWORKS
Recommendation 1: Assess the availability of historic international stream discharge records to the TOPC user community.
Recommendation 2: In collaboration with GRDC investigate the feasibility of routinely providing, on behalf of GTOS, certain specific discharge observations at global or continental scales in the future.
Recommendation 3: Asses the availability of the Flow Regimes from International Experiments Data (FRIENDS) data sets to the G3OS community.
Recommendation 4: Assess linkages of GCOS and GTOS to the WHYCOS Network and the availability of WHYCOS data for climate purposes.
Recommendation 5: Develop or encourage the development of a hydrologic network of pristine discharge stations for climate purposes.
DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS
Recommendation 6: TOPC recommends that the NPP project should be executed in accordance with the above plans. TOPC should maintain contacts with the projects as it progresses, and should use the lessons learned to refine plans for other observing networks and for the compilation of global data sets
Recommendation 7: The organisational structure of GOFC should be modified to include formal TOPC representation in GOFC planning and implementation. TOPC representative should represent the authoritative requirements of GCOS/GTOS climate-related applications, and should report to TOPC on GOFC developments.
Recommendation 8: GOFC should consider inclusion of continuous variable products, especially canopy cover, leaf area duration, and tree height. GOFC should also actively promote and facilitate further research to generate such products, where appropriate.
Recommendation 9: GOFC should ensure that the planned products meet the needs of the principal user groups. The principal user groups should be identified for the various planned products. Further, hardcopy as well as digital products should be planned.
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS MONITORING SITES
Recommendation 10: TEMS should remain as a metadata base of network and site descriptors, providing users with lists of major categories of variables and guiding them to the holders of the data.
Recommendation 11: Version 2.0 of TEMS should be developed. Initially, the networks and sites involved in GT-Net and the NPP demonstration project should be used to test revised formats and procedures. The glacier and permafrost networks should be included in this process as soon as the required financial and other resources become available. Version 2.0 should include the following revisions:
modified questionnaires and web-based page formats to ease data assembly and updating;
searching capabilities should continue to be based on the present main categories, that is, country, network, ecoregion, latitude and longitude, and variables but with the following changes;
improved precision for site location with coordinates being given in degrees, minutes and seconds;
better site size and shape information by specifying them in terms of a rectangle or polygon, thereby accommodating sites of large, narrow or irregular size;
replace the ecoregion classification (based on that of Bailey) by a more flexible one that can accept a range of alternatives;
restrict the list of variables to the main categories i.e. a reduction from 530 to some 150;
provide agreed definitions of the main variables;
add a searchable map;
add principal scientists to the list of contact points and delete funding agency contacts;
maintain both PC and web based versions and consider the need for Spanish and French versions.
Recommendation 12: TEMS should be managed by GTOS but GTSC should examine the case for TEMS evolving towards a G3OS system and make proposals to the Co-Sponsors.
Recommendation 13: GTSC should decide on priorities for the GTOS issues so there is sound mechanism for prioritizing future expansion of TEMS.
Recommendation 14: GTSC should consider a structured approach to determining geographical and thematic requirements for critical observations that are needed for the GTOS issues such as biodiversity and desertification. Once this is done TEMS can be used to determine where there are gaps in critical observations.
GAPS ANALYSIS
Recommendation 15: Future gap analyses should be undertaken with respect to only the networks/sites that have agreed to be part of the global terrestrial observing networks.
TOPC DATA SETS
Recommendation 16: GOSIC should establish direct links to the data sets identified in Annex VI, and should include, in an appropriate form, the information from Annex III associated with each data set.
Recommendation 17: TOPC members should help identify data sets and develop the associated information, based on their scientific expertise and familiarity with these data sets.
Recommendation 18: In searches such as undertaken here, an attempt should be made to involve the best experts regarding each variable and associated data sets.
Recommendation 19: If feasible, G3OSs should consider the development of web-based tools for: a) effective searches that would identify new, improved existing, and deleted data sets; b) mechanisms for locating citations/studies employing certain data sets; and c) searches for groups of thematically or geographically related data sets.
Recommendation 20: JDIMP should define, and then widely publicise, a common set of metadata fields which should be provided with all data sets for G3OS-related applications. The metadata format should allow flexibility in the way the information is presented, i.e. it should be defined thematically rather than digitally.
Recommendation 21: GOSIC should include an appropriate disclaimer with the information contained in Annex 3.
Recommendation 22: GOSIC should make a provision for feedback by the users of the information in Annex 3.
SATELLITE DATA REQUIREMENTS
Recommendation 23: The information in Annex VI should be used to specify satellite data requirements for climate-related terrestrial applications and to revise the data base maintained by WMO/CEOS.
Recommendation 24: G3OS sponsors should clarify the extent to which health, economic and other terrestrial impact of climate change should be considered, and by whom.
Recommendation 25: While it is recognized that several Applications (presently not defined, Annex V.) are relevant mainly to other aspects of the G3OS program, all have some relevance to the terrestrial climate-related issues and TOPC should therefore be involved in their definition.
Recommendation 26: As part of further documentation TOPC should prepare flowcharts for key target variables.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND FUTURE TOPC ACTIVITIES
Recommendation 27: TOPC should work with GEWEX to assist in the transition of research sites into long-term observing stations where feasible and appropriate.
Recommendation 28: It is recommended that GCOS and GTOS approach IGBP to become a formal cosponsor of TOPC.
Recommendation 29: TOPC should examine the requirements and issues regarding the detection of rates of change in terrestrial ecosystems and should make appropriate recommendations to GCOS and GTOS.
Recommendation 30: TOPC should actively communicate with the scientific community and the public regarding the issues in its area of responsibility and results of the work to date, using the above and other opportunities.
