FLUXNET

An overarching intent of FLUXNET, and its regional partners, is to provide data that can be used to validate terrestrial carbon fluxes derived from sensors on NASA satellites, such as TERRA and AQUA, and from biogeochemical models.

The rationales for this undertaking were: 1) to compute daily, monthly and annual sums of net carbon, water and energy exchange; and 2) to produce continuous datasets for the execution and testing of a variety of biogeochemical/biophysical/ecosystem dynamic models and satellite-based remote sensing algorithms.

This step is required for FLUXNET to be a successful tool for validating MODIS-based estimate of terrestrial carbon exchange; algorithms driven by satellite-based remote sensing instruments are unable to assess NEE directly, and instead compute GPP or NPP.

From this work, scientists are learning that information on disturbance needs to be incorporated into model schemes that rely on climate drivers and plant functional type to upscale of tower fluxes to landscapes and regions—adding another level of complexity.

Today, with many datasets extending beyond two decades, FLUXNET has the opportunity to provide data that is necessary to assess the impacts of climate and ecosystem factors on inter-annual variations and trends of carbon dioxide and water vapor fluxes.