Tumbarumba 2 Flux Data Release 2026_v1 

This release consists of flux tower measurements of the exchange of energy and mass between the surface and the atmospheric boundary-layer using eddy covariance techniques. Data were processed using PyFluxPro (v3.4.23) as described by Isaac et al. (2017). PyFluxPro produces a final, gap-filled product with Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) partitioned into Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (ER). This is the Tumbarumba Flux tower 2 record and contains the data collected from the date 2025/01/30.
Tumbarumba flux station is located in Bago State Forest in south eastern New South Wales. It was established in 2000 and is managed by CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research. The forest is classified as wet sclerophyll, the dominant species is Eucalyptus delegatensis, and average tree height is 40 m. Elevation of the site is 1200 m and mean annual precipitation is 1000 mm. Bago and Maragle State Forests are adjacent to the south west slopes of southern New South Wales and the 48,400 ha of native forest have been managed for wood production for over 100 years. The instrument mast is 70 m tall. Fluxes of heat, water vapour and carbon dioxide are measured using the open-path eddy flux technique. Supplementary measurements above the canopy include temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, incoming and reflected shortwave radiation and net radiation. Profiles of temperature, humidity and CO2 are measured at seven levels within the canopy. Soil moisture content is measured using time domain reflectometry. Soil heat fluxes and temperature are also measured. Hyper-spectral radiometric measurements are being used to determine canopy leaf-level properties.
Bushfire Disturbance
On New Year's Eve 2019 (31/12/2019) a bushfire swept through the Bago State Forest with a moderate severity burn (full understorey consumption but no canopy consumption). Prior to the fire, the forest had been growing without major disturbance over a period of almost 40 years, enabling study of its response to ongoing smaller disturbances such as insect outbreaks, droughts, normal weather fluctuations and internal stand dynamics. The regrowth forest is structurally and functionally different to pre-fire conditions. The fast ground-fire caused nearly 100% mortality of the ash tree species, where the mountain gum (Eucalyptus dalrympleana) species resprouted with epicormic growth. There are high levels of ash regenerating from seedlings and other eucalypt trees (mountain gum and peppermint) are rapidly re-sprouting. There were around 10 months of data gap after the fire.  

We at TERN acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Australia, New Zealand and all nations. We honour their profound connections to land, water, biodiversity and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Tumbarumba site is managed by CSIRO Land and Water (Canberra) and is funded by TERN. Tumbarumba flux station is supported by TERN and the DCCEE through the ACCSP. 

The purpose of the Tumbarumba flux station is to:

• study the ecophysiological processes and rates of carbon accumulation of a commercially important, high-productivity forest
• measure the exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy between the forest and the atmosphere using micrometeorological techniques
• develop new data analysis and interpretation methods for micrometeorology in complex terrain which will contribute significantly to the discipline of micrometeorology since much of the world's forests are located in complex terrain, where classical techniques may not be suitable
• utilize the ecophysiological and micrometeorological measurements to test models of plant and canopy function, such as the acclimation of photosynthetic capacity to temperature variations with season and the response of stomata to drought
• utilize the measurements to test land surface models such as the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange model CA.

 

All flux raw data is subject to the quality control process OzFlux QA/QC to generate data from L1 to L6. Levels 3 to 6 are available for re-use. Datasets contain Quality Controls flags which will indicate when data quality is poor and has been filled from alternative sources. For more details, refer to Isaac et al. (2017).