Hunt, J. & Laubach, J. (2026). Beacon Farm Unmanaged FLUXNET Release 2026_r1. Version 2026_r1. Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. Dataset. https://dx.doi.org/10.25901/04zp-2272
Beacon Farm Unmanaged FLUXNET Release 2026_r1
Ver: 2026_r1
Status of Data: completed
Update Frequency: annually
Security Classification: unclassified
Record Last Modified: 2026-04-07
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Dataset Created: 2026-03-20
Dataset Published: 2026-04-07
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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 standard micrometeorological methods for the quality control and post-processing steps. The final, gap-filled product containing Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) partitioned into Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (ER) has been produced using the ONEFlux software as described in Pastorello et al. (2020). This data set has been produced as part of the FLUXNET Shuttle project.
Two micrometeorological EC flux towers were installed approximately 300 m apart. One tower was located in an adjacent unirrigated, winter-grazed paddock.
The Beacon Farm site in Mid-Canterbury, New Zealand (204 m elevation) receives around 900 mm of annual rainfall and has a mean temperature of 10.9°C. Formerly a deer farm, it was converted to intensive dairy farming in 2008/09, supporting about 850 cows under rotational grazing. The two towers monitored irrigated and non-irrigated paddocks, alongside additional measurements of greenhouse gases and meteorological conditions.
Two micrometeorological EC flux towers were installed approximately 300 m apart. One tower was located in an adjacent unirrigated, winter-grazed paddock.
The Beacon Farm site in Mid-Canterbury, New Zealand (204 m elevation) receives around 900 mm of annual rainfall and has a mean temperature of 10.9°C. Formerly a deer farm, it was converted to intensive dairy farming in 2008/09, supporting about 850 cows under rotational grazing. The two towers monitored irrigated and non-irrigated paddocks, alongside additional measurements of greenhouse gases and meteorological conditions.
Credit
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.
Purpose
- to study the impact of the conversion of dry-land grazing to irrigated dairy farming on net annual greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) emissions at paddock scales.
- to study the effects of conversion of dry-land to irrigated dairy farming on soil carbon storage.
- to investigate the environmental drivers of greenhouse gas emissions and changes in soil carbon storage.
- to investigate the seasonal variation of greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon storage.
- to study the effect of land conversion on water use efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency.
- to understand the impact of irrigation and fertiliser application on nitrate leaching.
- to study the effects of conversion of dry-land to irrigated dairy farming on soil carbon storage.
- to investigate the environmental drivers of greenhouse gas emissions and changes in soil carbon storage.
- to investigate the seasonal variation of greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon storage.
- to study the effect of land conversion on water use efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency.
- to understand the impact of irrigation and fertiliser application on nitrate leaching.
Lineage
Data collected using standard eddy covariance and meteorological instrumentation on a 2m tower at the Beacon Farm Unmanaged site. The data were quality controlled by the site Principle Investigator. Gap filling and partitioning has been done using the ONEFlux software package, see Pastorello et al. 2020, which is available at https://github.com/fluxnet/ONEFlux.
Method DocumentationPastorello, G., Trotta, C., Canfora, E. et al. The FLUXNET2015 dataset and the ONEFlux processing pipeline for eddy covariance data. Sci Data 7, 225 (2020).ONEFlux
Procedure Steps
1.
Data is measured using standard micro-meteorological instrumentation on a flux tower.
2.
Data is recorded on a data logger and is collected by the site PI.
3.
Data quality control and post-processing has been done by the site PI.
4.
Filtering for low-ustar conditions, gap filling and partitioning of NEE into GPP and ER are done using ONEFlux.
Spatial Description
The Beacon Farm Unmanaged flux tower is located on an intensively managed dairy farm on the Mid-Canterbury plains, South Island, New Zealand.
Temporal Coverage
From 2012-01-01 to 2015-01-01
Spatial Resolution
Data not provided.
Vertical Extent
Data not provided.
Data Quality Assessment Scope
The data have been quality controlled by the site PI using standard micro-meteorological methods.
If the data quality is poor, the meteorological data is filled from ERA5 reanalysis data and fluxes are filled using the Marginal Distribution Sampling method. Filled data can be identified by the Quality Controls flags in the dataset.
The ONEFlux software used to gap fill and partition this data set also applies a Median Absolute Deviation (MAD) filter to the carbon dioxide, latent heat and sensible heat before the gap filling step.
If the data quality is poor, the meteorological data is filled from ERA5 reanalysis data and fluxes are filled using the Marginal Distribution Sampling method. Filled data can be identified by the Quality Controls flags in the dataset.
The ONEFlux software used to gap fill and partition this data set also applies a Median Absolute Deviation (MAD) filter to the carbon dioxide, latent heat and sensible heat before the gap filling step.
Data Quality Report
Data not provided.
Data Quality Assessment Outcome
No anomalous data detected after quality control.
ANZSRC - FOR
GCMD Sciences
Horizontal Resolution
Parameters
Temporal Resolution
User Defined
FLUXNET ID
NZ-BFu
Author
Co-Author
Contact Point
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
80 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, Queensland, 4068, Australia.
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