Cumberland Plain FLUXNET Release 2025_r1 

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 (v3.4.21) as described by Isaac et al. (2017) 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.
The Cumberland Plain flux station is located in the Hawkesbury Valley in central New South Wales. Operation commenced for the station in September 2012 and is managed by the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University The Cumberland Plain Woodland is now an endangered ecological community that encompasses distinct groupings of plants growing on clayey soils. The canopy is dominated by Eucalyptus moluccana and Eucalyptus fibrosa, which host an expanding population of mistletoe. Average canopy height is 23m, the elevation of the site is 20m and mean annual precipitation is 800mm.

Fluxes of water vapour, carbon dioxide and heat are quantified with the open-path eddy flux technique from a 30 m tall mast. Additional measurements above the canopy include temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, rainfall, incoming and reflected shortwave and longwave radiation and net, diffuse and direct radiation and the photochemical reflectance index. In addition, profiles of humidity and CO2 are measured at eight levels within the canopy, as well as measurements of soil moisture content, soil heat fluxes, soil temperature, and 10-hr fuel moisture dynamics. In addition, regular monitoring of understory species abundance, mistletoe infection, leaf area index and litterfall are also performed. 

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. 

The purpose of the Cumberland Plain flux station is to:

• quantify the exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy in a dry sclerophyll forest.
• characterize the functional behaviour and sensitivity of the different components contributing to the ecosystem carbon balance from sub-daily to multi-annual temporal scales and under climatic variability.
• identify the role of hydraulic limitations on constraining ecosystem productivity.
• quantify the impact of mistletoe on plant physiological processes and whole ecosystem water vapour and carbon dioxide exchange.
• validate remote sensing estimates of different radiation components to obtain accurate regional predictions of fuel moisture.
• understand how wood traits and microbial diversity interact to determine rates of wood decay.

 

Data not provided.