Cow Bay Flux Tower Energy and Mass Exchange Measurements

Flux tower measurements of energy and mass exchange between the surface and atmosphere using eddy covariance techniques. The data were processed with PyFluxPro to produce a final, gap-filled product with Net Ecosystem Exchange partitioned into Gross Primary Productivity and Ecosystem Respiration. The station, established in December 2008, is located in a complex mesophyll vine forest within the Daintree Rainforest.

Use Cases

• Analyze the relationship between Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) and supplementary measurements like temperature, humidity, and rainfall to model carbon dynamics.
• Partition Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) into Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (ER) to study forest carbon sequestration and respiration processes.
• Investigate artifacts in downwelling radiation data caused by shadowing on radiometric equipment relative to solar inclination.
• Study fluxes of heat, water vapor, and carbon dioxide measured via the open-path eddy flux technique in a high-precipitation, biodiverse rainforest environment.

Strengths

• Data processed using the established PyFluxPro (v3.4.17) software as described by Isaac et al. (2017), producing a final, gap-filled product.
• Site characterization includes specific metrics: average tree height of 22 m, elevation of 90 m, and mean annual precipitation of 3935 mm.
• The forest is highly biodiverse, with 94 species recorded in the core 1 Ha area, and is part of the long-term FNQ Rainforest SuperSite and TERN network.
• Measurements include fluxes of heat, water vapor, and carbon dioxide, plus supplementary data like windspeed, wind direction, and various radiation components.

Limitations

• The early years (2009-2012) contain several data gaps, reducing temporal continuity for that period.
• Persistent shadowing of radiometric equipment causes artifacts, visible as reductions in downwelling radiation with solar inclination.
• Sample data and specific column definitions are unavailable, limiting immediate understanding of the data structure.

Provenance

Source

Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network's Data Discovery, managed by James Cook University.

Collection Method

Flux tower measurements using eddy covariance techniques, specifically the open-path eddy flux technique, processed with PyFluxPro software.

Time Range

Station established in December 2008; data collection ongoing (specific end date not provided).

Freshness

Data last updated on 2026-03-20, indicating recent maintenance.

Geography

Cow Bay flux station in the Daintree Rainforest, Queensland, Australia; part of the FNQ Rainforest SuperSite.