Robson Creek Flux Tower Energy and Carbon Exchange Measurements

This release contains flux tower measurements of energy, water vapor, and carbon dioxide exchange between a rainforest canopy and the atmosphere using eddy covariance techniques. Data were processed with PyFluxPro (v3.4.17) to produce a final, gap-filled product with Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) partitioned into Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (ER). The site is located in a complex mesophyll vine forest within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area at 711 m elevation.

Use Cases

• Analyze Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) dynamics in relation to supplementary measurements like temperature, humidity, and rainfall.
• Partition NEE into Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (ER) to model carbon sequestration in a high-biodiversity rainforest.
• Study the exchange of heat, water vapor, and carbon dioxide using open-path eddy flux data to understand surface-atmosphere interactions.
• Investigate energy balance using incoming and reflected shortwave radiation and net radiation measurements from above the canopy.

Strengths

• Data processed with a specific, documented methodology (PyFluxPro v3.4.17) as described by Isaac et al. (2017).
• Includes a final, gap-filled data product for key carbon flux variables (NEE, GPP, ER).
• Site is characterized by detailed ecological context, including 211 species in an adjacent plot and an average tree height of 28 m.
• Supplementary meteorological measurements (temperature, humidity, windspeed, wind direction, rainfall, radiation) provide context for flux interpretations.

Limitations

• Specific temporal coverage, row count, column count, and data granularity (e.g., half-hourly) are not provided in the input.
• Known data issues were corrected for 2015-2018, and a power failure caused a data gap from February 14 to 21, 2019.
• The available file formats (HTML, PNG) suggest the primary data may not be in a standard, machine-readable tabular format (e.g., CSV).

Provenance

Source

Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network's Data Discovery

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Includes data from at least 2015 to 2018, with noted updates and a gap in 2019. Specific end date not provided.

Freshness

Data was last updated on March 20, 2026, and includes measurements from at least 2015 onward.

Geography

Robson Creek site in the Far North Queensland Rainforest Site, foothills of the Lamb Range, Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, Australia (elevation 711 m).