Arctic-Boreal CO2 Flux Database with 70+ Site Variables

ABCflux provides standardized monthly data on terrestrial net ecosystem CO2 exchange and its partitioned components, gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration, across Arctic and boreal biomes. The database aggregates 6,309 monthly observations from 244 sites, spanning 1989 to 2020, with over 70 supporting variables describing site conditions, meteorology, and measurement techniques. It is a NASA-supported compilation designed for analyzing carbon dynamics in high-latitude ecosystems.

Use Cases

• Modeling the impact of permafrost thaw on net ecosystem CO2 exchange using soil temperature and disturbance type variables.
• Comparing seasonal gross primary productivity between tundra and boreal forest sites using monthly GPP and vegetation type data.
• Analyzing correlations between ecosystem respiration and environmental drivers like air temperature and soil moisture.
• Assessing spatial and temporal trends in carbon sink/source strength across 244 Arctic-Boreal sites.
• Validating remote sensing products with ground-based flux measurements and supporting micrometeorological data.

Strengths

• Includes a large spatial network of 244 sites, with 136 in tundra and 108 in boreal biomes.
• Provides over 70 standardized variables describing fluxes, site conditions, and measurement techniques.
• Covers a multi-decadal time series from 1989 to 2020, enabling trend analysis.

Limitations

• Conflicting last update dates: DataGov lists 2026-03 12, while NASA Earthdata lists 2020-09-30, suggesting potential metadata inconsistencies.
• Specific column names and the exact data license are not detailed in the provided sources.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Standardized aggregation of monthly terrestrial CO2 flux measurements from site networks.

Time Range

1989 to 2020

Freshness

2026 03 12 21:01:41.281190

Geography

Arctic and boreal biomes globally, encompassing 244 specific sites.