Global Terrestrial Observing System
linking the world’s terrestrial monitoring
systems to provide a global vision of the
Earth we share
GTOS Mission Statement
To provide policy makers, resource managers
and researchers with access to the data they
need to detect, quantify, locate, understand
and warn of changes (especially reductions) in
the capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to
support sustainable development.
Focuses on five
issues of global
concern:
1. Changes in land quality
2. Availability of freshwater resources
3. Loss of biodiversity
4. Effects of climate change
5. Impacts of pollution and toxicity
Global observing systems convergence of interest
FAO
Biodiversity
Pollution,
toxicity
Terrestrial
ecosystem
structure &
function
GTOS
WMO
ICSU
UNESCO
IOC of
UNESCO
Ocean
services
Atmosphere
Land
surface/
hydrology
UNEP
Pollution/
coastal zone
Ocean &
climate
Cryosphere
Marine
living
sources
GCOS
GOOS
GTOS Sponsors
Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Council of Science (ICSU)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UN Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Key GTOS Partners
Countries (Europe, Southern Africa, South Asia)
Research institutes and universities
Global change programmes (GCOS, GOOS, IGBP ... )
Space agencies and programmes
Framework convention on climate change
Convention on biodiversity
The global observation hierarchy
1. Large-area experiments
2. Long-term research centres
3. Field stations
4. Periodic, unstaffed sample sites
5. Frequent low resolution remote sensing
GTOS System of Networks:
GT-Net
Objective:
to link existing terrestrial monitoring networks in order to
study regional and global environmental change.
Key activities:
• share and exchange environmental data;
• define policies on data and information access;
• develop standards for metadata and in situ data;
• undertake demonstration projects
(e.g. Net primary productivity, carbon).
GTOS System of Networks:
GT-Net
Objective:
to link existing terrestrial monitoring networks in order to
study regional and global environmental change.
Key activities:
• share and exchange environmental data;
• define policies on data and information access;
• develop standards for metadata and in situ data;
• undertake demonstration projects
(e.g. Net primary productivity, carbon).
GT-Net Structure
GTOS
Steering Committee
(GTSC)
Secretariat
GT-Net Panel
Thematic Networks
Ecology-Net
Coastal-Net
Glacier-Net
Regional / National Networks
Hydrology-Net
Central
Europe
Southern
Africa
Southern
Asia
GT-Net Ecology members
 Arab Centre for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD)
 Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)
 Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN)
 Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
 Fluxnet
 International Cooperative Programme on Integrated Monitoring
of Air Pollution Effects on Ecosystem (ICP IM)
 Organismo Autonomo Parques Nationales
 Réseau d’Observatoires de Surveillance Ecologique
à Long Terme (ROSELT)
 UK Environmental Change Network (ECN)
 US Long-term Ecological Research Networks (LTER)
 Worldwide Network of Biosphere Reserves (MAB-BR)
GT-Net demonstration project
GT-Net undertakes projects which demonstrate the
value of linking existing networks by generating data sets
which are useful in studying global change. They serve
as test beds for collaboration among networks and sites,
including data sharing and exchange, and obtaining the
experience needed for further development of GT-Net
Net Primary Productivity
The calculation of NPP requires input data which are
valuable long-term observations in their own right:
Land cover
Leaf Area Index (LAI)
Net primary productivity
Soil water holding capacity and nitrogen content
Temperature
Rainfall
GTOS-NPP
Critical vegetation variables of LC,
LAI and NPP are measured at local
and regional scales and used to
validate the global satellite-based
estimates. NEP measurements
provide a separate validation and
translation of the carbon budget
based NPP to estimate commodity
yields (with local weather data if
available).
Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring
Sites meta-database
• A global register of long-term terrestrial
observation sites;
• Information on more than 700 sites;
• Searchable on the web: http://www.fao.org/gtos/
• Supporting GT-Net, the NPP project, the terrestrial
carbon observation initiative.
Value-added through GTOS
• Linked systems of terrestrial networks and sites;
• Improved access to terrestrial data & information;
• Better collaboration between ecological networks;
• Filling gaps in key observations;
• Stronger links between science and policy
• Faster response to emerging issues
• Harmonization of measurements & terminology