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. Impacts of climate change
5. Effect of pollution and toxicity
GTOS Sponsors
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
International Council of Science Unions (ICSU)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Key Partners
Countries (Europe, Southern Africa, South Asia)
Research institutes and universities
Global change programmes (GCOS, GOOS, IGBP ... )
Committee of earth observation satellites
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
GT-Net Structure
GTOS
Steering Committee
(GTSC)
Secretariat
GT-Net Panel
Thematic Networks
Ecology-Net
Coastal-Net
Glacier-Net
Regional / National Networks
Hydrology-Net
Southern
Asia
Central
Europe
Southern
Africa
GT-Net demonstration project
Demonstrate the value of linking existing networks by
generating products that are useful in studying global
change.
Serve as a test bed for collaboration among networks and
sites, including data sharing and exchange, and obtain
the experience needed for further GT-Net development.
GT-Net demonstration project
The first project concentrates on improving current estimates of
global terrestrial primary productivity. It adopts a hierarchical
approach and uses models which combine satellite data with in situ
observations.
A set of products, which have Net Primary Production (NPP) as their
common foundation, will be produced. The NPP project will:
1) distribute a standard global NPP product to regional networks for
evaluation; and
2) derive regionally specific crop, range and forest yield maps for land
management applications.
Net Primary Productivity
Critical vegetation variables such
as LC, LAI and NPP are measured
at local and regional scales, and
used to validate 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).
Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites
TEMS Meta-database
•A register of long-term terrestrial observation
sites around the world
•Information on more than 700 sites
•Searchable on the Web: http://www.fao.org/gtos/
•Supporting GT-Net, the NPP project and TCI
Value-Added of GTOS
•Operational links between terrestrial databases, sites, networks
•Improved access to terrestrial data & information and better
collaboration between networks
•Filling gaps in key observations and harmonization of
measurements & terminology
•Stronger links between satellite and ground research (IGOS)
•Stronger links between science and policy