BigFoot

Number of sites: (October 2004)

The overall goal of BigFoot is to provide validation of MODLand (MODIS Land Science Team) science products, including land cover, leaf area index (LAI), fraction absorbed photosynthetic active radiation (f_APAR) , and net primary production (NPP). To do so, we use ground measurements, remote sensing data, and ecosystem process models at sites representing different biomes. BigFoot sites are 5 x 5 km in size and surround the relatively small footprint (1 km²) of CO₂ flux towers. At each site we make multi-year in situ measurements of ecosystem structure and functional characteristics that are related to the terrestrial carbon cycle. Our sampling design allows us to explicitly examine scales of fine-grained spatial pattern in these properties, and provides for a field-based ecological characterization of the flux tower footprint. Multi-year measurements ensure that inter-annual validity of MODLand products can be assessed.

Detailed information about each site can be found at: http://www.fsl.orst.edu/larse/bigfoot/index.html

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