They are designed for long-term observational of ecosystems structures and processes. Among the ExpeER observational sites, some are characterised by intensive measurements of ecological processes (e.g. many fluxes on a single plot) while others also cover entire catchments for integrated ecosystem studies including biodiversity.
About 300 of such sites are provided by LTER-Europe.
An open question is how to better link HIOS and HIES with the much larger number of monitored plots across climatic gradients, ecosystem types and land use intensity providing many opportunities to analyse impacts of environmental changes and how they change with time.
Highly instrumented observational sites (HIOS) involved in ExpeER:
- Zöbelboden, Environment Agency Austria, AUSTRIA.
- Hyytiälä, University of Helsinki, FINLAND.
- Pierroton, National Institute for Agricultural Research, FRANCE.
- Puechabon, National Center for Scientific Research, FRANCE.
- Eifel, Jülich Research Center, GERMANY.
- Harz/Central German Lowland, Helmholtz centre for environmental research, GERMANY.
- Roma-Lecceto, National Research Council, ITALY.
- Negev, Ben GurionUniversity, ISRAEL.
- Braila Islands, University of Bucarest, ROMANIA.
- Fruška gora, University of Novi Sad, SERBIA.
- Tatra Windstorm, State Forests of Tanap, SLOVAKIA.
- Doñana, Agencia Estatal Censejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, SPAIN.
- Seehornwald, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, SWITZERLAND.
- Moor House, Natural Environment Research Council, UK.
- Plynlimon, Natural Environment Research Council, UK.
- Rothamsted, Rothamsted Research, UK.
