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Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

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Project • ARCP2015-01CMY-Miyata, ARCP2014-04CMY-Miyata, ARCP2013-14NMY-Miyata

Toward CarboAsia: Integration and Syntheses of Terrestrial Ecosystem Flux Data in Tropics/Subtropics and Croplands in Asia by Activating Regional Tower-based Observation Networks

With APN support, we have launched ‘CarboAsia’, a strategic project that fills the critical data gaps in tropical/subtropical forests and croplands in Asia for assessing carbon budget of terrestrial ecosystems covering the whole monsoon Asia. Information and observation data of the tower-flux sites have been integrated into the AsiaFlux database, a free-access and sustainable database. After the re-processing through the standardized protocols, those data are currently being used to fill in the critical gaps in data-model integration and synthetic analysis. Despite the complexity and heterogeneity of terrestrial ecosystems in Asia, the updated datasets have been used successfully for site-level model intercomparisons and spatial upscaling along with remote sensing data. We can now provide independent estimations of spatiotemporal variations in terrestrial CO2 fluxes in Asian regions. The resultant estimates of spatial and temporal variations are, however, subject to further scrutiny with other independent methodologies and longer time series of field data as well as the quantification of uncertainties. The workshops and training and seminars, as well as other capacity building/development activities held under the framework of AsiaFlux, have met the demands of Southeast and South Asian countries, thereby activating or revitalizing the regional observation networks in those regions.