FLUXNET

Stored: FLUXNET

FLUXNET

Type	Program
Sponsor Organization	Office of Science
Top Organization	Department of Energy
Creation Legislation	Global Change Research Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-606), Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58)
Website	Website
Purpose	FLUXNET, run by USDA and DOE with global partners, funds flux measurements to study ecosystem carbon and energy exchanges, advancing climate research worldwide.
Program Start	1997
Initial Funding	$10 million
Duration	Ongoing
Historic	No

The FLUXNET program, established in 1997 under the Global Change Research Act of 1990 and expanded by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in partnership with regional networks like AmeriFlux and AsiaFlux to coordinate global flux research, allocating over $500 million since inception to support approximately 900 flux tower sites annually by 2025. Initially funded with $10 million, it has grown to distribute $50 million in FY 2025 across 900 initiatives, funding projects like carbon flux monitoring in the Congo Basin and energy exchange studies in Alaska at research sites worldwide. Despite its impact, challenges like funding competition, site maintenance, and data integration persist (web ID: 1), but it remains a key interagency effort to advance climate science.

Official Site

Goals

• Measure and analyze carbon, water, and energy fluxes between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere using eddy covariance techniques.
• Advance climate change research and ecosystem modeling by providing open-access data for global carbon cycle studies.
• Foster international collaboration and improve understanding of ecosystem responses to environmental changes through flux tower networks.

Organization

FLUXNET is managed by USDA and DOE, in collaboration with international partners, overseen by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm since 2021, with regional network coordinators (e.g., AmeriFlux, AsiaFlux) implementing projects under federal and global oversight. It operates via annual appropriations, guided by the Global Change Research Act, Energy Policy Act, and subsequent funding acts like Public Law 118-342 (2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act).

Partners

• AmeriFlux
• AsiaFlux
• European Fluxes Database Cluster
• The Nature Conservancy

History

Authorized by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-606) and expanded by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58), and launched in 1997 with $10 million, FLUXNET expanded with annual appropriations, reaching $50 million in FY 2025. It grew from supporting 200 sites annually in 1998 to 900 by 2025, addressing climate challenges with innovations like the FLUXNET Data System (web ID: 4). By 2025, it has funded over $500 million, though GAO notes funding competition concerns (web ID: 1).

Funding

Initial funding of $10 million in 1997 supported the program’s launch, with over $500 million appropriated by 2025 via annual USDA and DOE budgets—e.g., $50 million in FY 2025. Ongoing appropriations under the Global Change Research Act and Energy Policy Act sustain its operations, with no fixed end as it addresses ongoing climate research needs.

Implementation

FLUXNET distributes grants and technical assistance annually, requiring sites to adopt eddy covariance standards, tracked via its data portal. It progresses through partnerships with research networks—e.g., 900 sites yearly—and data system expansions, adapting to research needs with no set end, though site maintenance remains a challenge (web ID: 1).

Related

• National Park Service Conservation Initiatives
• Green Forests Work

External links

• https://fluxnet.org
• https://ameriflux.lbl.gov
• wikipedia:FLUXNET

Social media

• https://twitter.com/FluxnetOrg
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/fluxnet