Workpackage number			1		Start date or starting event: full duration of project
Workpackage title: Long term observation systems and data integration and consolidation
Activity Type: RTD/Innovation activities
Participant No.	1	2		3		4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Person-months:	36	20		4		2	2	7	4	35	0	24	28	8	0	0	0	0

Objectives 1.1 To observe the fluxes of carbon, water and energy from representative land use/cover types of key regions in western and southern Africa by eddy covariance.   1.2 To analyse and to partition the net-fluxes measured by eddy-covariance and to understand the relationship between the components (Gross Primary Production and Respiration) and climate for different vegetation and land use types in different climates.   1.3 To provide the basic data for process understanding analysis (WP2) and parameterization of models for up-scaling of carbon fluxes to the regional and continental scale (WP3).

Description of work Task 1.1 Establishment of a pilot eddy covariance flux network in Africa by identifying established sites and setting up few additional flux towers. Measurements will be harmonized in terms of methodologies, protocols of measurements, and data sharing. This task includes also the assimilation of data from former projects.   Task 1.2 Data consolidation will comprise quality control, flux partition and gap-filling of the eddy data, standardization of the others point data (TEMS) and reprojection, mosaicing and correction of the remotely sensed products.   Task 1.3 Design an optimal monitoring system network and the identification of its components, by the estimate of the representativeness of flux towers.

Deliverables 1.1 Fully operational eddy covariance flux network within the defined key regions (Month 6).   1.2 Sets of continuous flux data of carbon, water energy and the associated meteorological and ecological variables at the core sites (Month 6-36).   1.3 Maps and remotely sensed products at continental scale, harmonized and georeferenced (Month 12).   1.4 A public-domain database of carbon-cycle related observations in Africa (Month 12).   1.5 Standardized version of site ancillary data available (soils, vegetation etc) (Month 18).   1.6 Integrated observation product outputs for Africa, such as spatial databases of calculated carbon fluxes and stocks (Month 36).   1.7 Identification of an optimal monitoring system network for the Sub-Saharan Africa context (Month 36).

Milestones and expected result 1.1 Collation of all readily-accessible and quality-controlled existing site data on specified carbon cycle variables. Analysis of this dataset will identify the thematic and geographical areas where the information is weak, and trigger a gap-filling exercise where feasible (Month 6).   1.2 Publication of Africa-wide integrated spatial data products for the key components of the carbon cycle: ecosystem and anthropogenic stocks and fluxes (Month 18).   1.3 Building-up of correlation curves between biomass and canopy cover for each life form and ecological zone (Month 24).   1.4 Design an optimal monitoring system network and the identification of its components (Month 36).