None

Monte Rufeno LAZ1 is a monitoring plot within Mediterranean Forests LTER Italy site (parent site); it belongs to the Italian branch of the ICP Forests Network and it has been included in LTER Europe since 2007. Monte Rufeno (690 m asl) is part of the typical hilly landscape of northern Lazio, which suffered intense exploitation in the past by man. The dominant tree species is the oak (Quercus cerris L.). For a long time and up until the 1960s, the extensive oak woods were subjected to coppice cutting for the production of firewood. With the interruption of the practice of the cut, the forest stands have suffered a progressive aging and present themselves today as predominantly monospecific woods and monoplanes. There are also reforestations of conifers. Peculiarities of the territory are the water richness and the accentuated dynamism linked to the landslides. Monte Rufeno LAZ1 has been active as a monitoring plot since 1995. Data collection is carried out in collaboration with several organizations and universities. The research site is included in the Monte Rufeno Regional Natural Reserve.

None

The Fushan Long-Term Ecological Site was established in 1992. It is the first LTER site in Taiwan. The site is managed by Taiwan Forestry Research Institute. It is characterized by steep slopes (averaging 35%), and frequent rainfall. FEF is very moist with relative humidity above 90% most of the time throughout the year. The forest is characterized as a moist subtropical mixed evergreen forest without an observable dormant season. The dominant tree species include Castanopsis carlesii, Machilus thunbergii, Engelhardtia roxburghiana. Shrubs were mostly Ardisia quinquegona,Blastus cochinchinensis and Lasianthus fordii. The forest is multistoried with scattered tree ferns and shrubs, and with an herbaceous ground cover of 20% on the ridge, 70% on slopes, and 80% in the valley.

with adjacent terretorries

long-term ecosystems monitoring site located in a broad valley covering north boral pine and birch forest and low alpine vegetation zones

None

This site is the university forest of Kochi University with an accommodation for 60 persons located close to the forest. 60 % and 40% of the area was covered with conifer plantations (Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress) and secondary broad-leaved forests (both evergreen and deciduous, regenerated from charcoal production), respectively. The conifer plantation consists of small patches of various aged stands from just after planting to about 100 years of age. Now we are on the way of preparering a patchwork of vegetation at various stages of succession. The small scale vegetation patchwork may be a distingushing feature of this site.

long-term terrestrial ecosystems monitoring site in rolling hills/mountains in middle to north boreal birch forest and low alpine vegetation zones

UK ECN site. The Trout Beck is a headwater stream of the River Tees, which drains Great Dun Fell, Hard Hill and Knock Fell in the North Pennines. The ECN sampling point (Grid Ref NY758335) is at 535m altitude and the catchment above this covers 1146 ha, rising to 848m altitude. The geology is alternating strata of Carboniferous limestones, sandstone and shales. Blanket peat covers 90% of the catchment with skeletal soils towards the fell tops and small areas of limestone soils and alluvial soils. Vegetation is dominated by ling heather (Calluna vulgaris), cotton grass (Eriophorum spp) and Sphagnum moss. The catchment lies in Moor House National Nature Reserve which is owned by Natural England. Discharge is measured at a gauging station operated by the Environment Agency. The pH of Trout Beck has wide fluctuations associated with the discharge. The site has a long history of ecological research. Note: this site is a single point sampling location on a river. The site is co-located with the Moor House-Upper Teesdale ECN site (the catchment lies entirely within this site). It is also included in the UK's Upland Waters Monitoring Network (UWMN). The shape file indicates the Moor House-Upper Teesdale ECN site.