The Arikaree River (ARIK) is core aquatic field site within NEON's Central Plains Domain 10. NEON's ARIK field site is located in the Fox Ranch, a 14,070-acre ranch owned by the Nature Conservancy, in northeastern Colorado, southwest of Wray, between the towns of Joes and Idalia. ARIK was once a major waterway flowing through the plains of northeastern Colorado. Large water withdrawals for agriculture have now reduced it to a stream, with highly variable flow rates across the growing season. The Arikaree is also impacted by agricultural runoff and cattle grazing. The Nature Conservancy conducts extensive research at the site on invasive weed management, sustainable grazing practices and native landscape management. Cattle graze freely on surrounding pastureland and also have free access to the stream here, providing an opportunity to investigate their impact on the aquatic ecosystem. Remote sensing surveys of this site collect lidar, spectrometer and high resolution RGB camera data. This site has one meteorological station located in the riparian area and one meteorological station above water on a buoy. The met stations are outfitted with the a subset of the same sensors used at terrestrial sites. Measurements include wind speed and direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, shortwave radiation, and PAR. This site has one buoy-mounted sensor station and an inlet station and outlet station. At the buoy, the automated instrument measurements are: PAR at water surface, PAR below water surface, temperature at a specific depth in surface water, water quality (specific conductivity, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen content, pH turbidity, and fDOM), and nitrate. At the inlet and outlet stations, the measurements are: PAR below water surface, elevation of surface water, and temperature in surface water. Eight groundwater wells throughout the site collect specific conductivity, water tempertaure, and elevation of groundwater. Field ecologists collect the following types of observational data at this site: aquatic organisms (Aquatic Microbes (surface water), macroinvertebrates microalgae, plants and macroalgae, zooplankton. Biogeochemical data on plants,sediment water and particulates.As well as physical aquatic data on bathymetric maps, stage,secchi depth and depth profiles, and riparian assessment. Total data products planned for this site: 79

Guanica Forest is a core terrestrial field site, located in the Guánica Dry Forest reserve and is part of the NEON Altantic Neotropical domain 04. The Guánica Dry Forest which includes the largest tract of dry tropical coastal forest in the world. The area was once underwater, and the forest grows in limestone (karstic soil) formed from ancient coral reefs. It is located on the southwestern shore of the island, where a heat island effect displaces rain-carrying clouds and creates a warmer, dryer climate. The town of Guánica, with a population of just over 9,000, is situated on the outskirts of the reserve. The GUAN field site is located on land managed by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. NEON researchers work closely with the department to minimize their impact on endangered species in the area. The data collection systems at GUAN include airborne remote sensing surveys, automated instrument measurements and observational field sampling. The meteorological/flux tower is 66' with five measurement levels. There are also multiple plots for soil sensors and sampling and organismal sampling including birds, ticks and mosquitoes. At both D04 terrestrial field sites, scientists collected small mammal data from 2016-2017. Small mammal sampling protocols are currently suspended due to safety issues.

The Soaproot Saddle is a complex terrain of coarse hills, steep slopes and narrow drainages. located in the middle elevations of the Sierra National Forest 35 miles northeast of Fresno, near Auberry, California. With an elevation of 3274 - 4537' this site encompasses 1438 acres of mixed conifer forests that are experiencing high levels of mortality due to native Pine beetles. Targeted research addresses a range of concerns and provides much of the direction in resource management. Wildland fire is of particular concern at SOAP, where foresters use a combination of prescribed fire and mechanical fuel treatment to minimize damage while maintaining a healthy fire regime. At the core of this site stands a 171' tall flux tower that collects physical and chemical properties of atmosphere and related process. Soaproot Saddle also hosts an array of sensor measurements along with field observations collected by highly trained NEON staff. The automated instrument measurements and some of the terrestrial observational safor this field site are colocated with NEON's aquatic site, Upper Big Creek, which is located just north of Soaproot Saddle's site boundaries. Total data products planned for this site: 112

Lower Teakettle (TEAK) has been designated as one of two relocatable terrestrial sites for the Pacific Southwest domain 17. The core aquatic site, Teakettle Creek, is just south of the terrestrial site. Teakettle is located 80 km east of Fresno, CaliforniaLower Teakettle is part of the Sierra National Forest, federal public land administered by the U.S. Forest Service. The southernmost portion of TEAK overlaps with the Teakettle Experimental Forest, managed by the Pacific Southwest Research Station, which represents the Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D). Although research at the Experimental Forest historically focused on watershed management and climate science, more recent topics have investigated the effects of fire and thinning treatments on mixed conifer ecosystems. Long-term databases include streamflow and sedimentation, bird census data, and snag distribution and turnover. The Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory maintains a flux tower at Shorthair Creek, the subalpine belt of a tower transect which also includes infrastructure at SJER and SOAP. The Critical Zone Observatory collects data on water, carbon and nutrient cycling across the rain-snow transition in the southern Sierra Nevada.

Mayfield Creek (MAYF) is a core aquatic site and encompasses NEON's Ozarks Complex Domain. MAYF is located in dense forest wetlands about 20 miles southeast of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. A small stream that is maybe 15-20 feet across and just a few feet deep. Remote sensing surveys of this site collect lidar, spectrometer and high resolution RGB camera data. This site has one meteorological station located in the riparian area. The met station is outfitted with a subset of the same sensors used at terrestrial sites. Measurements include wind speed and direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, shortwave radiation, and PAR. This site has one upstream sensor station and one downstream sensor station. Measurements include PAR, temperature, water quality [specific conductivity, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen content, pH, turbidity, and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (only downstream)], and nitrate is measured at the downstream station.Three groundwater wells throughout the site collect specific conductivity, water tempertaure, and elevation of groundwater. Field ecologists collect the following types of observational data at this site: aquatic organisms (Aquatic Microbes (surface water),macroinvertebrates microalgae, plants and macroalgae, zooplankton. Biogeochemical data on plants,sediment water and particulates.As well as physical aquatic data on bathymetric maps, stage,secchi depth and depth profiles, and riparian assessment. Total data products planned for this site: 78

Toolik Lake (TOOK) is a relocatable aquatic site within NEON's Domain 18: Tundra. Toolik Lake stretches from the Dalton Highway on the east to Jade Mountain on the west. The closest city, Fairbanks, Alaska is 400 miles away. The Dalton Highway (also known as the Haul Road or Pipeline Road), which traverses the middle of the state from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, provides access to the area. Remote sensing surveys of this site collect lidar, spectrometer and high resolution RGB camera data. This site has one meteorological station located in the riparian area and one meteorological station above water on a buoy. The met stations are outfitted with the a subset of the same sensors used at terrestrial sites. Measurements include wind speed and direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, shortwave radiation, and PAR. This site has one buoy-mounted sensor station and an inlet station and outlet station. At the buoy, the automated instrument measurements are: PAR at water surface, PAR below water surface, temperature at a specific depth in surface water, water quality (specific conductivity, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen content, pH turbidity, and fDOM), and nitrate. At the inlet and outlet stations, the measurements are: PAR below water surface, elevation of surface water, and temperature in surface water. Eight groundwater wells throughout the site collect specific conductivity, water tempertaure, and elevation of groundwater. Field ecologists collect the following types of observational data at this site: aquatic organisms (Aquatic Microbes (surface water),macroinvertebrates microalgae, plants and macroalgae, zooplankton. Biogeochemical data on plants,sediment water and particulates.As well as physical aquatic data on bathymetric maps, stage,secchi depth and depth profiles, and riparian assessment. Total data products planned for this site: 78

Vascular plant cover estimated in the Kiskunság Restoration Experiments (1995-2019). The Kiskun Restoration Eperiments are located in abandoned arable land and clear-cut tree plantations mostly, but not entirely within LTER Fulophaza and close to the Bugac-Bocsa-Orgovany Site in the Kiskunság Sand Ridge. We have three restoration experiments with long-term monitoring of changes in plant species cover according to treatments. The locations are differentiated as stations in the database. Experiment one (Exp1) involved mowing as treatment (1995-2001) on clear-cut and chemically treated previous Robinia pseudo-acacia plantations in Fülöpháza, Izsák and Bugac (three stations). A 30 m x 40 m block was allocated for the mowing treatment at each site with twelve adjacent plots of 10 m by 10 m, with six control (unmowed) and six treatment (mowed) plots randomly selected. We also had some reference grassland plots. Monitoring took place in three permanent 2 m x 2 m units per each site (n=18/treatment) from 1995-1999, re-sampled several times until 2017. Data are accessible separately for the three sites (stations), sample ID reflects the 2 m x 2 m sampling units. Experiment two (Exp2) is located in Fülöpháza in on abandoned farmland (station). The experiment involved old-field sites. Treatment was carbon addition to induce soil N immobilization in 1998-2003. The block design was the same as above. Monitoring took place from 1998-2004, plus re-sampled less frequently till 2018. Data are accessible in one file for the station, sample ID reflects the 2 m x 2 m sampling units. Experiment three (Exp3) is also located in Fülöpháza in abandoned fields. Three stations are included that are abandoned arable fields of different age. Restorative treatments involved seeding, mowing and carbon amendment in 1 m x 1 m units (n=64) from 2003 to 2008. Monitoring took place in 2003-2008, resampled in 2019. Data are accessible separately for the three sites (stations), sample ID reflects the 1 m x 1 m sampling units with indication of treatments.

High resolution hydrology recording mainly by PLSC_Sensors (measuring water level, temperature-depending on water level it is the ground air temperature or water temperature- and conductivity) but also by Hydrolab-Multiparameter Sensors (measuring temperature, oxygen, pH, conductivity, turbidity) for monitoring the soda pans in the vicinity of soda Lake Neusiedl. The on-line measurement of these wetland sensors in the “Seewinkel”-district are measuring at high time resolution of every three minutes. The locations of these sensors are in the soda pans, which mostly dry out at least once a year, and are as follows (in alphabetical order): Hydrolab-Waterquality_Multiparameter-Sensor - Fuchslochlacke: N47°47.376’ & E016°51.149’ PLSC-Sensor - Fuchslochlacke: N47°47.376’ & E016°51.149’ PLSC-Sensor - Graurinderkoppel: N47°43.400’ & E016°48.148’ PLSC-Sensor - Meierhof-Lacke (Apetloner Hof): N47°43.296’ & E016°49.359’ PLSC-Sensor - Unterer Stinker: N47°48.161’ & E016°47.098’

LeConte Creek (LECO) is one of Domain 07's relocatable aquatic sites, and is co-located with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Twin Creeks (GRSM) .Specifically located in the southwest area of Tennessee bordering North Carolina. The watershed size is approximately 9.39 km^2. Remote sensing surveys of this site collect lidar, spectrometer and high resolution RGB camera data. This site has one meteorological station located in the riparian area. The met station is outfitted with a subset of the same sensors used at terrestrial sites. Measurements include wind speed and direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, shortwave radiation, and PAR. This site has one upstream sensor station and one downstream sensor station. Measurements include PAR, temperature, water quality [specific conductivity, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen content, pH, turbidity, and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (only downstream)], and nitrate is measured at the downstream station. Due to logistical and permitting issues, this aquatic site does not have groundwater wells. Field ecologists collect the following types of observational data at this site: aquatic organisms (Aquatic Microbes (surface water),macroinvertebrates microalgae, plants and macroalgae, zooplankton. Biogeochemical data on plants,sediment water and particulates.As well as physical aquatic data on bathymetric maps, stage,secchi depth and depth profiles, and riparian assessment.

The Ramat Hanadiv LTSER platform is a unique texture of the region surrounding Hanadiv Valley and Taninim River basin. It integrates nature values with agriculture, rural communities, and heritage sites. The platform extends over an area of apprx. 15,500 hectares, including Ramat Hanadiv Nature Park and five neighboring municipal Councils: 1. Binyamina Givat-Ada (Urban; Local Council ) 2. Zikhron Ya’akov (Urban; Local Council ) 3. Hof Hacarmel (Rural; Regional Council) 4. Jisr A-Zarqa )Arab village; Local Council) 5. Alona (Rural; Regional Council) Ramat Hanadiv LTER site is located in the heart of the platform, at the southern tip of the Carmel Mountain Ridge. Ramat Hanadiv spreads over approximately 450 hectares of typical natural Mediterranean vegetation, surrounding the Memorial Gardens in which Baron Benjamin Edmond de Rothschild and his wife are buried. With mean annual rainfall of 500-600 mm and mean annual temperature of 170C-190C, Ramat Hanadiv Nature Park is characterized by diverse habitats and communities.