The WegenerNet climate station network Feldbach region is a pioneering weather and climate observation experiment at very high resolution located in Eastern Styria near the city of Feldbach in Southeast Austria, a region characteristic for experiencing a rich variety of weather and climate patterns. The network comprises 156 meteorological stations measuring temperature, precipitation, and other parameters, in a tightly spaced grid within an area of 23 km x 18 km centered near the city of Feldbach (46.93°N, 15.90°E). With its stations every about two square-km (area of about 300 square-km in total), and each station with 5-min time sampling, the network provides regular measurements since January 2007. As of 2010 a complementary meteorological-hydrological network of several stations was added in the mountainous upper Styrian region of National Park Gesaeuse as contribution to the LTER site Johnsbachtal (the "sister site" LTER_EU_AT_029_001 of this site LTER_EU_AT_029_002, both affiliated with the LTSER Platform Eisenwurzen). As part of the Johnsbachtal site, the WegenerNet Johnsbachtal consists of fourteen mountain-proof stations within a region-scale of about 10 km, ranging from valley altitudes below 700 m to mountain tops higher than 2100 m. The WegenerNet at both sites together provides strong value for both alpine foreland and mountain region studies.

Coniferous forest.

Soil data of LTER Zöbelboden, Austria. Soil inventory is carried out since 1992 on regular positions (approx 65) in the catchment measuring soil chemistry. Soil water chemistry is measured in forest plots (2-3) using lysimeter sampling and analyses on a bi-weekly to monthly basis. Soil hydraulic characterizations exist for the major soil types in the catchment. Soil CO2 and N2O respiration data is available for some years

The Nature reserve Bos t’Ename is situated on the Belgian loess belt about 25 km south of Ghent. It has an area of 160 ha. 60 ha mixed deciduous ‘ancient forest’ forest, 40 ha restoration of woodpasture on former agricultural land, 35 ha regeneration of forest in a silt quary, 25 ha semi open cultural landscape (meadows, hedges,…). "Bos t'Ename" belongs to one of the classified lanscapes of Flanders The woodland where previously managed as coppice with standards. The history is exceptionally well studied. It is managed as multifunctional forest containing strict forest reserves an coppice with standards.

The total NPHK is currently (since 2020) about 12,000 ha, but the eLTER site corresponds to the former perimeter of the NPHK and represents an urbanised protected area of about 60km2 (or 6,000ha) located in the Province of Limburg in the East of Belgium. The NPHK (inaugurated in 2006 and extended from 6000ha to its current 12000ha in 2020), located in a former coal mining area is surrounded by 10 municipalities with more than 200,000 inhabitants, equivalent to a population density of 450/km2 . The park covers a rich variety of habitats, including heathlands, deciduous forest, coniferous forest and fens and evidently the corresponding diversity of fauna and flora. Several research groups from universities and institutes are monitoring and measuring abiotic and biotic parameters throughout the different ecosystems. Research on ecosystem services are also playing a major role, including tourism and mobility.

The site comprises 4 km stretch of a complete alluvial floodplane managed as a private nature reserve some 10 kilometer upstream of the city of Leuven. Since 1990, human interference in the river channel has stopped resulting in a spontaneous meander evolution and roughening of the river channel. This has induced frequent (e.g. yearly) inundations, thus avoiding flood damage in the city of Leuven downstream and this without creating the usual storm basins.

Dong Cao is a small agricultural catchment (47 ha) of northern Vietnam, located at 70 km from Hanoi, in a sloping land environment. The objective is to monitor the impacts of land use changes (from cassava to fodder and tree plantations) and possible climate changes upon hydrological and sedimentary fluxes and budgets. The catchment has an elevation of 125 m to 485 m and slopes range from 15 to 120%. Monitoring devices include an automatic meteorological station, and weirs to monitor discharge, suspended sediment and bedload. More information is available on https://mtropics.obs-mip.fr/ and in the following paper: Valentin, C., et al., 2008. Runoff and sediment losses from 27 upland catchments in Southeast Asia: Impact of rapid land use changes and conservation practices. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 128, 225–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2008.06.004

Quercus robur and Pinus silvestris forests on glacio-fluvial sediments

Ensemble of agricultural and forestry systems in a catchment area of five consecutively connected lakes

The site is located in Clocaenog Forest in North East Wales (53o 03’ 19’’N -03o 27’ 55’’ W). It is a typical upland west-atlantic moorland, dominated by the evergreen shrub Calluna vulgaris (heather). Heather makes up >60% of the plant biomass at the site, but Vaccinium myrtillus and Empetrum nigrum are also present.