ETC Antwerp
Ecosystem Thematic Centre
The ICOS network is organized in three different monitoring networks: atmosphere, ecosystem, ocean. A Thematic Centre coordinates each monitoring network and is responsible for data collection and processing, standardization of measurement protocols and support and training of the ICOS community The Ecosystem Thematic Centre or ETC is responsible for the coordination of all ICOS ecosystem stations. The ETC is co-hosted by the University of Antwerp together with Italy (coordination) and France.
University of Antwerp
Focus on ancillary data
Within the ICOS ETC, University of Antwerp specializes in protocol development and testing, data quality control and support and training for collection of ancillary data at ICOS ecosystem sites. Ancillary data include determination of vegetation and soil characteristics, determination of biomass and observations of phenology, disturbances, management and land use. Ancillary data are mostly non-continuous data, often manually collected.
Instruction files for ancillary measurements can be found here.
Coordination
The ETC is coordinating the activities of the ICOS Ecosystem network with other Research Infrastructures and international networks (Ameriflux, NEON, TERN, FLUXNET). In addition, the ETC is also the interface for data users in order to optimise the data provision and fully exploit the potential of the Ecosystem network. Currently the ETC is in close dialogue with the land surface modelling and the remote sensing community
Developing and testing of new methods and instruments
For example Hemitool, the TLS and Below canopy PAR
