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All spheres

For more information about the conceptual underpinning of the eLTER SOs and their role in the design and development of the eLTER RI, as well as the process of developing and selecting the SOs, please go to Info Sheet or dive into the Discussion paper on key Standard Observation variables.

Geosphere Hydrosphere Biosphere Atmosphere Sociosphere All spheres

Geosphere

Soil inventory (SOGEO_001)

Comprised Variables: soil texture, soil hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, soil pH, CEC, base saturation, organic matter, soil type classification, geological site characterization - on-time measurement

Geosphere

Soil chemical and physical properties (SOGEO_003)

Comprised Variables: total organic C concentration, CEC total nitrogen, total phosphorus, plant available P, pH, soil base saturation, bulk density (per horizon)

Geosphere

Soil water chemistry (SOGEO_167)

Comprised Variables: soil water chemical characteristics

Geosphere

Soil infiltration (SOGEO_048)

Comprised Variables: infiltration rate - soil

Geosphere

Sediment (aquatic/marine) (SOGEO_155)

Comprised Variables: physical and chemical characterization (particle size distribution, composition, pH, carbon, sulfur)

Biosphere

Flying - insects (SOBIO_014)

Comprised Variables: flying insects

Biosphere

Vegetation - composition (SOBIO_017)

Comprised Variables: ground vegetation

Biosphere

Acoustic recording (SOBIO_018)

Comprised Variables: birds, bats, (frogs, insects)

Biosphere

Pollen and spores (SOBIO_019)

Comprised Variables: pollen and spores

Biosphere

eDNA Water (SOBIO_021)

Comprised Variables: eDNA Water

Biosphere

eDNA soil (SOBIO_022)

Comprised Variables: eDNA soil

Biosphere

Surface water - algae (SOBIO_096)

Comprised Variables: clorophyll a (benthic, pelagic), phycocyanin (freshwater), phycoerythrin (saltwater) - standing, running waters

Biosphere

Running water - P/N (SOHYD_172)

Comprised Variables: TP, SRP, TDN, NO3, NO2, NH4

Biosphere

Standing water - Profiles P/N (SOHYD_173)

Comprised Variables: TP, SRP, TDN, NO3, NO2, NH4

Hydrosphere

Standing water - Profiles chemical/physical waters properties (SOHYD_004)

Comprised Variables: lakes, lagoons, reservoirs - water temperature, pH, EC, turbidity, oxygen, water depths

Hydrosphere

Running water - chemical/physical properties (SOHYD_005)

Comprised Variables: water temperature, pH, EC, turbidity, oxygen, NO3, SAC 254, water level

Hydrosphere

Groundwater - chemical/physical properties (SOHYD_006)

Comprised Variables: water temperature, hydraulic head, electrical conductivity

Hydrosphere

Running water - carbon (SOHYD_169)

Comprised Variables: DOC, DIC

Hydrosphere

Standing water - Profiles carbon (SOHYD_170)

Comprised Variables: DOC, DIC

Hydrosphere

Surface water - Major ion concentrations (SOHYD_171)

Comprised Variables: Cl, SO4, Br, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Silica

Hydrosphere

Running water level (SOHYD_010)

Comprised Variables: water level (in order to derive river/stream discharge)

Hydrosphere

Standing water - Ice cover/thickness (SOHYD_011)

Comprised Variables: Ice cover/thickness standing and transitional water

Hydrosphere

Snow (SOHYD_012)

Comprised Variables: snow cover, depth

Hydrosphere

Soil water content/temperature (SOHYD_168)

Comprised Variables: soil water content, soil temperature

Hydrosphere

Surface water - Stable isotopes (SOHYD_058)

Comprised Variables: stable isotopes (18O, 2H) - standing, running waters

Hydrosphere

Groundwater - Stable Isotopes (SOHYD_059)

Comprised Variables: stable Isotopes (18O, 2H) - groundwater

Hydrosphere

Groundwater - Major ion concentrations (SOHYD_062)

Comprised Variables: major ion concentrations: Cl, SO4, Br, Na, K, Mg, Ca - groundwater

Hydrosphere

Groundwater - Nutrients (SOHYD_064)

Comprised Variables: nutrient concentration: TP, SRP, TDN, NO3, NO2, NH4, DOC, DIC - groundwater

Hydrosphere

Running water - micropollutants (SOHYD_067)

Comprised Variables: micropollutants: non-target screening [~1000 substances] - running waters

Hydrosphere

Glacier - front variation (SOHYD_164)

Comprised Variables: glacier front variation

Hydrosphere

Glacier - mass balance (SOHYD_165)

Comprised Variables: glacier mass balance

Hydrosphere

Glacier - area (SOHYD_166)

Comprised Variables: glacier area

Hydrosphere

Secchi-depth (SOHYD_174)

Comprised Variables: secchi-depth; standing waters and transitional waters

Atmosphere

Meteorological data (SOATM_027)

Comprised Variables: relative air humidity, precipitation, air temperature, wind speed/wind direction, surface atmospheric pressure

Atmosphere

Radiation (SOATM_028)

Comprised Variables: PPFD, Global radiation (incoming and reflected), diffuse shortwave radiation, long-wave radiation (incoming and reflected), UV-B

Atmosphere

Soil heat flux (SOATM_098)

Comprised Variables: soil heat flux

Atmosphere

Atmospheric deposition in precipitation (SOATM_103)

Comprised Variables: precipitation: Bulk NH4-N, NO3-N, NO2-N, Ntot, SO4, PO4-P, K, pH, anion, cation, DOC, alkalinity, electrical conductivity

Atmosphere

Dry deposition of N-components (SOATM_108)

Comprised Variables: dry deposition of N-components

Atmosphere

Eddy covariance (SOATM_176)

Comprised Variables: CO2 flux and concentration, Latent heat flux, Sensible heat flux

Atmosphere

Forest - Aboveground biomass (SOBIO_023)

Comprised Variables: annual aboveground vegetation biomass

Atmosphere

Tree growth (SOBIO_177)

Comprised Variables: tree growth

Atmosphere

Non-forest - Aboveground biomass (SOBIO_024)

Comprised Variables: aboveground biomass – non-forested sites

Atmosphere

Gross primary production (SOBIO_090)

Comprised Variables: GPP calculated from Eddy-Covariance measurement

Atmosphere

Transpiration (SOBIO_091)

Comprised Variables: transpiration (Plants)

Atmosphere

Forests - Litterfall (SOBIO_092)

Comprised Variables: aboveground litterfall - forests

Atmosphere

Belowground biomass (SOBIO_093)

Comprised Variables: belowground biomass - terrestrial

Atmosphere

Phenological traits (Remote Sensing) (SOBIO_015)

Comprised Variables: phenological traits (including start, maximum, end of season), LAI

Atmosphere

Phenological traits (on-site) (SOBIO_016)

Comprised Variables: phenological traits (including start, maximum, end of season)

Atmosphere

Forest - LAI (SOBIO_025)

Comprised Variables: leaf area index - forests

Atmosphere

Non-forest - LAI (SOBIO_026)

Comprised Variables: leaf area index – non-forested sites

Atmosphere

Leaf - Elements (SOBIO_095)

Comprised Variables: leaf C, N, K, P, Ca, Mg, Mn content - terrestrial

Atmosphere

Vegetation - LiDAR (SOBIO_140)

Comprised Variables: LiDAR, every 3 (P) or 5 (B) years

Sociosphere

Yield (SOSOC_031)

Comprised Variables: agricultural production (detailed sub-categories for cropland, grassland, forest, fishery, in t/ha and year)

Sociosphere

Land-based income (SOSOC_030)

Comprised Variables: FNVA, FNVA/AWU, FFI, FFI/FWU, Farm worker wages

Sociosphere

Livestock (SOSOC_114)

Comprised Variables: livestock numbers, breeds

Sociosphere

Governance (SOSOC_032)

Comprised Variables: governance structure and character

Sociosphere

Land cover and use (CORINE) (SOSOC_036)

Comprised Variables: land cover, land use, land cover change, land use change (CORINE)

Sociosphere

Land cover and use (Statistics) (SOSOC_037)

Comprised Variables: land cover, land use, land cover change, land use change (Statistics)

Sociosphere

Ecosystem services (SOSOC_040)

Comprised Variables: bundle of variables describing the ecosystem service profile

Sociosphere

Economics - GDP (SOSOC_042)

Comprised Variables: economics (GDP per capita; Per capita income)

Sociosphere

Demography (SOSOC_043)

Comprised Variables: demography (Total population size and density; Population age profile; educational attainment; residential density)

Sociosphere

Employment (SOSOC_044)

Comprised Variables: Employment (Employment rate %; Employment by sector; Unemployment)

Sociosphere

Consumption statistics (SOSOC_045)

Comprised Variables: population consumption statistics

Sociosphere

Resource use (SOSOC_183)

Comprised Variables: DE, IMP, EXP, DPO, BI, DMC, DMI, PTB, NAS: biomass, metal ores, non-metallic minerals, fossil energy carriers (other products, waste, emissions)

Sociosphere

Subsidies (SOSOC_184)

Comprised Variables: CAP payments for direct support, rural development, market measures (€ total, avg. per beneficiary, avg. per ha, nr. of beneficiaries per total agric. holdings)

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