The South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON) contributed to the preparation and integration of South African flux data into the FLUXNET Shuttle, a powerful tool that gathers flux data from regional eddy covariance networks in North America, South America, Europe, Australasia, Asia and Africa into one access route. Flux data is the direct measurement of the exchange of carbon, water, and energy between land and atmosphere from tropical forests to Arctic tundra. It measures turbulent, vertical, and horizontal air movements ("eddies") to understand how ecosystems such as forests, farms, or water bodies interact with the air, acting as sources or sinks for greenhouse gases.

The FLUXNET Shuttle tool visits in real time each regional network and connects the user with the data from those networks to provide continuous access to the most updated collection available.

This new system was created in collaboration with the entire global FLUXNET community, with particularly strong contributions from AmeriFlux, ICOS and TERN and the organisation of data collection and preparation by ChinaFLUX, European Fluxes Database, KoFlux, JapanFlux and NRF-SAEON.

The organisation of the new FLUXNET Data System required a strong level of collaboration among the networks, to agree on common quality checks and processing, data licenses, data formats and a data publication system. All of this builds on the legacy of FLUXNET2015 and on common processing approaches such as ONEFlux, an open-access code family developed over the past decade through collaboration and exchange among networks.

The main improvement of the new FLUXNET Data System is the shared responsibility among hubs for producing continuous updates rather than infrequent major releases. Earlier large-scale synthesis efforts, such as FLUXNET2015, required extensive coordination, relied on a few individuals, and could only occur occasionally. The new system enables close cooperation among the world’s flux networks to build a more robust approach and give users access to unprecedented amounts of data.

“A dataset like this, which now includes three times as many sites as FLUXNET2015, with more than 700 sites and almost 6 000 site-years of data, covers the world much better. This really allows analysis at a global scale and helps reduce bias in the observations”, says Dario Papale, Director of the ICOS Ecosystem Thematic Centre.

“But this isn't just a global story, it's a South African one too,” says Dr Kathleen Smart, Landscape Scientist: Biogeochemistry at EFTEON Northern Drakensberg. “Through NRF-SAEON, and its research infrastructure, the Expanded Freshwater and Terrestrial Environmental Observation Network (EFTEON) operates long-term flux tower sites that are now feeding directly into this global system.”

These sites are located in South Africa’s key biomes such as the semi-arid Karoo, Savanna, Grassland and Fynbos sites and continuously measure how landscapes breathe; how much carbon dioxide they absorb or release; how they respond to drought, fire, and land use; and ultimately how resilient they are to climate change.

“What’s new here is access,” says Dr Smart. “Previously, these kinds of datasets were locked into occasional or once-off releases. Now, through the shuttle, the data are continuously updated and openly accessible, allowing fair principles, findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. That matters because it allows scientists, policymakers and even emerging sectors such as carbon markets to work with consistent, high-quality data at a regional and global scale.”

Adds Dr Smart, “And crucially, it reduces bias. For a long time, Africa has been underrepresented in global environmental datasets. The inclusion of NRF-SAEON on sites helps correct that, bringing the Southern Hemisphere, water-limited and disturbance-driven ecosystems into the global picture.”

The FLUXNET Data System, first introduced at the end of 2025, became fully operational last week. Development of the system continues as more sites are expected to be added, along with continuous processing improvements and outreach to user communities.