Rollesbroich grassland station
The Rollesbroich site (50.621°N, 6.304°E) is located in the northwestern part of the Eifel region at an altitude of approximately 500 m above sea level and is part of the TERENO observatory “Eifel/Lower Rhine Valley Observatory.” It is a grassland site characterized by permanent grassland with extensive to intensive agricultural use (mainly hay meadows and pastures). The site is a so-called “ICOS associated site” and, as such, complements the Class 1 ICOS infrastructure with targeted observations in other ecosystem types.
Since 2011, greenhouse gas fluxes (CO₂, H₂O) have been continuously measured at the site using the eddy covariance method. In addition, meteorological variables, soil moisture, soil temperature, radiation fluxes, and various vegetation parameters are recorded. The site is managed by an farm that implements typical regional practices with four to five cuts per year and periodic grazing. This allows the site to provide representative data for intensively used grassland in the Central European climate.
In addition, Rollesbroich serves as a reference site for various research projects investigating water and material flows, carbon dynamics, and the impact of land use and climate change on grassland ecosystems. The combination of long-term data, intensive measurement infrastructure, and embedded use makes the site an important part of the regional monitoring network.
Regularly updated data on the location can be accessed via the following data portals:
Further information:
The station on the website of the German ICOS community (ICOS-D)