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Site Info (CH-AWS)

Last update: Mar 1, 2023 @ 16:55

Site Description

Managed (grazed) alpine grassland at 1900–2500 m asl, mainly on calcareous bedrock. The area and the adjacent facilities are part of the ETH Research Station. Eddy covariance flux measurements were carried out in campaign mode during summer in 2006 to 2014 (tower coordinates: 46°34’59.5″ N and 9°47’25.5″ E at 1978 m asl). Since 2014, measurements are running continuously.

 

Location

  • Altitude: 1978 m a.s.l.
  • Site name: Alp Weissenstein, Kt. Graubünden, Switzerland
  • Parcel name: Hirschwiese 3C (location of eddy covariance station)
  • Land use: Grazing 1-2 times per year, summer-grazed pasture
  • Coordinates: 46°34’58.998″ N / 9°47’26.257″ E (46.583056, 9.790639) (Google Maps)
  • Location description: –
  • FLUXNET ID: CH-Aws

 

Climate

All numbers shown are for the time period 2015-2021.

Air temperature

  • Average air temperature: 4.0°C
  • Warmest year: 2020 (4.5°C)
  • Coolest year: 2021 (3.3°C)
  • Highest measured air temperature: 26.9°C (26 Jun 2019, half-hourly average between 14:30 and 15:00)
  • Lowest measured air temperature: -19.9°C (27 Feb 2018, half-hourly average between 18:30 and 19:00)

Numbers updated 8 Feb 2022

Nearby meteo stations

 

Vegetation

  • Land cover (IGBP land classification): coming soon
  • Community: Deschampsio cespitosae-Poetum alpinae (at research site), Trifolio thalii-Festucetum violoceae (slope above research site)
  • Height: 10-40cm
  • Leaf area index (LAI): max. 4 m2 m-2

 

Soil

  • Geology: Underlying material built by moraines from the Val Bever glacier and by limestone debris from the steep valley slopesthat overlie the glacial formation.
  • Soil type: slightly humous to humous sandy loam (Hiller et al., 2008)
  • Soil texture: coming soon
  • Soil analysis:

from: M. Schärer (2003) Kurzbericht der Fallstudie Alp Weissenstein, Nährstoffanalysen in Alpweiden Sommer 2002, ETH Zürich, unpublished

 

Webcam

 

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