WG1. Availability and evaluation of monitoring data

1. Action FP0903 WG1. Availability and evaluation of monitoring data

2. Action FP0903 • Questionnaire • Sent out in July 2010 • 18 replies received by beginning of October • Replies used as input to Rome conference • It’s possible to make further use of the replies

3. Action FP0903 • Availability, accessibility, quality and comparability of monitoring data for European forests for use in air pollution and climate change science • A lot of data exist, but it is hard to get a good overview of what is available and where • Much is accessible, but there is room for improvement. Internet-based solutions should be the standard • A major challenge is how to improve access while safeguarding both IPR and also publicly-funded data collection • Networks set up for one purpose often provide data which are valuable for other research communities • Understanding of QA/QC and assessing the uncertainty is crucial. This has improved in recent years • Comparability of data from different sources, often obtained by different field and laboratory methods, is a serious challenge and needs to be frequently tested • Cross-comparison of data from different databases offers valuable opportunities for a better exploitation of present data including validation of models and understanding of real-world forest responses to air pollution and climate change Clarke et al. 2011, iForest

4. Action FP0903 • Activities for the next year: • More detailed information on what data is available where, file accessible from WG web page.

5. Action FP0903 • Harmonisation: What possibilities exist for harmonisation between networks? Can we harmonise sampling protocols between networks? Is it enough to test for comparability without using the same methodology? Journal paper.