Location: Near Kootwijk, in the middle of the Netherlands
Type: Ecosystem measurements
Site type: Forest (pine trees)
Greenhouse gas concentrations measured by ICOS: carbon dioxide (CO2)
ICOS Loobos station is situated in the middle of the Netherlands, about 70km east of Amsterdam. It is one of the longest continuously running measuring sites in the world and is largely cited in scientific publications.
The Loobos station locates in one of the largest sand areas in the Netherlands, which is quite unique for Europe on a large landscape. The area used to be heavily cultivated and was eventually invaded by sand, leading to planting of pine trees on sand dunes around 1909.
ICOS Loobos station is part of the ICOS Ecosystem Network, which is working towards understanding the processes behind the exchange of energy and greenhouse gases between the ecosystems and the atmosphere. In Loobos, ICOS is measuring carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes, which is the primary greenhouse gas contributing to the enhanced greenhouse effect.