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A deeper look into carbon flux is now possible—thanks to a deep pool of scientific collaboration. And for once, the spotlight is on Asia.

Led by researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University, a collaborative team of researchers from Japanese institutions has introduced JapanFlux2024, the first large-scale open dataset of its kind for Asia.

Published in Earth System Science Data, it details how terrestrial ecosystems across Japan and neighboring regions absorb and release carbon dioxide (CO₂), offering a long-awaited foundation for understanding Asia's role in the global carbon cycle.

Across Asia's diverse landscapes—from the Siberian taiga to tropical peatlands—terrestrial ecosystems, such as forests and farmland, play a crucial role in regulating Earth's climate by acting as both carbon sinks and sources. Understanding these carbon exchanges is essential for tracking the planet's carbon budget and predicting climate change.

To do so, researchers use the eddy covariance, a technique that provides real-time, long-term measurements of carbon, water, and energy fluxes between the land and the atmosphere. While large observation datasets exist for Europe and North America, Asia has remained underrepresented.

"Although observations have been conducted in Asia for many years, the lack of standardized data has left key uncertainties in evaluating the region's carbon uptake," said Masahito Ueyama, an associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University's Graduate School of Agriculture.

To close this gap, the team compiled JapanFlux2024, integrating 683 site-years of eddy covariance data collected from 83 locations between 1990 and 2023, covering ecosystems in Japan as well as in China, Russia, Mongolia and Southeast Asia.

"We are proud to share the results of over three decades of collaborative field research," Ueyama said.

Data from JapanFlux2024 follows international FLUXNET processing standards, with region-specific adaptations. FLUXNET is a global network of standardized eddy observation sites used to study how ecosystems respond to environmental changes.

JapanFlux2024 provides high-quality information on CO₂ fluxes, sensible and latent heat at half-hour intervals, thereby offering valuable insights for environmental monitoring, climate modeling and remote sensing applications.

"We hope JapanFlux2024 will greatly assist efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, improve land-use strategies, and enhance policy-relevant climate science in Japan and the broader Asia-Pacific region," Ueyama said.