Introduction
The networks that form APIENs are the following:
- Environmental Change Network
- Upland Waters Monitoring Network
- Long Term Monitoring Network
- UKEAP-NAMN
- UKEAP-AGANet
- UKEAP-Precip-net
- UKEAP-NO2-Net
- UKEAP-EMEP
- UKEAP-AURN
- Greenhouse Gases
- COSMOS
- ICP Forest
- National Plant Monitoring Scheme
- Countryside Survey
- Habitats Directive
Environmental Change Network, ECN
Description
The UK’s long-term, integrated environmental monitoring and research programme. It collects, analyses and interprets a wide range of long-term data from a network of sites.
ECN terrestrial sites There are 11 active terrestrial sites, ranging from upland to lowland and covering a wide range of habitats including semi-natural grassland, woodland, moorland, peatland and arable cropland.
ECN freshwater sites The freshwater component of ECN comprises both lakes and rivers/streams. Data from the majority of these sites are collected by the environment agencies in Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales as part of their statutory duty to monitor water bodies under the Water Framework Directive. eLTER Four ECN sites are also location for Long-Term Experiments (LTEs) Website available at: https://ecn.ac.uk/
Variables - Air Quality Precipitation chemistry (bulk wet deposition):
weekly NO2: weekly NH3 (from UKEAP NAMN): monthly
Protocol for the Air Variables: http://www.ecn.ac.uk/measurements/terrestrial
Variables - Vegetation
Coarse grain monitoring (VC): 9 year surveys fine grain monitoring (VF): Maximum of 3 year surveys Woodland (VW): Maximum of 3 year surveys
Protocol for the Vegetation Variables: http://www.ecn.ac.uk/measurements/terrestrial
Variables - Water Chemistry
Surface water temperature and water chemistry (lakes, rivers, streams)
Protocol for the Water Chemsitry Variables: http://www.ecn.ac.uk/measurements/freshwater
Variables - Water Biology
Epilithic diatoms and macro-invertebrates
Protocol for the Water Biology Variables: http://www.ecn.ac.uk/measurements/freshwater
Other Variables
Meteorology
Protocol for Other Variables: http://www.ecn.ac.uk/measurements/terrestrial/m
Collaborators
It is a multi-agency programme sponsored by a consortium of fourteen government departments and agencies. These organisations contribute to the programme through funding either site monitoring and/or network co-ordination activities. These organisations are: Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru - Natural Resources Wales, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Llywodraeth Cymru - Welsh Government, Natural England, Natural Environment Research Council, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage.
Funding Bodies
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Upland Waters Monitoring Network (UWMN)
Description
Set up to monitor the chemical and ecological response of acid-sensitive waters (streams and lakes) to reductions in the emissions of SO2 and NOx. Six UWMN sites contributes data annually to the UNECE ICP Waters programme.
Website available at: https://uwmn.uk/
Variables - Water Chemistry
Streams: monthly, Lakes: 3 monthly, pH, alkalinity, conductivity, Ca2+, Mg2+,Na+,K+, acid anions (SO42-, Cl-, NO3-), aluminium (total, labile stopped in 2016), dissolved organic carbon, nutrients (phosphate, silica)
Variables - Water Biology
Annual Epilithic diatoms (Samples since 2015 archived but not yet counted), Macroinvertebrates (Samples since 2015 archived but not yet counted), Aquatic macrophytes: Annual to 3-yearly, Salmonids (stopped in 2015)
Funding Bodies
Long Term Monitoring Network (LTMN)
Description
Its aim is to develop a cost-effective network of sites to provide evidence on the effects of changing climate, air pollution and land management on on some of the most valuable habitats in England.
Variables - Air Quality
2009 - 2014: NH3 (Diffusion tubes): monthly Precipitation chemistry with WSL design bulk rain collectors: monthly. Air quality from 2017 provided by UKEAP
Variables - Vegetation
Vegetation 4-yearly
Collaborators
Natural England, UKCEH, Met office
Funding Bodies
UKEAP NAMN
Description
The UK National Ammonia Monitoring Network (NAMN) is one of four component networks in the UK Eutrophying and Acidifying atmospheric Pollutants (UKEAP) network that measures air pollutants at rural sites across the UK. The NAMN provides a long-term dataset of monthly speciated measurements of ammonia gas (NH3) and particulate ammonium (NH4+).
NAMN data are used to produce annual concentration and dry deposition maps of nitrogen (N) from reduced N pollutants (NH3 and NH4+). The monthly data also provides information on temporal and spatial patterns and trends to inform policies. Data from all four component networks of UKEAP are used to map exceedance of critical loads (acidity and eutrophication). This information is submitted to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) Working group for abatement strategy development and is used as a policy tool on the APIS (Air Pollution Information System) website with a searchable database and information on pollutants and their impacts on habitats and species.
Website available at: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=nh3
Variables - Air Quality
Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) gas Particulate ammonium (NH4+)
Protocol for the Air Variables: https://www.ceh.ac.uk/services/air-samplers https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=nh3
Funding Bodies
Collaborators
Collaborators
Ricardo, Bureau Veritas, Natural England, network of local site operators
UKEAP AGANet
Description
The UK Acid Gas and Aerosol monitoring Network (AGANet) is one of four component networks in the UK Eutrophying and Acidifying atmospheric Pollutants (UKEAP) network that measures air pollutants at rural sites across the UK. The AGANet provides a long-term dataset of monthly speciated measurements of gases (HNO3, SO2, HCl (stopped in 2017)) and aerosols (NO3-, SO4=, Cl-, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+).
AGANet data are used to produce annual concentration and dry deposition maps of nitrogen (N) from oxidised N pollutants (HNO3 and NO3-) and of sulphur (SO2 and SO42-). The monthly data provides information on temporal, spatial patterns and trends, as well as information on particulate matter (PM) composition and changes in the chemical climate, to inform policies. Data from all four component networks of UKEAP are used to map exceedance of critical loads (acidity and eutrophication). This information is submitted to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) Working group for abatement strategy development and is used as a policy tool on the APIS (Air Pollution Information System) website with a searchable database and information on pollutants and their impacts on habitats and species.
Website available at: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=aganet
Variables - Air Quality
Monthly inorganic gases (NH3, HNO3, SO2) (HCl discontinued since Jan17)). Inorganic aerosol composition (NH4+, NO3-, SO42-, Cl-, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+).
Protocol for the Air Variables: https://www.ceh.ac.uk/services/air-samplers https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=aganet
Funding Bodies
Collaborators
Ricardo, Bureau Veritas, Natural England, network of local site operators
UKEAP Precip-net
Description
The UK Precipitation Network (Precip-Net) is one of four component networks in the UK Eutrophying and Acidifying atmospheric Pollutants (UKEAP) network that measures air pollutants at rural sites across the UK. The Precip-net provides long-term precipitation chemistry data which is used in atmopsheric tranport models to map wet deposition of the different chemical species measured across the UK. The 2-weekly data provides information on temporal and spatial patterns and trends, to inform policies. Data from all four component networks of UKEAP are used to map exceedance of critical loads (acidity and eutrophication). This information is submitted to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) Working group for abatement strategy development and is used as a policy tool on the APIS (Air Pollution Information System) website with a searchable database and information on pollutants and their impacts on habitats and species.
Website available at: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=precip-net
Variables - Air Quality
Precipitation chemistry
Protocol for the Air Variables: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=precip-net
Funding Bodies
Collaborators
Collaborators
UKCEH, Bureau Veritas, Natural England, network of local site operators
UKEAP NO2-net
Description
The UK rural NO2 diffusion tube Precipitation Network (NO2-Net) is one of four component networks in the UK Eutrophying and Acidifying atmospheric Pollutants (UKEAP) network that measures air pollutants at rural sites across the UK. The NO2 measurements from NO2-net are used to produce the rural background NOx concentrations field in PCM (Pollutant Climate Modelling) air quality compliance modelling. Data from all four component networks of UKEAP are used to map exceedance of critical loads (acidity and eutrophication). This information is submitted to the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) Working group for abatement strategy development and is used as a policy tool on the APIS (Air Pollution Information System) website with a searchable database and information on pollutants and their impacts on habitats and species.
Website available at: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=no2-net
Variables - Air Quality
NO2
Protocol for the Air Variables: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=no2-net
Funding Bodies
Collaborators
Collaborators
UKCEH, Bureau Veritas, Natural England, network of local site operators
UKEAP EMEP supersites
Description
The UK’s two CLRTAP EMEP Level II sites are part of the UK Eutrophying and Acidifying atmospheric Pollutants (UKEAP) network that measures air pollutants at rural sites
Website available at: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=no2-net
Other Variables
Weather data Hourly measurement of gases and major ions in PM2.5 and PM10
Funding Bodies
Variables - Air Quality
UKEAP AURN
Description
The AURN is the UK’s largest automatic monitoring network and is the main network used for compliance reporting against the Ambient Air Quality Directives. It includes automatic air quality monitoring stations measuring oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and particles (PM10, PM2.5). These sites provide high resolution hourly information which is communicated rapidly to the public, using a wide range of electronic, media and web platforms.
Website available at: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/network-info?view=aurn
Variables - Air Quality
Nox (NO, NO2), SO2, PM2.5, PM10, Ozone
Protocol for the Air Variables: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/networks/monitoring-methods?view=eu-standards
Other Variables
Weather data (monitored and modelled)
Responsible Organisations
The AURN is contracted to Bureau Veritas, whilst the Imperial College has been appointed as Management Unit for the London Air Quality Network (LAQN). Ricardo Energy & Environment undertakes the role of Quality Assurance and Control Unit (QA/QC Unit) for the entire AURN. The responsibility for operating individual monitoring sites is assigned to local organisations, such as local authority Environmental Health Officers with relevant experience in the field. Calibration gases for the network are supplied by BOC Limited and are provided with a UKAS certificate of calibration by Ricardo Energy & Environment.
Funding Bodies
Collaborators
Collaborators
UKCEH, Ricardo EE, NPL, network of local site operators
GHG Flux
Description
Network linking long-term measurements of land-atmosphere C flux to downstream fluxes of particulate, dissolved and gaseous forms of C in rivers.
Website available at: https://www.ceh.ac.uk/carbon-catchment-sites and http://www.icos-etc.eu/icos/home
Variables - Air Quality
Land-atmosphere carbon flux (eddy covariance and chamber methods), Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and aquatic C flux, Dissolved and particulate organic carbon fluxes using optical sensors.
Protocol for the Air Variables: http://www.icos-etc.eu/icos/documents/instructions
Variables - Vegetation
Canopy height, biomass, green arae index Protocol for the Vegetation Variables: http://www.icos-etc.eu/icos/documents/instructions
Other Variables
Air Meteorological Measurements (TA, RH, PA, WS, WD)
Protocol for Other Variables: http://www.icos-etc.eu/icos/documents/instructions
Funding Bodies
Collaborators
COSMOS
Description
COSMOS-UK (cosmic-ray soil moisture) is a network of soil moisture monitoring stations. Near-real time soil moisture data is provided for use in a variety of applications including farming, water resources, flood forecasting and land-surface modelling.
Website available at: https://cosmos.ceh.ac.uk/
Funding Bodies
Other Variables
Near real-time daily and sub-daily hydrometeorological and soil observations, from October 2013 to date
Protocol for Other Variables: https://cosmos.ceh.ac.uk/measuring