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Data Policy

AmeriFlux Data Use Policy
AmeriFlux Data Contributor Policy

AmeriFlux Data Use Policy

AmeriFlux scientists share their data openly with the global community through the AmeriFlux Network. Users of AmeriFlux data should properly acknowledge the work of these scientists and cite the data correctly.

When you download the data, the Data Download portal will ask you to describe how you plan to use the data. This information is sent to the site Principal Investigators (PIs) and posted to the AmeriFlux Data Download Log.

In August 2021, the AmeriFlux community moved to the AmeriFlux CC-BY-4.0 License. Most site PIs now share their sites’ data under the CC-BY-4.0 license. Data for some sites are shared under the historical AmeriFlux data-sharing policy, now called the AmeriFlux Legacy Data Policy.

Important for data providers: In order to be included in ONEFlux processing (i.e. gap-filling and partitioning your data into the AmeriFlux-FLUXNET product), data need to be shared under the CC-BY-4.0 license.

Important for data users: If your project uses both CC-BY-4.0 and Legacy data, you must follow the AmeriFlux Legacy Data Policy for all AmeriFlux data used.

Policy 1. AmeriFlux CC-BY-4.0 License (revised December 2025)

Data are shared following the CC-BY-4.0 data usage license (Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 International). The CC-BY-4.0 license requires that attribution be given with every use. With correct attribution, the data user is free to Share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and/or Adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) for any purpose.

Data shared under the AmeriFlux CC-BY-4.0 License follow these attribution guidelines:

  • Include the citation, including DOI, for each site’s data product in your paper or project. For journal articles, the citation must appear in the reference section or other section that supports citation tracking (e.g., not supplementary material). The citation is provided in the metadata available during the data download process
  • Include the following text in the acknowledgment: Funding for the AmeriFlux data service was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.
  • If there is a Data Availability section in your paper, include the following in that section (in addition to the citation in a reference section): “The AmeriFlux [DATA PRODUCT] were accessed from [SOURCE] on XX Month YYYY”.

    The [SOURCE] for accessing data can be the AmeriFlux data portal, AmeriFlux APIs, FLUXNET User Interface for the Shuttle, or the FLUXNET Shuttle code.

  • For the AmeriFlux FLUXNET data product, add the following text to the acknowledgment above: FLUXNET data products were produced and harmonized by eddy covariance regional networks and data processing centers, including AmeriFlux, ChinaFlux, European Fluxes Database, ICOS, JapanFlux, KoFlux, OzFlux, SAEON, and TERN. These products also include a modified version of ERA5 hourly data provided by the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Citations for data processing:

  • AmeriFlux BASE: Chu, H., Christianson, D.S., Cheah, YW. et al. AmeriFlux BASE data pipeline to support network growth and data sharing. Sci Data 10, 614 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02531-2.
  • AmeriFlux FLUXNET: Pastorello, G., Trotta, C., Canfora, E. et al. The FLUXNET2015 dataset and the ONEFlux processing pipeline for eddy covariance data. Sci Data 7, 225 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-0534-3.

Note: Collaboration with data providers (AmeriFlux PIs) is not required under this CC-BY-4.0 license, but it can help avoid misinterpretation or other data issues and is appreciated by data providers. Regardless, it is recommended that data users inform data providers of forthcoming publications that use a site’s data.

The required citation with DOI and an email list of AmeriFlux PIs for the downloaded sites is provided to the data user with the data download. This information is also accessible via each site’s AmeriFlux Site Info page or can be generated for multiple sites using the “Site Set” feature (See Site Search).

Policy 2. AmeriFlux Legacy Data Policy

When you start in-depth analysis that may result in a publication, contact the data contributors directly, so that they have the opportunity to contribute substantively and become a co-author.

Data shared under the AmeriFlux Legacy Data Policy follow these attribution guidelines:

  • For each AmeriFlux site used: Provide a citation to the site’s data product that includes the data-product DOI and/or recommended publication.
  • Acknowledge funding for site support if it was provided in the data download information.
  • Acknowledge the AmeriFlux data resource: Funding for the AmeriFlux data portal was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.

Note:
The required citation with DOI and an email list of AmeriFlux PIs for the downloaded sites is provided to the data user with the data download. This information is also accessible via each site’s Site Info page (See Site Search).

Inform all data providers when publications are about to be published.

To acknowledge AmeriFlux data in presentations:

  • Use the AmeriFlux logo and/or the AmeriFlux web link (ameriflux.lbl.gov)

AmeriFlux Data Contributor Policy (revised 2021)

When you contribute data to the AmeriFlux Network, you agree:

  • To choose an AmeriFlux Data Use Policy for your site’s data: AmeriFlux CC-BY-4.0 License or AmeriFlux Legacy Data Policy (described above).
  • That these data will be shared with the global AmeriFlux user community under the chosen policy.
  • That these data will be published by AMP and available to the community when they passes AMP QA/QC, unless a period of embargo is approved (see AmeriFlux Data Embargo Policy).
  • That all data products made using data shared under a CC-BY-4.0 license will also be shared using that license.
  • That if you share your data under the AmeriFlux Legacy Data Policy, your site will be a lower priority for some AMP services, such as site visits, and you might not be contacted to participate in generation of products that will be shared under a CC-BY-4.0 license.
  • To maintain your site metadata (reporting the relevant BADM), including the funding acknowledgments you wish data users to receive with their download.
  • To maintain your site instrumentation to assure quality data.

This AmeriFlux data-sharing and data-archiving policy complies with the U.S. DOE Office of Science’s Statement on Digital Management:

Sharing and preserving data are central to protecting the integrity of science by facilitating validation of results and to advancing science by broadening the value of research data to disciplines other than the originating one and to society at large. To the greatest extent and with the fewest constraints possible, and consistent with the requirements and other principles of this Statement, data sharing should make digital research data available to and useful for the scientific community, industry, and the public.

For those who wish to use the full acknowledgment for AmeriFlux Management Project support of these high quality data products, it is:

AmeriFlux data were made available through the data portal (https://ameriflux.lbl.gov) and processing maintained by the AmeriFlux Management Project, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, under contract number DE-AC02-05CH11231.