BADM (Biological, Ancillary, Disturbance and Metadata) is a protocol standardized across AmeriFlux, ICOS, Fluxnet and other networks. When downloading data from FLUXNET2015, each download may include a BADM file for the site. A BADM file provides a description, general background, geo-location, relevant publications and references for the site. The BADM files also list what is measured at the site (this list may include chamber, gradient or other eddy covariance measurements that are a superset of the data available in FLUXNET). Additional BADM variables such as LAI, biomass measurements and soil characteristics will be added to the BADM files over time.
Descriptions of variables and units in the BADM files are available at http://ameriflux.lbl.gov/data/badm-data-templates/. Vocabulary permitted for LIST (XXX) variables can be found on the second sheet of the workbook and longer explanations of variables can be found on the third sheet. At present only the variables of Site_General_Info and Disturbance_and_Management are made available.
The naming convention and the format we have adopted for FLUXNET BADM files are as follows:
FLX_<SITE_ID>_<BIF>_LATEST.xlsx
| FLX | This represents the publishing network, in this case, FLUXNET. |
| <SITE_ID> |
For site-specific BADM information, the Site ID will be that of a specific site. We use a site ID of AA-xxx to indicate the data span across all sites. The two site IDs in use are: AA-Flx: Data in this file is aggregated across all sites with flux data. |
| BIF | Indicates that the information is listed in BIF (short for BADM Interchange Format) format that enables the BADM data to be read programmatically. The BIF format consists of 5 columns: site ID, group ID, variable group name, variable name, and data value. A variable group is a set of variables that are reported together (e.g. a variable value, the date it was collected, and the method used to collect it). Sites may report multiple instances of the same variable group associated with different measurements collected over time, plant species, soil depths, collection methods, etc. The group ID uniquely identifies the data belonging to the same instance of a reported variable group. The variable names and data value provide the details of the reported data within a variable group. |
| LATEST | Indicates the BADM information is the latest most up-to-date information. If the BADM is part of a zip file, any changes to the BADM file do not increment the version of the zip file. |