The Majadas de Tiétar ecosystem station is located in Cáceres, Extremadura, in a holm oak savanna known as dehesa. This agrosilvopastoral system is highly representative of the Iberian Peninsula and has major ecological, economic and social importance across south-western Europe.
The site is composed of an open holm oak forest with a grassland understory rich in herbaceous species. The holm oaks are approximately 100 years old, with a canopy cover of around 20% and a density of about 22 trees per hectare. The dehesa ecosystem has been recognised by the European Union as a natural habitat because of its uniqueness and ecological value.
The station has measured water vapour and carbon dioxide fluxes continuously since 2003. It began with the installation of a 15 m eddy covariance flux tower by the CEAM Foundation within the European CarboEurope-IP project. Over time, the site has developed into a long-term systematic observation platform.
The measurement programme combines eddy covariance systems for CO2, H2O and energy fluxes with a wide set of meteorological and environmental sensors. These include atmospheric pressure, air temperature and humidity, precipitation, wind, radiation, soil temperature and humidity profiles, soil heat fluxes and tree temperature. The resulting data are highly relevant for studying carbon sequestration, water use, hydrological regulation, remote-sensing validation and the vulnerability of Mediterranean ecosystems to climate change.