New summary table available for terrestrial sampling location changes
April 23, 2026
A metadata table summarizing changes to terrestrial observational sampling (TOS) locations over time is now available. Sampling typically occurs in the same locations over the lifetime of the Observatory. However, sampling locations may become impractical to sample, due to disturbance or other local changes. When this occurs, the location is retired or shifted to slightly different coordinates.
The TOS plot location changes spreadsheet can be found in the “Terrestrial Observation System Sampling Locations” download on the Spatial Data Layers & Maps page. Refer to the spreadsheet for details about locations that have been retired or added since the operations phase of NEON began in 2019.
The “Terrestrial Observation System Sampling Locations” download also includes “versionedPoints” and “versionedSubplots” CSV files, which document shifts in coordinates. All documents will be updated yearly around the same time as the annual Data Release.
Please use the Contact Us form for further inquiries; include the term "TOS Sampling Locations.”
