35/41 
Table 5: National Contributions to the Terrestrial Domain ECVs 
Contributing 
Networks speci 
fied in the GCOS 
Implementation 
Plan 
ECVs 
Number of 
Stations or 
Platforms 
currently 
operating 
Number of 
Stations or 
Platforms 
operating in 
accordance 
with the 
GCMPs 
Number of 
Stations or 
Platforms 
expected to 
be operating 
in 2010 
Number of 
Stations or 
Platforms 
providing 
data to the 
International 
Data Centres 
Number of 
Stations or 
Platforms 
with com 
plete histori 
cal record 
available in 
International 
Data Centres 
GCOS Baseline 
River Discharge 
Network 
(GTN-R) 
River dis 
charge 
3 
3 
3 
3 
On request 
3 
GCOS Baseline 
Lake Level/ 
Area / Tempera 
ture Network 
(GTN-L) 
Lake Level/ 
Area/ 
Temperature 
WWW/ GOS 
Synoptic Network 
Snow Cover 
911 
(178 prima 
ry 
+ 733 sec 
ondary 
DWD sta 
tions) 
178 DWD 
182 DWD 
178 DWD 
178 DWD 
GCOS Glacier 
Monitoring Net 
work 
(GTN-G) 
Glaciers 
mass balance 
and length, 
also Ice sheet 
mass balance 
1 a 
1 a 
1 a 
1 a 
1 a 
GCOS Perma 
frost Monitoring 
Network 
(GTN-P) 
Permafrost 
borehole- 
temperatures 
and active - 
layer thick 
ness 
1 b 
1 b 
1 b 
(1) b 
0 
a - Vernagtferner 
b - Zugspitze established in 2007 
4.6 Phenological monitoring network 
A further important contribution to climatic change observations are the phenological obser 
vations which are also regularly conducted by DWD at currently about 1274 sites in Germany 
(01.06.2009). 
Phenology at DWD deals with the periodically recurring growth and development phenomena 
of plants during the course of a year. The beginning of characteristic vegetation stages 
(phases) are observed and recorded. These are closely connected to the weather and cli