Additional Resources: Data Repositories
Here is a partial list of data repositories where you can find datasets on nearly every subject in environmental science. This list is credited to the LTER Network’s Synthesis Skills for Early Career Researchers (SSECR) course and Ecological Data Synthesis: A Primer on Essential Methods course. The data repository’s associated R package is listed as well. The R packages can be installed from either CRAN or GitHub.
| Name | Description | R Package |
|---|---|---|
| AmeriFlux | Provides data on carbon, water, and energy fluxes in ecosystems across the Americas, aiding in climate change and carbon cycle research. | amerifluxr |
| DataONE | A network of around 60 data repositories. Aggregates environmental and ecological data from global sources, focusing on biodiversity, climate, and ecosystem research. | dataone |
| Daymet | Daymet provides long-term, continuous, gridded estimates of daily weather and climatology variables for North America. | daymetr |
| EDI | Contains a wide range of ecological and environmental datasets, including long-term observational data, experimental results, and field studies from diverse ecosystems. | EDIutils |
| EES-DIVE | The Environmental System Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem (ESS-DIVE) includes a variety of observational, experimental, modeling and other data products from a wide range of ecological and urban systems. | – |
| GBIF | The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) aggregates global species occurrence data and biodiversity records, supporting research in species distribution and conservation. | rgbif |
| Google Earth Engine | Google Earth Engine is a cloud-based geospatial analysis platform that provides access to vast amounts of satellite imagery and environmental data for monitoring and understanding changes in the Earth’s surface. | rgee |
| KNB | An open-source data repository hosting international ecological and environmental research. A member of the DataOne network. | dataone |
| Microsoft Planetary Computer | The Microsoft Planetary Computer is a cloud-based platform that combines global environmental datasets with advanced analytical tools to support sustainability and ecological research. | rstac |
| NASA | Provides data on earth science, space exploration, and climate, including satellite imagery and observational data for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial studies. Nice GUI-based data download via AppEEARS. | nasadata |
| NCBI | Hosts genomic and biological data, including DNA, RNA, and protein sequences, supporting genomics and molecular biology research. | rentrez |
| NEON | Provides ecological data from U.S. field sites, covering biodiversity, ecosystems, and environmental changes, supporting large-scale ecological research. | neonUtilities |
| NOAA | Offers meteorological, oceanographic, and climate data, essential for understanding atmospheric conditions, marine environments, and long-term climate trends. | GitHub: EpiNOAA-R |
| Open Traits Network | While not a repository per se, the Open Traits Network has compiled an extensive lists of repositories for trait data. Check out their repository inventory for trait data | – |
| PhenoCam Network | A network of digital cameras that tracks vegetation phenology through images across North America and around the world. | phenocamapi |
| US Census Bureau | Census data containing information about education, employment, health, and housing across America. | tidycensus |
| USGS | Hosts data on geology, hydrology, biology, and geography, including topographical maps and natural resource assessments. | dataRetrieval |
| US National Park Service | Provides geospatial and tabular data products, which includes national park boundaries, vegetation maps, geology maps, air quality, and water quality. | GitHub: NPSutils |