Aguamarga is located in Almería, southeastern Spain, at 36.939384° N, 2.034044° W and 199 m above sea level. It is operated by the University of Granada (UGR) and the Experimental Station of Arid Zones of the Spanish National Research Council (EEZA-CSIC). The site represents a semi-arid esparto-grassland ecosystem, characteristic of parts of the western Mediterranean, in one of Europe’s climatic extremes. ICOS metadata classify its land cover as open shrubland.
Eddy covariance measurements quantify exchanges of CO₂, water vapour and energy between the ecosystem and the atmosphere. Auxiliary measurements help interpret environmental conditions and the factors controlling those exchanges. The observation programme provides a long-term perspective on ecosystem functioning under strong water limitation.
The station has maintained observations since 2006 and is identified as ES-Agu in the ICOS metadata catalogue. It was admitted to ICOS-Spain in 2026 and is undergoing labelling as an Associated ecosystem station. Step 1 was approved on 17 April 2026. Its historical observation series predates the ICOS labelling process.
The station supports studies of carbon and water exchanges and the response of semi-arid ecosystems to climate variability. Together with Majadas de Tiétar, it provides complementary observations of Mediterranean ecosystems with contrasting vegetation and water availability, strengthening the representation of dryland processes in the Spanish network.