The Damxung flux measurement site is located at Damxung county, north of Lhasa municipality (91°05'E, 30°25'N). It is now one of the key experimental sites of Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN) and China National Ecosystem Observation and Research Network (CNEN). Tibet Damxung Grassland Station is installed on the fl at plateau, nearby the south edge of the Nyainqntanglha Mountains, with an elevationof 4333 m. The surrounding topography is in a narrow plateau plain with the least width of 4 km.

The experimental site is categorized as plateau monsoon climate with characteristics of strong radiation, low air temperature, large diurnal variation and small annual differences. Mean annual temperature is 1.3 ℃, with a mean minimum of –10.4 ℃ in January and a mean maximum of 10.7 ℃ in July. Mean annual surface soil temperature is 6.5 ℃. Mean annual precipitation is 476.8 mm, with 85.1% of that occurring in June and July. Mean annual evaporation is 1725.7 mm and average wetness coefficient is 0.28, which can be identified as semi-arid and semi-wet climate. Mean annual sunlight duration is 2880.9 hours. Mean annual amount of sun radiation is 7527.6 MJ m^-2, in which PAR is 3213.3 MJ m^-2.

The vegetation at Damxung site belongs to alpine steppe-meadow, with typical Kobresia meadows of the northern Tibetan Plateau. There are two typical meadows at the site. One is marsh meadow dominated by Kobresia littledalei, associated with Blysmus sinocompressus and K. microglochin. K. littledalei. The other is the meadow of K. parva, with constructive species as K. humilis, Stipa purpurea, also associated with several tussocks of Kobresia and forbs. This type of meadow is prone to be degraded into steppe-meadow with invasion of species of Stipa due to overgrazing. The soil is classified as meadow soil with sandy loam. The soil has a depth of 0.3 ~ 1 m, with high gravel content of 30%. Organic matter content is 0.90 ~ 2.97%, total nitrogen 0.05 ~ 0.19%, total phosphor 0.03 ~ 0.07% and pH 6.2 ~ 7.7. Soil is frozen from November to next February.

RMET and OPEC observation systems were installed at Damxung site in 2003. Meanwhile, chamber measurement system is also used to measure the greenhouse gases as CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O emissions from the soil.