The tower is installed in a seasonally flooded grassland. Fluxes attributable to the seasonal floodplain originate in the wind sector 130° - 270°. Data from other wind sectors should not be used because of the presence of roughness elements (trees and shrubs) which invalidate the assumption of spatial homogeneity which underpins the eddy-covariance theory. The portion of floodplain within the flux footprint of the EC mast was bounded by a permanent, meandering water channel fringed by reeds and grasses such as Phragmites spp and Miscanthus junceus. Hippopotamuses are conspicuous in this channel, keeping cool during the day and venturing into the floodplain and onto the island to graze at night. Elephants are frequent visitors too, coming to the stream for food and water. The movement of these large animals churns the soil in the floodplain, particularly in the riparian areas. The vegetation of the floodplain, which is dominated by grasses (e.g., Panicum repens, Cynodon dactylon, Sporobolus spicatus), attracts many types of herbivores (e.g. impala, buffalo) and is grazed for most of the year.
