Information related to research sites is essential when describing the context of observations. It is a key element of site-based research infrastructures (RIs) and their catalogues. This paper is dedicated to the comparison of (meta)data models describing research sites in the ecosystem domain. A special focus is on sites in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. This should provide the basis for a common site-based data model to exchange data from different site-based catalogue services. This should substantially improve interoperability of site-level information between different RIs. For this purpose, we selected well-established site catalogues that feature web-accessible documentation of the sites and means to export this information. Using either dedicated descriptions of the data models, or, if these were not available, by deriving the data model from the records extracted from the catalogues, we identified the commonalities, differences and gaps of the underlying data models. Based on the findings, we define a set of mandatory core fields to be used in every site catalogue in the ecosystem domain. A set of additional fields are recommended to be implemented. In addition, we formulate general recommendations on how to best serve site data, considering the technical interface, the data format and the data license. The aim of these recommendations is to increase interoperability between site catalogues in general and the selected catalogues in particular. This fosters analyses of the existing ecosystem research infrastructures on a national, regional and global scale and increase the ability of these infrastructures to answer large-scale environmental questions.

描述观测背景时，与研究地点相关的信息至关重要。它是基于站点的研究基础结构（RI）及其目录的关键要素。本文致力于比较描述生态系统领域研究地点的（元）数据模型。特别关注陆地和淡水生态系统中的地点。这应该为基于站点的通用数据模型交换来自不同基于站点的目录服务的数据提供基础。这将大大提高不同RI之间站点级别信息的互操作性。为此，我们选择了完善的站点目录，这些站点目录具有可通过Web访问的站点文档，并具有导出此信息的方式。使用数据模型的专用描述，或者，如果没有可用的描述，通过从目录中提取的记录得出数据模型，我们确定了基础数据模型的共性，差异和空白。根据调查结果，我们定义了一组必不可少的核心字段，可在生态系统域的每个站点目录中使用。建议实施一组其他字段。此外，考虑到技术接口，数据格式和数据许可，我们就如何最好地服务站点数据制定了一般性建议。这些建议的目的是提高一般站点目录特别是所选目录之间的互操作性。这促进了对国家，地区和全球范围内现有生态系统研究基础结构的分析，并增强了这些基础结构回答大规模环境问题的能力。