Global Leaf Area Index for Woody Plants, 1932-2011

1,216 field-observed locations provide maximum leaf area index (LAI) values for woody plant species, compiled from 554 literature sources published between 1932 and 2011. The data set, provided by NASA, includes both original LAI values and values standardized to half of total surface area (HSA). Supporting information includes geographical coordinates, altitude, stand age, dominant species, plant functional types, and climate data.

Use Cases

• Validate and calibrate satellite-derived LAI estimates based on field-observed ground truth data.
• Model global vegetation productivity and carbon sequestration based on maximum LAI values and climate data.
• Analyze the relationship between LAI, stand age, and plant functional types across different biomes.
• Study long-term trends in vegetation structure using data spanning nearly eight decades.

Strengths

• Compiles data from 554 literature sources, providing a broad scientific foundation.
• Covers 1,216 global locations, offering wide spatial representation.
• Includes data standardized to half of total surface area (HSA) for cross-study comparability.
• Spans observations from 1932 to 2011, enabling long-term trend analysis.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect publication bias inherent to the compiled literature sources.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Compilation of field-observed data from published literature sources.

Time Range

1932-2011

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 19:43:09.993578; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global