Biomass Allocation Data for Vascular Plants

Biomass allocation data for leaf, stem, and root components across various plant taxa, compiled from primary literature of the 20th century. The dataset includes foundational work from Cannell (1982) and later additions from Niklas and colleagues (2003). It is hosted by NASA and appears on multiple government data platforms.

Use Cases

• Evaluating allometric patterns of standing biomass within and across vascular plant species.
• Testing theoretical models of plant metabolic production allocation to above- and below-ground biomass.
• Improving the accuracy of ecological and climate models that depend on biomass allocation data.
• Conducting comparative analyses of leaf, stem, and root biomass ratios across different taxa.

Strengths

• Compiled from primary literature, ensuring a foundation in peer-reviewed research.
• Includes measurements from key contributors like Cannell (1982) and Niklas (2003), providing a historical span of data.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals its recognized importance for ecological and climate research.

Limitations

• Exact row count, column names, and dataset size are unknown across all sources.
• Conflicting last updated dates: Data.gov lists 2026-03 13, while NASA EarthData lists 2003-07-15, creating uncertainty about maintenance.
• Specific license details are unclear, listed only as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Collection Method

Compiled from primary scientific literature of the 20th century.

Time Range

20th century, with specific contributions from 1982 and 2003.

Freshness

2026-03-13 07:55:52.464962

Geography

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