BOREAS TE-04: Leaf Gas Exchange Response Curves

1994 measurements of light, CO2, temperature, and humidity response curves were made on intact attached leaves of boreal forest species in the BOREAS Southern Study Area. The data calibrate models for predicting photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and leaf respiration. It can be used to construct response function plots or parameterize models like SiB2 and the Collatz leaf model.

Use Cases

• Calibrating photosynthesis models based on light and CO2 response curves
• Parameterizing the SiB2 land surface model using derived leaf-level values
• Studying stomatal conductance responses to humidity and temperature
• Analyzing leaf respiration rates across boreal forest species

Strengths

• Data originates from the well-documented BOREAS field campaign, a major ecological study
• Provides direct calibration data for established models like SiB2 and Collatz et al. (1991)
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals recognized importance

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are not specified in any source, hindering direct use
• Conflicting last-update dates: Data.gov lists 2026-03-13, while NASA EarthData lists 1994-09-01
• Row counts and file sizes are unknown, making data volume unclear

Provenance

Source

BOREAS TE-04 team

Collection Method

Field measurements on intact attached leaves

Time Range

1994

Freshness

2026-03-13 (from Data.gov, though this may be a metadata update)

Geography

BOREAS Southern Study Area (SSA) in the boreal forest