BOREAS Boreal Forest Leaf Nitrogen and PAR Measurements

Six sites in the BOREAS Northern Study Area (NSA) provide data quantifying the relationship between Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) and leaf nitrogen in black spruce, jack pine, and aspen. The BOREAS TE-09 team collected this information to support modeling of vertical carbon fixation distribution in boreal forests. The dataset is managed by ORNL_CLOUD, with metadata last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling the vertical distribution of carbon fixation in boreal forest types.
• Analyzing the relationship between light levels (PAR) and foliage nitrogen concentration.
• Comparing photosynthetic properties across key boreal species: black spruce, jack pine, and aspen.
• Supporting studies on nutrient allocation and light use efficiency in forest canopies.

Strengths

• Data covers three major boreal tree species: black spruce, jack pine, and aspen.
• Samples were collected from six distinct sites within the BOREAS NSA, providing spatial variety.
• The dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA EarthData, Data.gov), indicating established importance.

Limitations

• Core dataset facts like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata: one source states 1994-09-19, while others state 2026-03-13.

Provenance

Source

BOREAS TE-09 team, ORNL_CLOUD.

Collection Method

Field collection of leaf samples from six sites in the BOREAS Northern Study Area.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03-13 07:14:18.983981

Geography

BOREAS Northern Study Area (NSA).