Alaskan Tundra Burned and Unburned Plot Measurements

Field measurements from 10 m x 10 m and 1 m x 1 m plots in the Noatak, Seward, and North Slope regions of Alaska were collected during July and August from 2016 to 2018. The dataset includes vegetation coverage, soil moisture, soil temperature, thaw depth, and weather measurements, recorded via ocular assessments and standard equipment, and is provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Plot photographs accompany the tabular data.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the impact of wildfires on soil moisture and temperature in tundra ecosystems.
• Comparing vegetation coverage between burned and unburned plots to assess recovery.
• Correlating thaw depth and active layer thickness with soil measurements and fire occurrence.
• Studying microclimate variations using plot-level weather data like wind speed and humidity.

Strengths

• Data spans three consecutive summer field seasons (2016-2018), providing temporal consistency.
• Includes both large-scale (10m) and fine-scale (1m) plot measurements for multi-resolution analysis.
• Combines quantitative sensor data (soil temperature, moisture) with qualitative ocular assessments and photographs.

Limitations

• Exact row count and dataset size are unspecified across all platforms.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one listing 2018 and another listing a future date of 2026.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Field measurements recorded using ocular assessments and standard equipment.

Time Range

2016-2018

Freshness

2026-03-13 07:35:02.368996

Geography

Noatak, Seward, and North Slope regions of the Alaskan tundra.