SNF: Boreal Forest Canopy and Biophysical Parameters

Data from 1986 documents a field study of 32 quaking aspen and 31 black spruce sites in the boreal forest. The dataset contains ground measurements of forest stand characteristics, including biomass, leaf area index, and tree dimensions, to validate remote sensing observations. It focuses on the relationship between these biophysical parameters and satellite data.

Use Cases

• Calibrating satellite-derived leaf area index (LAI) estimates using ground-measured LAI and biomass.
• Modeling forest canopy structure and light interception based on tree height, crown depth, and stem density measurements.
• Analyzing species-specific growth patterns in boreal forests using diameter at breast height (DBH) and height data for aspen and spruce.
• Studying the relationship between ground vegetation coverage and remote sensing signals for different peatland productivity classes.

Strengths

• Contains detailed, species-specific ground measurements from 63 distinct forest plots, providing a substantial sample size for analysis.
• Explicitly designed for remote sensing validation, linking precise biophysical parameters (e.g., biomass, LAI) to sensor observations.
• Covers a wide ecological range, from sparse bog spruce to dense, closed-canopy aspen stands.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing or conflicting: the 'last updated' date differs significantly between platforms (1986 vs. 2026), and specific column names and row counts are unknown.
• The dataset is historically significant but dated, with collection ending in 1986, which may limit applicability to contemporary forest dynamics studies.
• Documentation appears incomplete, with file formats listed but no clear data dictionary or description of the primary tabular structure.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Field measurements within uniform forest plots; all woody stems >2m tall were recorded by species, with DBH, height, and branch dimensions measured.

Time Range

1986

Freshness

Conflicting: One source lists last update as 2026-04-10, while the authoritative NASA source indicates data from 1986-12-31.

Geography

Boreal forest sites (specific locations not provided, but context suggests North America).