Global Forest Carbon Flux Database for 529 Sites

A global database quantifies CO2 fluxes and pathways in forest ecosystems, from photosynthesis to net ecosystem production. It contains carbon budget variables, ecosystem traits, and ancillary information for 529 sites across eight forest biomes. The dataset was assembled by NASA, with data originating from peer-reviewed literature and researcher communications, and includes a structured Access database with SQL scripts.

Use Cases

• Calibrating carbon cycle models using site-level flux estimates like Gross Primary Production (GPP) and Net Ecosystem Production (NEP).
• Analyzing relationships between ecosystem traits (e.g., standing biomass, leaf area index) and carbon stocks across different biomes.
• Studying the impact of management regimes and climate variables (e.g., surface temperature, precipitation) on forest carbon budgets.
• Assessing data quality and uncertainty in CO2 balances using the provided closure terms at the biome level.

Strengths

• Includes data for 529 distinct forest sites, providing a substantial global sample.
• Flux estimates are based on multiple methods, including direct eddy covariance measurements, derived measurements, and models.
• Uncertainty for each carbon balance component was estimated using a uniform expert judgment method.

Limitations

• Sources conflict on the last update date: Data.gov lists 2026-03-13, while NASA Earthdata lists 2006-12 31, casting doubt on data currency.
• Specific column names and the exact row count are not provided by any platform.
• The license is specified only as 'other-license-specified', requiring further investigation for reuse.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Data entries originated from peer-reviewed literature and personal communications with researchers involved in Fluxnet. Climatic description uses the CRU dataset and ORCHIDEE model output.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:53:29.920362

Geography

Global, covering eight forest biomes.