Amazon Forest Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Measurements from Leaves and Air

LBA-ECO CD-02 data provides isotopic measurements of carbon (delta 13C/12C) and nitrogen (delta 15N/14N) from leaf tissues and atmospheric CO2, along with leaf carbon/nitrogen concentrations and coincident meteorological and CO2 flux data. The dataset was collected by ORNL_CLOUD during dry seasons in 2004 and 2006 across a topographical gradient in the old-growth ZF2 Reserve near Manaus, Brazil. It consists of three comma-delimited files containing measurements from canopy leaves and atmospheric flask samples.

Use Cases

• Analyzing carbon isotope discrimination in leaves to understand plant water-use efficiency across canopy heights.
• Studying nitrogen isotope ratios in foliage to assess nitrogen cycling and sources in an old-growth forest.
• Correlating leaf carbon and nitrogen concentrations with topographic position and canopy microclimate.
• Linking isotopic signatures in atmospheric CO2 with concurrent meteorological and CO2 flux tower data.
• Investigating seasonal (dry season) dynamics of carbon and nitrogen in Amazonian forest ecosystems.

Strengths

• Data includes coincident measurements from three sources: leaf tissue, atmospheric flasks, and a meteorological/CO2 flux tower.
• Samples were collected across a defined topographical gradient and at various canopy heights, providing spatial structure.
• Measurements cover two distinct dry seasons (2004 and 2006), allowing for some temporal comparison.

Limitations

• The exact number of rows, columns, and file sizes are not specified in any provided source.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2006-10-21 and 2026-03 13), creating uncertainty about metadata freshness.
• Column names are not provided, limiting immediate understanding of the data structure.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD, collected at the ZF2 Reserve (km 34), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia (INPA), Brazil.

Collection Method

Leaves sampled at various canopy heights; atmospheric air collected in flask samples at three locations along a topographical gradient.

Time Range

2004 to 2006 (dry seasons)

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:18:51.023041

Geography

ZF2 Reserve near Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.