Literature-Derived Biome Parameters for Ecosystem Models

Temperate biome parameters for the BIOME-BGC terrestrial ecosystem model are documented from scientific literature. The dataset provides input values for physiology, biochemistry, structure, and allocation patterns of vegetation functional types. It is hosted by ORNL_CLOUD and appears on multiple government data platforms.

Use Cases

• Calibrating the BIOME-BGC model for temperate forest and grassland simulations using parameters for turnover, mortality, and allocation.
• Informing carbon and nitrogen cycle modeling with provided carbon to nitrogen ratios (C:N) and pool percentages (labile, cellulose, lignin).
• Parameterizing canopy processes in ecosystem models using leaf morphology, conductance rates, canopy water interception, and light extinction data.
• Sensitivity analysis of model outputs to variation in documented parameters such as the percent of leaf nitrogen in Rubisco.

Strengths

• Parameters are explicitly documented from literature, addressing a known limitation of undocumented parameter selection in modeling.
• Designed for major natural temperate biomes, providing a focused and applicable parameter set for a significant ecosystem class.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov signals community importance and validation.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing or conflicting: row/column counts and dataset size are unknown across all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date: one source lists 2000-06-21, while others list 2026-03-13, casting doubt on data currency.
• The specific license is listed only as 'other-license-specified', requiring users to investigate terms before use.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Derived from scientific literature.

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:55:40.295024

Geography

Temperate biomes.