Lodgepole Pine Biomass Allocation Across Soil Moisture Gradients

Four 70-78 year old lodgepole pine stands in British Columbia were measured during the 1984 growing season to study soil water content's influence on resource allocation. The dataset includes stand characteristics, soil data, biomass distribution, production allocation, and climate data from a nearby weather station. It was produced by ORNL_CLOUD and has been revised to correct a sampling date error.

Use Cases

• Modeling the relationship between soil moisture (xeric vs. mesic sites) and above-ground versus below-ground net primary production (ANPP/BNPP).
• Analyzing production allocation priorities (e.g., fine roots > stems > foliage) across different environmental conditions.
• Calibrating ecosystem models with measured stand characteristics, soil data, and climate records from a single growing season.
• Comparing total NPP values (ranging from 780 to 1190 g/m2/yr) between managed and unmanaged, naturally regenerated forest stands.

Strengths

• Provides detailed, site-specific measurements for four distinct stands, including precise NPP values (e.g., 350, 330, 640, 740 g/m2/yr for ANPP).
• Data has been revised for accuracy, specifically correcting the sampling month for above-ground biomass.
• Includes complementary climate data from a nearby weather station, enhancing environmental context.

Limitations

• Very limited temporal scope, covering only the 1984 growing season.
• Small sample size of only four stands limits statistical generalizability.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-03 12 vs. 1986-12-31) across platforms create uncertainty about revision history.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Field measurements collected during the 1984 growing season from four naturally regenerated, unmanaged lodgepole pine stands.

Time Range

1984

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:13:06.216907

Geography

Canal Flats, British Columbia, Canada (50.2 N -115.5 W) and Kananaskis Boundary, Alberta (50.98 N -115.12 W)