NPP Boreal Forest: Fertilization and Climate Study, Flakaliden, Sweden

From 1986 to 1996, this dataset documents a long-term yield optimization experiment in an 8.25-hectare Norway spruce forest in northern Sweden. It contains stand characteristics, above- and below-ground biomass, and Net Primary Productivity (NPP) allocation data for both fertilized/irrigated and control plots, alongside climate data from 1991-1995. The data show that after ten years, volume growth in treated stands was almost four times that of the control, with total NPP in 1995 reaching 902 g/m²/year for treated stands versus 291 g/m²/year for controls.

Use Cases

• Modeling forest carbon sequestration based on measured biomass and NPP allocation data.
• Analyzing the long-term growth response of Norway spruce to fertilization and irrigation treatments.
• Correlating forest productivity metrics with local climate data from the study period.
• Comparing above- and below-ground biomass partitioning in managed versus unmanaged boreal stands.

Strengths

• Provides a long-term experimental record spanning a decade (1986-1996) of treatment and measurement.
• Includes specific, quantified results such as a 1995 control stand TNPP of 291 g/m²/year and a treated stand TNPP of 902 g/m²/year.
• Combines biological response data (biomass, NPP) with concurrent local climate data from 1991-1995.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the provided metadata.
• Conflicting last-updated dates exist between platforms (1996 vs. 2026), suggesting potential metadata freshness issues.
• The dataset is limited to a single, specific 8.25-hectare forest site, which may affect generalizability.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Collection Method

Field measurements made by inventory and harvest methods at an experimental forest site.

Time Range

1986-1996 (study period), with climate data for 1991-1995.

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: 1996-08-15 on nasa_earthdata and 2026-04-09 on datagov.

Geography

Flakaliden, Sweden (64.12 N, 19.45 E).