Boreal Forest Biomass and Productivity in Superior National Forest

Ground-based biophysical measurements and above-ground net primary productivity estimates for 31 black spruce and 30 quaking aspen stands in Superior National Forest, Minnesota. The dataset includes stand structural measurements like diameter at breast height and tree height, biomass, leaf area index, and ANPP estimates derived from allometry and tree-ring increments for 1979-1983, plus climate station data from 1976-1986. Data was collected during a 1983-1984 field campaign by the ORNL DAAC to support remote sensing validation for ecosystem properties.

Use Cases

• Modeling carbon stocks and sequestration rates in boreal forests using above-ground biomass and ANPP columns.
• Calibrating remote sensing algorithms for leaf area index (LAI) and biomass using ground-truth measurements from over 100 plots.
• Analyzing climate-vegetation relationships by correlating stand productivity data with accompanying 1976-1986 weather station records.
• Comparing structural differences between black spruce and aspen stands using columns for stem density, tree height, and crown depth.
• Studying tree growth patterns via annual tree-ring (radial) increment data underlying the ANPP estimates.

Strengths

• Includes detailed ground measurements from 61 distinct forest stands (31 spruce, 30 aspen) across a 50 x 50 km area.
• Productivity estimates (ANPP) are based on a combination of allometric relationships and verified annual tree-ring increments.
• Dataset is cross-platform (NASA Earthdata and Data.gov), indicating established use and importance for the research community.
• Provides a decade of supporting climate data (1976-1986) from nearby weather stations for contextual analysis.

Limitations

• Exact row counts and complete column names are not provided by any source platform.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist: one source lists 2026-03 12 (documentation update), another lists 1986-12-31 (original data period).
• Data files are in .txt format and original, with no structural details, potentially requiring manual parsing.

Provenance

Source

ORNL DAAC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center) Superior National Forest Project.

Collection Method

Intensive 1983-1984 field campaign with non-destructive measurements in over 100 plots; destructive biomass samples taken outside plots.

Time Range

1976-1986 (climate data). Biophysical measurements from 1983-1984 campaign, with ANPP derived for 1979-1983.

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:13:01.257567 (documentation revised, data unchanged from 1997 publication).

Geography

Superior National Forest, northeastern Minnesota, USA (-92 W, 48 N).