Grassland Net Primary Production With Climate Data From Colorado

Data from 1939 to 1990 records above- and below-ground net primary production (NPP) and biomass dynamics for a semiarid shortgrass prairie in Colorado's Central Plains Experimental Range. The dataset includes nine files with measurements from untreated, irrigated, fertilized, and combined treatment plots, plus long-term climate records from 1912. It was revised and is maintained by ORNL_CLOUD.

Use Cases

• Analyzing monthly and annual above-ground biomass dynamics across different treatment plots (untreated, irrigated, fertilized, irrigated+fertilized).
• Modeling long-term above-ground net primary production (ANPP) trends from 1970-1990 and correlating with historical forage production data from 1939.
• Investigating the relationship between grassland productivity and local climate using the accompanying weather station data from 1912-1990.
• Comparing peak-season estimates of above- and below-ground NPP from two distinct time periods (1970-1972 and 1985-1988).

Strengths

• Provides a long-term temporal record, with climate data spanning 78 years (1912-1990) and productivity estimates covering over 50 years (1939-1990).
• Includes experimental data from multiple treatment conditions (irrigation, fertilization) allowing for comparative analysis of management impacts.
• Dataset has been revised to correct errors and extend coverage, indicating active curation.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source, limiting detailed technical assessment.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between platforms (1990-12-31 and 2026-03 12), creating uncertainty about the most recent version.

Provenance

Source

Central Plains Experimental Reserve (CPER)/Pawnee National Grassland, north-central Colorado, USA.

Collection Method

Field harvest measurements of plant biomass and correlation with historical forage production records.

Time Range

1912-1990

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:13:22.306949

Geography

Semiarid shortgrass prairie steppe in the Central Plains Experimental Range, Colorado, USA.