Jornada Desert Grassland Biomass and Climate Data 1970-1972

New Mexico's Jornada Experimental Range provides biomass and productivity data for grazed and ungrazed desert grassland treatments from 1970 to 1972. The dataset includes above-ground live biomass, dead matter, root-crown biomass, and total below-ground biomass, monitored at roughly two-week intervals, alongside climate records from 1954 to 1992. Data were collected by the ORNL_CLOUD organization under the US Grassland Biome Project of the International Biological Program.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the impact of light grazing versus no grazing on above-ground live biomass and dead matter.
• Estimating annual net primary production (ANPP and BNPP) for desert grasslands using peak biomass and root increment methods.
• Correlating plant biomass dynamics with long-term local climate data spanning 1954-1992.
• Comparing species-specific biomass contributions within a coordinated multi-site study across the central and western United States.
• Studying below-ground root biomass dynamics and their seasonal increments over a multi-year period.

Strengths

• Data includes detailed biomass components (live, recent dead, old dead, root-crown) for two treatment replications.
• Biomass was monitored at high temporal resolution (roughly 2-week intervals) during growing seasons.
• Climate data provides a long-term contextual record covering 38 years (1954-1992).
• Dataset is part of a coordinated, multi-site study (10 grassland sites) under the International Biological Program, ensuring methodological consistency.

Limitations

• Exact row counts, column names, and dataset size are unspecified across all sources.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: one states 2026-03-12, another states 1992-12 31.
• Biomass data covers a relatively short core study period of three years (1970-1972).

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD organization, US Grassland Biome Project of the International Biological Program (IBP).

Collection Method

Field monitoring at roughly 2-week intervals during growing seasons; ANPP estimated by summing peak species biomass, BNPP by sum of positive root increments.

Time Range

1954 to 1992 (climate data); 1970 to 1972 (core biomass study).

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:09:16.563233

Geography

Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico, USA (32.60 N, -106.85 W, Elevation 1,350 m).