Tropical Grassland Biomass and NPP Measurements with Fire Impact Study

Three text files contain monthly biomass and Net Primary Productivity (NPP) measurements from a semi-natural tropical monsoon grassland in southern Thailand, spanning April 1984 to July 1990. The dataset uniquely includes a year-long record from a portion accidentally burned in 1985, plus monthly and annual climate data from 1973 to 1989. It was originally published in 1996 by ORNL_CLOUD, with documentation revisions noted as of 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling Net Primary Productivity (NPP) in tropical grasslands using monthly biomass change and decomposition rate data.
• Analyzing the impact of accidental fires on above- and below-ground biomass dynamics by comparing burned and unburned site records.
• Correlating grassland productivity with long-term climate patterns using the 1973-1989 monthly and annual climate data.
• Studying seasonal and interannual variation in live and dead biomass components from measurements taken on the 15th of each month.

Strengths

• Includes a controlled comparison of productivity between unburned and accidentally burned grassland areas over a full year.
• Provides a 17-year climate record (1973-1989) for contextualizing the 6-year biomass study period.
• Data files have been checked for accuracy and remain identical to the original 1996 publication.

Limitations

• Exact row counts, column names, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist: one source states 1990-07-15, while others state 2026-03-12 (documentation-only revision).

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Monthly field measurements of above- and below-ground live and dead biomass taken on the 15th day of each month; NPP calculated from biomass changes and decomposition rates.

Time Range

1973-1990 (climate data from 1973-1989, biomass/NPP measurements from 1984-1990).

Freshness

2026-03-12 (documentation revision noted; underlying data unchanged since 1996).

Geography

Semi-natural tropical monsoon grassland in Klong Hoi Khong, southern Thailand.