Grassland Biomass and Climate Data from Northern India

Biomass and productivity data for a tropical grassland at Kurukshetra University in northern India, collected from mid-May 1970 to mid-May 1971. Measurements include monthly above- and below-ground biomass, standing dead material, litter, and associated climate data from an on-site weather station. The dataset was produced by NASA and provides calculated annual net primary productivity estimates.

Use Cases

• Modeling seasonal carbon allocation by analyzing monthly above-ground and below-ground biomass measurements.
• Calculating energy conversion efficiency using provided biomass productivity and solar radiation data.
• Studying species dominance shifts through analysis of vertical biomass distribution data across months.
• Correlating grassland productivity phases with local climate conditions using the paired weather station data.
• Comparing methods for estimating annual net primary productivity (NPP) using the several calculation approaches referenced.

Strengths

• Provides detailed monthly biomass measurements over a full annual cycle from May 1970 to May 1971.
• Includes paired climate data from a weather station at the exact study site for environmental correlation.
• Reports specific productivity estimates, including total NPP (3,538 g/m2/yr), ANPP (2,407 g/m2/yr), and BNPP (1,131 g/m2/yr).

Limitations

• Exact row counts, column names, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: one platform lists 2026-03-12, while another lists the original data end date of 1971-12 31.
• The license is specified only as 'other-license-specified' without further details.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Monthly biomass measurements made by harvest methods; climate data from an on-site weather station.

Time Range

mid-May 1970 to mid-May 1971

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:12:36.312402

Geography

Kurukshetra University, northern India (29.97 N, 76.85 E, Elevation 247 m)