Patagonian Grassland Biomass and Climate Data 1981-1985

Two text files contain monthly biomass and daily net primary productivity (ANPP) for a temperate grassland steppe in Patagonia, Argentina, from May 1981 to March 1983, alongside climate data from 1981 through 1985. The data, collected by NASA, shows ANPP ranging from 0.00-0.15 g/m²/day in winter to 0.22-0.94 g/m²/day in warmer months, with an annual estimate of 35 g/m²/year. Measurements were taken from a 2.5-hectare exclosure on the Rio Mayo terraces, a region historically impacted by over-grazing.

Use Cases

• Modeling seasonal and annual above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) in temperate grasslands using live biomass, dead matter, and litter columns.
• Correlating grassland productivity with local climate conditions recorded over a five-year period.
• Studying the impact of historical sheep grazing on biomass dynamics in a Patagonian steppe ecosystem.
• Calibrating remote sensing estimates of grassland biomass with ground-truth data from a specific geolocation (45.60 S, 71.42 W).

Strengths

• Provides paired biological and climate measurements over a defined time range (1981-1985).
• Productivity data includes specific ANPP estimates for winter (0.00-0.15 g/m²/day) and warmer months (0.22-0.94 g/m²/day).
• Site is precisely geolocated and described as a 2.5-hectare exclosure, controlling for grazing influence.

Limitations

• Exact row counts, column names, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026-03 12 (likely administrative), while NASA Earthdata lists 1985-12-31 (end of data collection).
• The license is specified as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov but is null on NASA Earthdata, requiring verification.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Field monitoring at monthly or bi-monthly intervals during two growing seasons at the Media Luna Ranch exclosure.

Time Range

1981 through 1985

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:12:31.911943

Geography

Media Luna Ranch, Patagonia, Argentina (45.60 S, 71.42 W, Elevation 630 m)