Rio Mayo Grassland Biomass and Climate Data, 1968-1997

NASA's NPP Grassland dataset provides three text files of ecological measurements from a temperate dry steppe in Rio Mayo, Argentina. It includes quarterly above-ground grass biomass for 1984-1985, annual above-ground net primary production (ANPP) for grasses and shrubs from 1972 to 1997, and precipitation and temperature data from 1968 through 1990. The data, collected via harvest methods, shows ANPP for grasses and shrubs ranged from 21 to 75 g/m²/yr, with grasses accounting for about two-thirds of productivity.

Use Cases

• Modeling grassland productivity based on precipitation and temperature data.
• Analyzing long-term trends in above-ground net primary production (ANPP) for a Patagonian steppe.
• Comparing seasonal biomass dynamics (quarterly data) against annual climate patterns.
• Studying the non-linear relationship between precipitation and ANPP in dryland ecosystems.

Strengths

• Provides a multi-decade temporal coverage, with climate data from 1968-1990 and ANPP data from 1972-1997.
• Includes derived metrics with specific ranges, such as ANPP values between 21 and 75 g/m²/yr and an average of about 60 g/m²/yr.
• Contains data from three related facets: seasonal biomass, annual productivity, and climatic drivers.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the provided metadata.
• Conflicting last-updated dates exist between platforms (1997 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• The dataset's spatial scale is limited to a single site in Rio Mayo, Argentina.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Harvest methods were used to estimate grass and shrub production.

Time Range

1968 through 1997 (climate: 1968-1990, ANPP: 1972-1997, biomass: 1984-1985)

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:38:01.143133 (from datagov, conflicting with nasa_earthdata date of 1997-01-01)

Geography

Rio Mayo, Patagonia region, Argentina