Towoomba Grassland Fertilizer Experiment Biomass and Soil Data

ORNL_CLOUD provides biomass and soil nutrient measurements from a long-term fertilizer experiment in Towoomba, South Africa. The dataset includes biomass estimates from 1950-1981 and soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus measurements from 1949, 1962, 1980, and 1990. Data originates from a randomized block design testing five nitrogen and three phosphorus levels on a tree-cleared savanna site.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the relationship between nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer levels and above-ground biomass yield.
• Modeling long-term changes in soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stocks under different fertilization regimes.
• Studying the saturation point of nitrogen fertilizer response in a managed grassland savanna ecosystem.
• Comparing inferred baseline soil nutrient data (1949) with measurements taken during the experimental period.

Strengths

• Data spans multiple decades, with biomass records from 1950-1981 and soil data from four key years between 1949-1990.
• Experiment followed a randomized block design with multiple treatment levels, providing a structured basis for analysis.
• Data files have been checked for accuracy and remain identical to the originally published versions.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column names, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Biomass data has gaps for the years 1976 and 1977.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, reporting both 1990-12-31 and 2026-03-12.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Measurements from an artificially-established grassland savanna study site; above-ground biomass sampled by mowing, soil nutrients chemically analyzed; 1949 estimates inferred from adjacent undisturbed savanna.

Time Range

1949-1990

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:11:50.445849

Geography

Towoomba, South Africa