Mongolian Steppe Biomass and Climate Records, 1963-1990

Tri-monthly above-ground biomass measurements from July 1982 to August 1990 and monthly/annual climate data from 1963 through 1983, collected at the Tumentsogt Research Station in Mongolia. The dataset, originally published in 1996 and maintained by ORNL_CLOUD, documents biomass dynamics in a Stipa grandis-dominated steppe ecosystem. It captures the relationship between seasonal rainfall variation and annual biomass production, with ANPP estimates ranging from 72 to 160 g/m2/yr.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the correlation between monthly/annual precipitation (climate data) and tri-monthly biomass measurements to model grassland productivity.
• Studying long-term climate trends from 1963-1983 to contextualize biomass observations from the 1982-1990 growing seasons.
• Benchmarking above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) for Stipa grandis steppes against other temperate grasslands.
• Investigating the effects of seasonal rainfall patterns, particularly the short June-August rainy season, on peak biomass.
• Assessing historical land use impacts by linking grazing-dominated land use descriptions with measured biomass fluctuations.

Strengths

• Provides a 21-year climate record (1963-1983) for contextualizing 8 years of detailed biomass measurements.
• Data accuracy has been verified, with files remaining identical to the original 1996 publication.
• Captures coherent year-to-year biomass fluctuation linked to rainfall variation, a key ecological relationship.
• Focus on a specific, well-defined ecosystem (dry, cold Eurasian steppe dominated by Stipa grandis).

Limitations

• Exact row counts and column names are unknown, limiting precise understanding of data structure.
• The most recent data point is from 1990, and the climate record ends in 1983, making the dataset historical.
• Conflicting 'last updated' metadata (1990 vs 2026) suggests documentation updates but no new observational data.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD (Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center).

Collection Method

Field measurements collected at the Tumentsogt Research Station, Mongolia.

Time Range

1963 to 1990 (climate data: 1963-1983; biomass data: 1982-1990).

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:11:29.835896

Geography

Tumentsogt Research Station, Mongolian steppe (eastern Mongolia/northern China region).