Panama Tropical Forest Biomass and Productivity, 1967-1968

1,137 g/m²/yr was the total annual leaf and branch fall averaged for two sites in Darien Province, Panama. This dataset provides above- and below-ground biomass, litterfall, leaf area index (LAI), and vegetation/soil micro-nutrient content (P, K, Ca, Mg) for transitional moist/dry tropical forests at Rio Lara and Rio Sabana. Measurements from 1967 and 1968 offer a baseline for studying long-term forest dynamics and nutrient cycling in a region forested for approximately 400 years.

Use Cases

• Modeling above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) based on litterfall and biomass measurements.
• Comparing vegetation structure and nutrient content between distinct wet and dry season forest plots.
• Assessing historical forest carbon stocks using detailed above- and below-ground biomass data.
• Studying litter decomposition dynamics using the reported ~90% wet season decomposition rate.

Strengths

• Provides specific, quantitative measurements including LAI (10.6 and 22.4 m²/m²) and annual litterfall (1,137 g/m²/yr).
• Contains a multi-faceted view of ecosystem function with data on biomass, productivity, and nutrient content.
• Represents a historical baseline from a well-described, long-established forest (~400 years).

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row count, and exact file size are unknown.
• Data is historical (1967-1968) with no subsequent updates, limiting contemporary applicability.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1968 vs. 2026) across platforms create uncertainty about provenance maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Field measurements collected at two forest plots in Darien Province, Panama.

Time Range

1967 to 1968

Freshness

Data collection was completed in 1968; metadata records show conflicting maintenance dates of 1968-02-27 and 2026-04-09.

Geography

Rio Lara (wet season site) and Rio Sabana (dry season site) in Darien Province, Panama.