Jamaican Montane Forest Biomass and Productivity 1974-1978

Five NPP files detail biomass, productivity, and nutrient content for upper montane tropical forest sub-types along John Crow Ridge, Jamaica. Measurements include ANPP estimates of 654-1,057 g/m2/year and above-ground biomass ranging from 23,000 to 34,000 g/m2. The data was collected by ORNL_CLOUD from 1974 to 1978.

Use Cases

• Model carbon stocks using above-ground biomass values (23,000-34,000 g/m2) and below-ground biomass (5,370 g/m2).
• Analyze forest productivity trends from annual ANPP estimates (654-1,057 g/m2/year) and litterfall data.
• Study nutrient cycling via the nutrient content of leaf fall measurements.
• Correlate forest structure metrics like LAI (5.5-5.7 m2/m2) with biomass and productivity figures.
• Compare climate data from Cinchona Botanic Gardens with on-site NPP measurements from 1974-1978.

Strengths

• Contains five distinct NPP data files for different forest sub-types.
• Includes long-term climate data from a nearby station for contextual analysis.
• Provides specific biomass ranges (e.g., 23,000-34,000 g/m2) and ANPP estimates (654-1,057 g/m2/year).

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, collected over 40 years ago (1974-1978).
• Geographic scope is limited to one ridge in Jamaica, reducing generalizability.
• Below-ground biomass was determined for only one site, limiting root data representation.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD via NASA EarthData.

Collection Method

Field measurements from 8-10 contiguous 10m x 10m permanent plots, using destructive and non-destructive regression analysis.

Time Range

1974 to 1978.

Freshness

Last updated in 1983; static historical dataset.

Geography

John Crow Ridge, Blue Mountains, Jamaica (18.08 N, 76.65 W).