Kade Ghana Forest Biomass and Climate Data 1957-1972

Biomass and climate measurements document a moist semi-deciduous secondary tropical forest at the Kade Agricultural Research Station in Ghana. The dataset includes detailed above- and below-ground biomass, litterfall, nutrient content, and climate records from 1957 to 1972, with extended climate data up to 1997. It was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Use Cases

• Modeling net primary productivity (NPP) using biomass, litterfall, and timber fall estimates.
• Analyzing nutrient cycling via data on nutrient content in leaves, branches, wood, and roots.
• Studying long-term forest biomass dynamics with clear-felling data from 1957 and plot measurements from 1968.
• Correlating forest growth with local climate patterns using weather station data from Kade (1958-1997) and Kumasi (1945-1990).
• Assessing carbon storage in secondary tropical forests using detailed live and dead biomass measurements.

Strengths

• Provides detailed, component-level biomass data from a single clear-felling event, including specific values for total live+dead biomass (36,102 g/m2).
• Includes long-term climate context with weather station records spanning up to 52 years (1945-1997).
• Contains monthly litterfall measurements for a continuous 26-month period (1970-1972).
• Offers nutrient content data for eight distinct forest components (e.g., lianas, branches, roots).

Limitations

• Exact row counts, column names, and dataset size are not specified on any platform.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one listing 2026-03-12 and another 1997-12 31.
• Biomass data is primarily from a single 1957 event, limiting temporal analysis of biomass change.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Field measurements from clear-felling, plot sampling, litterfall collection, and weather station records.

Time Range

1945-1997

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:06:01.677870

Geography

Kade Agricultural Research Station, Ghana (6.15 N, 0.92 W)