Biomass and Climate in a Venezuelan Tropical Montane Forest

San Eusebio, Venezuela, hosts this dataset of net primary production (NPP) and climate measurements from a tropical montane forest. It contains biomass, litterfall, and nutrient content data collected from 13 plots in 1973-1974, alongside long-term climate data from a nearby station. The data provides a minimum estimate of total NPP (1,497 g/m2/year) and details on nutrient stores within the forest ecosystem.

Use Cases

• Modeling carbon sequestration based on measured biomass stocks and NPP components.
• Comparing nutrient cycling (N and P) between above-ground vegetation, roots, and soil compartments.
• Analyzing the relationship between climate (temperature, precipitation) and forest productivity.
• Calibrating ecosystem models using the detailed litterfall and root turnover estimates.

Strengths

• Provides a detailed, plot-level breakdown of biomass and nutrient stocks across 13 contrasting sites.
• Includes both site-specific short-term weather observations and long-term regional climate data.
• Contains a synthesized minimum NPP estimate derived from multiple measured and estimated components.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the provided metadata.
• Conflicting last-updated dates exist between platforms (1996 on NASA Earthdata vs. 2026 on Data.gov).
• Some NPP components (woody and fine root turnover) are estimates, not direct measurements.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Field measurements from study plots, with climate data from a nearby station.

Time Range

1973-1974

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:35:14.349620

Geography

San Eusebio, Sierra de Merida, Venezuela (8.62 N 71.35 W)