Plant Biomass and Grazing Impact Data from 1987 Field Experiment

Four sites were studied during the 1987 growing season to quantify cattle grazing effects on plant net primary productivity. The dataset contains mean values and variances for above-ground biomass measured inside portable exclosures, outside exclosures, and inside permanent exclosures. This research was conducted under NASA's FIFE project.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the impact of cattle foliage removal on plant net primary productivity (NPP) using biomass measurements from different exclosure treatments.
• Comparing plant biomass dynamics in grazed versus protected areas using data from portable and permanent exclosures.
• Studying the combined long-term effects of annual grazing and frequent burning on vegetation biomass production.

Strengths

• Data collection employed a controlled experimental design using portable cattle exclosures moved to new locations within 10 meters after sampling.
• Measurements capture biomass variance, not just means, providing insight into data dispersion.
• The study was conducted at four distinct sites, all under consistent long-term management of grazing and burning.

Limitations

• The exact row count, column names, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026-03 12, while NASA Earthdata lists 1987-10-13.
• Specific license details are unclear, only noted as 'other-license-specified'.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), FIFE project.

Collection Method

Field measurements using portable cattle exclosures moved to unsampled locations within 10m after each sampling during the 1987 growing season.

Time Range

1987 growing season

Freshness

2026-03-12 22:34:07.168242

Geography

Four selected field sites (specific locations not detailed).