Pre-Delta-X: Vegetation Structure and Biomass in Mississippi River Delta Wetlands

Pre-Delta-X campaign data provides vegetation species, height, stem density, diameter, and aboveground biomass measurements from herbaceous and forested wetland sites in the Atchafalaya and Terrebonne basins of coastal Louisiana. Measurements were collected during Spring and Fall 2015 across nine herbaceous and six forested sites using standardized plot and transect sampling. The dataset was created to calibrate remote sensing data and hydrodynamics and sediment transport models.

Use Cases

• Calibrating UAVSAR and AVIRIS-NG remote sensing data using in-situ vegetation structure measurements.
• Modeling hydrodynamics and sediment transport in delta floodplains based on wetland vegetation coverage.
• Analyzing seasonal biomass response in marsh and forested wetlands.
• Studying vegetation zonation and composition along transects from wetland edges.

Strengths

• Contains detailed, species-specific aboveground biomass estimates derived from allometric equations.
• Includes measurements from 15 distinct sites (9 herbaceous, 6 forested) across two seasons.
• Provides precise plot-level data, including tree DBH > 2.5 cm and laser-measured heights.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not provided in the available metadata.
• Vegetation height, density, and diameter data are only available for forested Atchafalaya sites from spring collections.
• Conflicting last-update dates exist between platforms (2015 vs. 2026), raising questions about data currency.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Field campaign using transect and circular plot sampling, with biomass harvested from herbaceous plots and estimated via allometry for trees.

Time Range

Spring 2015 and Fall 2015

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:05:56.052975

Geography

Atchafalaya and Terrebonne basins within the Mississippi River Delta floodplain, coastal Louisiana, USA