SAFARI 2000 Kalahari Transect Canopy Structure and Leaf Measurements

Leaf area index, leaf inclination angle, and canopy dimension data were collected from seven 200 x 150 meter plots along the Kalahari Transect in Botswana. Measurements were taken during the 2001 wet season field campaign of SAFARI 2000, focusing on dominant woody species and grass vegetation. The dataset is provided by ORNL_CLOUD and includes tabular data files and supporting photographs of each plot.

Use Cases

• Parameterizing plant canopy reflectance models using leaf area index (LAI) and leaf inclination angle data.
• Analyzing canopy architecture with measurements of crown height, crown width, and height to crown for 10-20 trees per plot.
• Studying light interception dynamics using overstory and understory photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) measurements.
• Comparing vegetation structural traits across three sites (Tshane, Mabuasehube, Tsabong) in the Kalahari Transect.

Strengths

• Data includes ground measurements for 10 to 20 individual trees of the dominant species at each of the seven field plots.
• Provides multiple canopy structural parameters (LAI, leaf angle, crown dimensions) for model parameterization.
• Includes supporting photographic evidence (.jpg files) of site conditions for visual context.

Limitations

• Key metadata conflicts exist: the last updated date is reported as both 2001-03-08 and 2026-03 12.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column names are not provided by any source.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Field measurements using a plant canopy analyzer, clinometer, and tape measure/trigonometry.

Time Range

2001 wet season

Freshness

2026 03 12 21:50:11.968280

Geography

Kalahari Transect, southwest Botswana (Tshane, Mabuasehube, Tsabong sites)