SAFARI 2000 Leaf Dimension Measurements from Botswana Kalahari Transect

Botswana's Kalahari Transect provides the location for this dataset of leaf blade length and width measurements from dominant and subdominant tree species. Data were collected by NASA during a focused three-week field campaign in the wet season of 2000 across four sites: Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River Crossing, and Tshane. The dataset includes individual leaf dimensions and calculated mean values for replicate samples.

Use Cases

• Calibrating or validating remote sensing estimates of leaf area index (LAI) using ground-truth leaf dimension data.
• Analyzing morphological differences in sun-exposed leaves across tree species and a north-south environmental gradient.
• Studying allometric relationships for biomass estimation in Kalahari woodland and savanna ecosystems.

Strengths

• Data collection followed a standardized protocol using an optical lens and graticule for precise measurements.
• Measurements focus on recently-matured, sun-exposed leaves from dominant species, ensuring ecological relevance.
• Dataset includes both raw individual leaf dimensions and calculated mean values for replicate samples.

Limitations

• Exact row count, column names, and dataset size are not specified on any platform.
• Platforms disagree on the last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026-03-12, while NASA Earthdata lists 2000-03 18.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Field measurements collected using an optical lens and graticule during the SAFARI 2000 wet season campaign.

Time Range

2000-02-28 to 2000-03-18

Freshness

2026-03-12 21:48:05.789761

Geography

Four sites along the Kalahari Transect in Botswana: Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River Crossing, and Tshane.