Kataba Forest Canopy Structure and Species Data from SAFARI 2000

Zambia's Kataba Forest was the site for vegetation measurements taken during the SAFARI 2000 Wet Season Campaign in early 2000. The dataset records tree and shrub species composition, canopy cover percentage, and basal area from 60 sampling points along six transects near a MODIS validation tower. It was collected by NASA to characterize the tree canopy layer for satellite validation and ecological study.

Use Cases

• Calibrating remote sensing estimates of Leaf Area Index (LAI) or canopy cover using ground-measured percent canopy cover.
• Analyzing species-specific contributions to overall canopy cover via the proportional contribution data for each recorded tree and shrub species.
• Estimating forest biomass or carbon stocks using the measured basal area (m2 ha-1) values from each sampling grid.
• Studying spatial patterns in vegetation structure by analyzing data collected at 50 m intervals along six distinct transects.

Strengths

• Data collection followed a standardized protocol, using a basal area prism for a 360-degree sweep and a spherical densiometer for four averaged canopy cover estimates per point.
• Provides species-level detail, listing all recorded tree and shrub species and their proportional contribution to canopy cover for each of the 60 sampling grids.
• Dataset is part of a larger, documented campaign (SAFARI 2000), with a companion file noted to include additional vegetation data, graphics, and discussion for context.

Limitations

• Key technical specifications like row count, file size, and exact column names are not provided across any platform.
• There is a significant conflict in the 'last updated' metadata, with one platform listing 2000-03-15 and another listing 2026-03 12, casting doubt on maintenance history.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Field measurements at 60 points along six transects using a basal area prism and spherical densiometer; only canopies above 1.5 m height were measured.

Time Range

late February to early March 2000

Freshness

2000-03-15 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Kataba Forest, near Mongu, Zambia