SNF Boreal Forest Phenology and Leaf Expansion Data

SNF Forest Phenology/Leaf Expansion Data originates from a 1984 study by ORNL_CLOUD to understand relationships between remote sensing and biophysical parameters in boreal forests. The dataset covers 32 quaking aspen and 31 black spruce sites, measuring biomass, leaf area index, productivity, and ground coverage. It includes detailed canopy and subcanopy measurements from specific sites (16 and 93) during the spring season.

Use Cases

• Calibrating remote sensing models using ground-truth measurements of leaf area index and biomass.
• Analyzing seasonal phenology changes in aspen canopies through scaled foliage coverage metrics derived from photographic grids.
• Studying understory shrub growth (beaked hazelnut, mountain maple) via calculated leaf area from measured leaf length and width.
• Investigating spatial variation in forest stand parameters like bark area index and ground coverage across multiple plots.

Strengths

• Dataset provides ground measurements for 63 distinct forest sites (32 aspen, 31 spruce), enabling spatial analysis.
• Includes detailed, methodologically consistent measurements: canopy coverage from 200-point photographic grids and subcanopy leaf area from direct dimensional measurements.
• Focus on specific spring 1984 timeframe allows for detailed seasonal phenology tracking.

Limitations

• Key metadata conflicts exist: one source lists a last update date of 1984, while others list 2026, creating uncertainty about data currency.
• Column names and exact row counts are unknown across all platforms, limiting immediate analytical utility.
• Data appears focused on two primary sites (16 and 93) for detailed phenology, potentially limiting generalizability from other sites.

Provenance

Source

ORNL_CLOUD

Collection Method

Field measurements from uniform forest stands, using photographic grids for canopy coverage and direct measurement of leaf dimensions for understory shrubs.

Time Range

Spring 1984

Freshness

2026-03-12 21:16:39.514311

Geography

Boreal forest sites, specific locations include sites 16 and 93.