SPRUCE: Tree Growth Assessments of Black Spruce and Tamarack in a Bog, 2011-2024

SPRUCE data from Oak Ridge National Laboratory reports annual tree growth measurements of mature Picea mariana and Larix laricina in a Minnesota bog from 2011 to 2024. Measurements include circumference at breast height (DBH), tree heights, and crown diameters, with data collected annually in late February to capture the previous growing season. The dataset is maintained by Paul J. Hanson and is updated annually, with a planned continuation through 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling tree growth rates and carbon sequestration based on annual DBH measurements.
• Analyzing long-term forest productivity trends in a peatland bog based on the 13-year time series.
• Correlating tree height and crown diameter data with environmental variables for ecological studies.
• Validating terrestrial lidar-derived forest structure measurements based on the supplemental height data collected since 2016.

Strengths

• Annual measurements spanning 13 years from 2011 to 2024, with data collection planned through 2026.
• Includes multiple tree metrics: circumference at breast height, tree height, and crown diameter.
• Data quality is maintained with version updates correcting previous measurement errors.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Geographic coverage is limited to a single bog site in Minnesota.

Provenance

Source

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Paul J. Hanson

Collection Method

Annual field measurements of tree circumference, height, and crown diameter, supplemented by terrestrial lidar scans since 2016.

Time Range

2011-02 23 to 2024-02-26

Freshness

Data is appended annually; last specific update date is unknown.

Geography

S1-Bog and SPRUCE experimental plots in Minnesota, USA