Knowledge of the optical properties of the components of the forest canopy is important to the understanding of how plants interact with their environment and how this information may be used to determine vegetation characteristics using remote sensing. During the summers of 1983 and 1984, samples of the major components of the boreal forest canopy (needles, leaves, branches, moss, litter) were collected in the Superior National Forest (SNF) of Minnesota and sent to the Johnson Space Center (JSC). At JSC, the spectral reflectance and transmittance characteristics of the samples were determined for wavelengths between .35 and 2.1 micrometers using the Cary-14 radiometer. This report presents plots of these data as well as averages to the Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) bands. There were two main thrusts to the SNF optical properties study. The first was to collect the optical properties of many of the components of the boreal forest canopy. The second goal of the study was to investigate the variability of optical properties within a species. The results of these studies allow a comparison of the optical properties of a variety of different species and a measure of the variability within species. These data provide basic information necessary to model canopy reflectance patterns. [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]SNF_LEAFCARY ]

The BOREAS TE-06 team collected several data sets in support of its efforts to characterize and interpret information on the plant biomass, allometry, biometry, sapwood, leaf area index, net primary production, soil temperature, leaf water potential, soil CO2 flux, and multivegetation imagery of boreal vegetation. This data set contains measurements of estimates of the standing biomass and leaf area index for the plant species at the TF, CEV, and AUX sites in the SSA and NSA during the growing seasons of 1994 and 1995. [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]BOREAS_TE6BMFLG ]

This data set contains tree ring data from three sites located about 25 km of the meteorological station at Mongu, Zambia. Data from about 50 individual trees are reported. In addition, chronologies (or site mean curves) that better represent common influences (e.g., in this study, the climatic signal) were developed for each site based on the individual data (Trouet, 2004; Trouet et al., 2001). The series covers a maximum of 46 years, although most series do not extend longer than 30 years. The data were collected during the SAFARI 2000 Dry Season Field Campaign of August 2000.Ten to 23 samples were taken at each site. Brachystegia bakeriana was sampled at site 1, and Brachystegia spiciformis at sites 2 and 3. The vegetation at all sites underwent primitive harvesting for subsistence earlier the same year, thus samples could be taken from freshly cut trees and no living trees were cut. At all sites, samples consisted of full stem discs. Where possible, samples were taken at breast height (1.3 m) or slightly lower. Growth ring widths were measured to the nearest 0.01 mm using LINTAB equipment and TSAP software (Rinn and Jakel, 1997). Four radii per sample disc were measured. Cross-dating and response function analyses were performed by routine dendrochronological techniques. There are two files for each site, one containing integer values representing tree ring widths (raw data), and the other containing standardized values (chronologies), for each year. The data are stored as ASCII table files in comma-separated-value (.csv) format, with column headers. [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]s2k_tree_rings ]

As part of NASA's Accelerated Canopy Chemistry Program (ACCP) analyses were performed for the determination of carbon constituents and nitrogen content in fresh forest foliage. Samples were analyzed using a series of extraction’s that yielded different carbon constituents: non-polar, polar, cellulose and lignin. Nitrogen analyses were conducted using a standard combustion procedure. Approximately 1000 leaf samples were collected from 5 geographically distinct sites and were analyzed at the University of New Hampshire to ensure consistency in analysis. Results were used as a calibration set for Visible/NIR reflectance and the estimation of canopy carbon and nitrogen concentrations. [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]ACCP_LEAFCHEM ]

Ceptometer data from a Decagon AccuPAR (Model PAR-80) were collected at four sites in Botswana during the SAFARI 2000 Kalahari Transect Wet Season Campaign (March, 2000). These sites include Maun, Pandamentanga, Ghanzi/Okwa River Crossing, and Tshane. The measurements were taken near stake flags placed at 25 m intervals along three parallel 750 m transects located 250 m apart. The ceptometer contains 80 photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensors fixed at 1 cm intervals along a wand and connected to a control box. The sampling protocol followed in general was to first measure above canopy incident PAR, then canopy reflected PAR, then above canopy incident PAR again, and finally, canopy transmitted PAR. The data can be used to compute fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR), intercepted PAR, leaf area index (LAI), and gap fraction. These data currently exist in raw format, but can be processed using manufacturer-provided software to estimate the derived products.The data are stored as ASCII files, in csv format, organized by site, with one file per transect. Incident, transmitted, and reflected PAR radiation values for a transect and site are in the same file. The type of measurement for each data point is known due to comments in the data files. For the Maun and Pandamatenga sites, there is an additional file containing above canopy PAR irradiance. The PAR data units are micromols m-2 s-1, and the time is in Local Time. There is also a readme file, in txt format, for each site. [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]s2k_kt_par ]

This data set is a condensed forest cover type digital map of Saskatchewan and is a product of the Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management, Forestry Branch - Inventory Unit (SERM-FBIU). This map was generalized from SERM township maps of vegetation cover at an approximate scale of 1:63,000 (1 in. = 1 mile). The cover information was iteratively generalized until it was compiled on a 1:1,000,000 scale map base. This data set was prepared by SERM-FBIU. The data is a condensed forest cover type map of Saskatchewan at a scale of 1:1,000,000. [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]BOREAS_SASKFC1M ]

Data presented in this data set were collected during an intensive field campaign in Botswana between February 28 and March 18, 2000 along the Kalahari Transect as part of the SAFARI 2000 wet season field campaign. The sites visited were Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River Crossing, and Tshane (north to south). Individual leaf blade measurements were made on replicate samples from selected dominant and subdominant tree species using an optical lens and graticule. Leaves used in the study had recently-matured new growth, and were fully exposed to the sun for a significant part of the day. The data set is comprised of individual leaf blade dimensions along the length and width of each leaf by tree species as well as the mean of the replicate leaf length and width samples. The data are in comma-delimited ASCII format (kt_leaf_dimensions.csv). [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]s2k_kt_leaf_meas ]

Height, crown width, DBH, and height-to-crown distance collected using variable-radius plot sampling with a steel tape and a hand held compass to locate points along a transect. [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]OTTER_TIMBER ]

The Leaf Angle Data Data Set contains leaf angle distributions (LAD) obtained during the 1987 growing season for ten types of plant canopies, from the Konza Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) area. These data were collected using a direct measurement technique (i.e., a Spatial Coordinate Apparatus (SCA)). The species selected were major species common on the prairie with the leaves were of sufficient size to allow SCA measurement. The objective of this study was to obtain detailed LAD information on the major canopy species of the tallgrass prairie and selected agricultural crops. The LAD information for specific canopies can be used as input for a canopy radiation model. Canopy leaf orientation is an important parameter for plant growth modeling. Four categories of zenith angle distributions were found among the 14 species. These were planophile, plagiophile, erectophile, and uniform. Some canopies were found to have non-uniform leaf azimuth angle distribution. Also there were deferences between the upper and lower parts of the canopies for some species. [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]FIFE_LEAF_ANG ]

The BOREAS TE-09 team collected several data sets related to chemical and photosynthetic properties of leaves in boreal forest tree species. This data set describes the relationship between Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) levels and foliage nitrogen in samples from six sites in the BOREAS NSA. This information is useful for modeling the vertical distribution of carbon fixation for these different forest types in the boreal forest. The data were collected to quantify the relationship between PAR and leaf nitrogen of black spruce, jack pine, and aspen. [ This document was provided by NASA's Global Change Master Directory. For more information on the source of this metadata please visit http://gcmd.nasa.gov/r/geoss/[GCMD]BOREAS_TE09PND ]