NPP Grassland: Nylsvley, South Africa, 1974-1989


[PHOTOGRAPH]
Photograph: Fine-leaved savanna at Nylsvley (click on the photo to view a series of images from this site).

Data Citation

Cite this data set as follows:

Scholes, R. J. 1997. NPP Grassland: Nylsvley, South Africa, 1974-1989. Data set. Available on-line [http://www.daac.ornl.gov] from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Description

Productivity of a broad-leaved savanna, which includes a substantial grass component (i.e. 60-70% of cover), was monitored from 1974 to the present at the Nylsvley study site, under the South African Savanna Biome Programme.

The Nylsvley study site (24.65 S 28.70 E) is situated 200 km north of Johannesburg, near the town of Nylstroom. The 800 hectare savanna research area forms part of a larger (3120 hectare) nature reserve.

Monthly above-ground biomass data are available for 1974/75-1976/77 (N.B.: southern hemisphere growing season) together with biomass and dead matter dynamics averaged over the same period. Monthly live/dead rot dynamics are available for 1988/89. Data have been read from published graphs; therefore the least significant digit may be in error. Detailed data are also available on soil, hydrology, nutrients, vegetation types, plant physiology, carbon and nitrogen budgets, and the effect of burning and grazing.

Total net primary production (NPP) has been given a "best estimate" of 951 g/m2/yr, to which the herbaceous (grass) component contributes 482 g/m2/yr (51%). However, variation in NPP between years is high (43%).

Contact Information

Contact: Dr. R. J. Scholes
CSIR
P.O. Box 395
Pretoria 0001
SOUTH AFRICA

Telephone: +27 (12) 841-2045
Fax: +27 (12) 841-2689
E-mail: bscholes@csir.co.za

References and summaries for the Nylsvley site are available.

Graphs Image
Click on the "Graphs" box to view a series of data plots for this site, e.g., biomass dynamics, climate data.