NPP Tropical Forest: San Eusebio, Venezuela, 1970-1971


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Photograph: General view of the San Eusebio site (click on the photo to view a series of images from this site)

Data Citation

Cite this data set as follows:

Grimm, U., and H. W. Fassbender. 1999. NPP Tropical Forest: San Eusebio, Venezuela, 1970-1971. 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

Biomass, litterfall, and nutrient content of above- and below-ground vegetation and soil were determined in 1973-1974 for a tropical montane forest at San Eusebio, Venezuela, with the support of the German Research Society and the University of Los Andes, Venezuela. Some components of net primary productivity (NPP) were estimated.

The San Eusebio study site (8.62 N 71.35 W) is in the Sierra de Merida in northwestern Venezuela, about 30 km northwest of the city of Merida. The experimental site belongs to the Faculty of Forest Science at the University of Los Andes, Merida. The forest appeared to be mostly primary in character, with some selective logging having taken place in the past. The landscape is somewhat heterogeneous, so 13 sample plots (each 50 m x 50 m) were chosen to cover the full range of height and size of all species present. Trees <10 cm diameter were measured only within a circle of 15 m radius in the center of each plot, and the understorey was measured within smaller quadrats (2 m x 2 m). Fine roots (<5 mm) were determined inside these quadrats with the use of corers 20 cm in diameter. Coarse roots were determined by excavation for a total of 30 trees.

Mean annual temperature is 12.6 C, with an annual amplitude of mean temperature of 9.2 C, giving a humid/sub-humid climate. Long-term climate data is available for Merida (8.60 N 71.18 W).

Standing stocks of biomass and nutrients are reported as the mean of 13 plots with contrasting soil types, slope and relief. Litterfall is reported as the mean determined for 3 of these plots, measured bi-weekly over the course of one year. Root turnover was estimated by correlation with leaf litter turnover (13%), and woody turnover was estimated by assuming the system to be in steady-state. A minimum estimate of total NPP (1497 g/m2/yr) may be obtained by summing total litterfall (697 g/m2/yr), woody turnover (480 g/m2/yr), and fine root turnover (320 g/m2/yr).

Contact Information

Contacts: Dr. U. Grimm/ Dr. H. W. Fassbender
Fachbereich Forstwirtschaft
Fachhochschule Hildesheim/Holzminden
Büsgenweg 4
Göttingen 37077
GERMANY

Tel. +49 (551) 393882
Fax +49 (551) 371667
E-mail: hans-werner.fassbender@fu.fh-goettingen.de

Alternative Contact: c/o Prof. F. Beese
Institut für Bodenkunde und Waldernährung
Universität Göttingen
Büsgenweg 2
Göttingen 37077
GERMANY

Tel. +49 (551) 399765
Fax +49 (551) 393310
E-mail: Unavailable

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