This data set provides two data files in text format (.txt). One file contains biomass measurements and cumulative ANPP estimates made between 1978 and 1985 at an ultracontinental steppe at the Tuva Research Station in Russia. The second file contains monthly and annual climate data for the study site for 1976-1985.Monthly measurements of above-ground live phytomass, standing dead, and litter biomass were made during each growing season (May-August) of the eight-year study period. Harvests of below-ground biomass were made at the end of the growing season in some years. A year-end measurement of above-ground biomass (particularly standing dead and litter) was also made in 1980. Revision Notes: Only the documentation for this data set has been modified. The data files have been checked for accuracy and are identical to those originally published in 1996.

This data set provides two data files in text format (.txt). One file contains a long time series of biomass measurements made between 1955 and 1989 on a semi-desert steppe at the Dzhanybek Research Station in Kazakhstan (49.33 N 46.78 E Elevation 20 m). The second file contains monthly and annual climate data for the study site for the period 1953-1989.Peak live biomass measurements were made from 1955 to 1989 (excluding 1976) and additional measurements of above-ground live biomass and dead matter were made seasonally from 1985 to 1989. Averaged over the time series, above-ground live phytomass and standing dead were estimated to be 137 g/m2 and 32 g/m2 (dry matter weight), respectively, while below-ground phytomass dry weight was 1,750 g/m2. ANPP was estimated to be 201 g/m2/yr. BNPP and TNPP were not estimated.Revision Notes: Only the documentation for this data set has been modified. The data files have been checked for accuracy and are identical to those originally published in 1997.

This data set provides two data files in text format (.txt). One file contains estimates of above-ground live phytomass for an ephemeral desert steppe located in the Badkhyz Nature Reserve in southern Turkmenistan. Monthly measurements of plant biomass were made by harvest during the growing season (January-May) from 1948 through 1963. Afterwards, an annual measurement of peak live biomass was made in May from 1964 through 1982, with gaps for years 1973-1976. The second file contains monthly and annual climate data recorded at the study site from 1941 through 1982. Above-ground net production (ANPP) for the Badkhyz site is the lowest among the eight Eurasian grassland sites, at 100 g/m2/yr. Below-ground NPP for Badkhyz (1,745 g/m2/yr) was conservatively estimated from a similar dry, semiarid continental steppe in Northern Kazakhstan (i.e., Shortandy). Revision Notes: Only the documentation for this data set has been modified. The data files have been checked for accuracy and are identical to those originally published in 1998.

This data set provides two data files in text format (.txt). One file contains a long time series of biomass measurements made between 1954 and 1983 on a virgin meadow steppe in the Central-Chernozem V.V. Alyekhin Natural Reserve, Kursk Region, Russia. The second file contains monthly and annual climate data for the study site for the period 1947-1983.Above-ground live biomass measurements were made at biweekly to monthly intervals over the entire 30-year time series. Discontinuous measurements of above-ground standing dead matter and litter biomass (1956-1983) and below-ground live and dead biomass (1972-1973 and 1981-1983) were also made. Cumulative ANPP was estimated at the end of the growing season (1956-1963 and 1972-1973) and monthly (1982-1983). Averaged over the time series, above-ground live phytomass, standing dead, and litter biomass were estimated to be 362, 344, and 424 g/m2 (dry matter weight), respectively, while below-ground phytomass and mortmass were 910 and 1,370 g/m2 (dry matter weight), respectively. ANPP was estimated to be 774 g/m2/yr and BNPP was estimated to be 1,700 g/m2/yr for a TNPP estimate of 2,474 g/m2/yr. The study site is one of eight major grassland types of Eurasia which encompass an extremely wide climatic gradient in the direction of increasing maximum summer temperatures and continentality and decreasing precipitation in a north-west to the south-east band of steppes in the European and Asian parts of the former USSR (Commonwealth of Independent States). Kurst, on rich loamy chernozem soil, is one of the most productive upland grassland ecosystems of Russia with annual mean maximum/minimum temperatures of 24.8/-14.4 C and annual mean precipitation of 582.7 mm for the period 1947-1983. Revision Notes: Only the documentation for this data set has been modified. The data files have been checked for accuracy and are identical to those originally published in 1996.

This data set provides two data files in text format (.txt). One file contains tri-monthly measurements of above-ground biomass made during the growing season between July 1982 and August 1990 on a dry, cold Eurasian steppe dominated by Stipa grandis at the Tumentsogt Research Station in Mongolia. The second file contains monthly and annual climate data recorded at the study site from 1963 through 1983. Mongolian steppes occupy a major part of eastern Mongolia and northern China and are characterized climatically by low mean annual rainfall and temperature, with a highly seasonal pattern in both. The beginning of spring rainfall and warming are strongly correlated, and the onset of the growing season rainfall triggers the green-up in the region. Land use is dominated by grazing, historically by nomadic pastoralists and more recently for cooperative livestock production. Privatization of grazing land and cropland conversions have been increasing since 1990. Ecosystem degradation such as deterioration of vegetation (e.g., vegetation removal and replacement) and soil (e.g., erosion) is becoming widespread. Peak above-ground biomass at Tumentsogt occurs during a short rainy season (June-August). The amount of biomass fluctuates from year-to-year coherently with rainfall variation. Above-ground net primaryp roductivity (ANPP) estimates are relatively low in comparison to other temperate grasslands, ranging from 72 to 160 g/m2/yr. Revision Notes: Only the documentation for this data set has been modified. The data files have been checked for accuracy and are identical to those originally published in 1996.

This data set provides three data files in text format (.txt). Two files contain biomass and above-ground net primary production (ANPP) estimates for two upland meadows with contrasting soil types at the Otradnoe research station of the V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences located on the Karelian peninsula 100-km to the north of St. Petersburg, Russia. The third file contains monthly and annual climate data recorded at the study site for the period 1968-1973. Measurements of above- and below-ground live and dead biomass were made at a sandy meadow (OTRS) from 1969 to 1972 and at a loamy meadow (OTRL) from 1969 to 1973. Additional biomass measurements were made at OTRS in June 1972 and at OTRL in May 1973. Monthly N, P, and S content of above-ground live biomass were measured 1969-1971 at OTRS.Revision Notes: Only the documentation for this data set has been modified. The data files have been checked for accuracy and are identical to those originally published in 1996.

This data set provides two data files in text format (.txt). One file contains bi-weekly measurements of above-ground live biomass recorded during the growing season (early May to early October) from 1980 through 1989 on a cold desert steppe at the Inner Mongolia Grassland Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences within the Xilingol Biosphere Reserve. The second file contains monthly and annual climate data recorded at the study site from 1978 through 1989. The study site contains grassland steppes of Leymus chinense and Stipa grandis which are the dominant vegetation types, respectively, in the Eastern Eurasian steppe zone (semi-arid and sub-humid) and the middle Eurasian steppe zone (semi-arid). Both steppes provide good livestock forage and are used mainly as natural grazing lands. Above-ground net primary production (ANPP) was estimated by summing peak live biomass of each of 5 species categories. Peak live biomass of L. chinense steppe occurred between late July and late August and averaged 182.68 g/m2 between 1980 and 1988 while that of S. grandis steppe occurred in mid August to early September and averaged 144.43 g/m2 over the same time period. Mean ANPP for L. chinense steppe during 1980-1989 was 248.63 g/m2/yr. ANPP for S. grandis steppe was not calculated. Data are only provided for the Leymus chinense steppe in this data set.Revision Notes: Only the documentation for this data set has been modified. The data files have been checked for accuracy and are identical to those originally published in 1996.

This data set contains three data files in text format (.txt) for a temperate dry steppe at Rio Mayo, Argentia. One file contains quarterly above-ground biomass data for grasses on the steepe (May 1984-May 1985). The second file contains average annual above-ground primary production (ANPP) data for grasses and shrubs for years 1972-1997 based upon peak above-ground biomass estimates. The third file contains precipitation and maximum/minimum temperature data for the Rio Mayo site for the period 1968 through 1990.Rio Mayo is located in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The vegetation is chiefly composed of grasses and shrubs. Harvest methods were used to estimate grass and shrub production. Between 1972 and 1997, peak annual ANPP of grasses plus shrubs ranged from 21 to 75 g/m2/yr, with an average of about 60 g/m2/yr. Grasses accounted for about two-thirds of the productivity. ANPP was reduced in a drought year, but did not increase in relatively wet years, suggesting that it may not be linearly related to precipitation. ANPP for 1984-1985 was slightly higher (79 g/m2/yr) when a different algorithm was used for estimation. Revision Notes: The original npp data file (rmy_npp.txt) has been split into two files, one file containing seasonal biomass and the other containing annual ANPP estimates. The data file containing annual ANPP estimates has been revised to extend temporage coverage and add additional annual ANPP data. See the Revisions section in this document for details.

This data set provides three data files in text format (.txt). One file contains a long time series of monthly biomass measurements and net primary productivity (NPP) estimates made between July 1984 and November 1994 on an ungrazed tropical dry savanna grassland in the Nairobi National Park, Kenya. The second file contains a shorter time series (October 1989-June 1991) of monthly biomass measurements made on an adjacent savanna that had been clipped in September 1989. The third file contains monthly and annual climate data for the study site for the period 1969-1989.Measurements of above-ground live phytomass, standing dead, and litter biomass were made on the 15th day of each month on the ungrazed grassland over the time series (except during 1987 and at a few other times). The time series for below-ground biomass (BNPP) measurements (live and dead) is more discontinuous with large gaps in 1987-1989. NPP estimates are only available for part of 1984 through 1986 on the ungrazed savanna. The above-ground NPP (ANPP) values averaged 1,004 g/m2/yr and BNPP averaged 875 g/m2/yr. The record of above- and below-ground biomass measurements for the clipped savanna is complete except for a few months in 1990. Revision Notes: Only the documentation for this data set has been modified. The data files have been checked for accuracy and are identical to those originally published.

This data set contains two ASCII files (.txt format). One file contains monthly productivity data measured on an arid dwarf-shrub steppe in northern Patagonia, Argentina from August 1980 to March 1982. The second file contains climate data recorded at a weather station set up onsite for the duration of the NPP study.Dynamics of above-ground biomass, dead matter, and litter were monitored at Pampa de Leman (-45.43 S, -69.83 W, Elevation 400 m) at monthly or bi-monthly intervals in a 1.5-hectare exclosure area protected from sheep grazing. The vegetative community is dominated by the dwarf shrub Nassauvia glomerulosa, with two grasses (Poa dusenii and Hordeum comosum).Annual above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) of 78 g/m2/yr was estimated from the sum of the increase in above-ground biomass, dead matter, and litter.