This data set contains one NPP data file and two climate data files (ASCII .txt format). The NPP file contains above- and below- ground biomass, litterfall, standing litter crop, and nutrient content data for a moist semi-deciduous secondary tropical forest at the Kade Agricultural Research Station (6.15 N 0.92 W), Ghana, spanning several collections periods between 1957 and 1972. Climate data come from weather stations at Kade near the study site (1958-1997) and at Kumasi near Kade (1945-1990).The Kade study site is typical of an old secondary forest which has probably not been cultivated or harvested since around 1915-1925. Tree basal area measured in 1957 was quite high at 33.7 m2/ha; measurements in 1968 of a plot a few hundred meters away gave 30.6 m2/ha.Detailed above- and below-ground biomass data are provided from a single clear-felling made in 1957. Nutrient content for lianas, leaves and twigs, branches, large wood, standing dead wood, stumps, litter, and roots is also provided. Total live + dead biomass was 36,102 g/m2, of which 5,414 g/m2 (15%) was below-ground live biomass and 23,568 g/m2 was above-ground live biomass. Monthly litterfall is available for 26 months (1970-72).Total annual NPP was estimated in the late 1950s at about 2,400 g/m2/year based on litterfall of 1,054 g/m2/year plus rough estimates of timber fall (1,070-1,121 g/m2/year) and root production (258 g/m2/year). In the 1970s, NPP was recalculated at 2,200-2,500 g/m2/year based on additional measurements of litter, wood fall, and decomposition.

This NPP data set contains one ASCII file (.txt format). The data file contains above- and below-ground biomass, litterfall, LAI, vegetation/soil micro-nutrient content (P, K, Ca, Mg, etc.), and above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) estimates for transitional moist/dry tropical forests at Rio Lara (wet season site) and Rio Sabana (dry season site) in Darien Province, Panama. Field measurements were made in 1967 and 1968. No climate data are provided.Apart from litter quantity, most of the differences between these data reflect variations between the two plots sampled, rather than seasonal changes. Both plots were considered representative of the surrounding forest. The area was thought to have been forested for the previous 400 years, following abandonment of open savanna lands maintained by the Precolumbian Indians.Total annual leaf and branch fall averaged for the two sites was 1,137 g/m2/yr, representing a minimum ANPP estimate. Litter decomposition over the 9-month wet season was around 90%. LAI at both sites was high; however, the index for the dry site (10.6 m2/m2) was only half that of the wet season site (22.4 m2/m2).

This data set contains two ASCII files (.txt format), one providing net primary production (NPP) component data for a lower montane rainforest and the other providing climate data. The NPP studies were conducted at Marafunga (6.00 S 145.18 E) in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to the east of Mount Kerigomna, about 25 km west of the town of Goroka. LAI, litterfall, litter standing crop and decomposition, and nutrient content of different vegetation components were measured from November 1970 through December 1971 at four representative forest stands: Ridge Top; Ridge Gap; Valley; and Slope. Forest inventories and field measurements of above- and below-ground biomass were made by destructive harvest at a fifth stand (Ridge Top) during October-December 1970 and April-August 1971. The results of these studies are given for the forest at large. The only component of NPP determined at Marafunga was litterfall (755 g/m2/year).

This data set contains two ASCII files (.txt format), one providing net primary production (NPP) component data for a lower montane rainforest and the other providing climate data. The NPP studies were conducted at Marafunga (6.00 S 145.18 E) in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to the east of Mount Kerigomna, about 25 km west of the town of Goroka. LAI, litterfall, litter standing crop and decomposition, and nutrient content of different vegetation components were measured from November 1970 through December 1971 at four representative forest stands: Ridge Top; Ridge Gap; Valley; and Slope. Forest inventories and field measurements of above- and below-ground biomass were made by destructive harvest at a fifth stand (Ridge Top) during October-December 1970 and April-August 1971. The results of these studies are given for the forest at large. The only component of NPP determined at Marafunga was litterfall (755 g/m2/year).The climate data in this data set are available from a weather station at the Marafunga sawmill, about 2.5 km from the Marafunga study sites, and from a weather station in a clearing in the primary forest. A rainfall record for the period 1969-1971 was made daily at the sawmill. Records of maximum and minimum temperatures were made every two weeks for the period December 1970-August 1971 at litter level at the four nondestructive study sites.

This NPP data set contains one ASCII file (.txt format). The data file contains above- and below-ground biomass, litterfall, LAI, vegetation/soil micro-nutrient content (P, K, Ca, Mg, etc.), and above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) estimates for transitional moist/dry tropical forests at Rio Lara (wet season site) and Rio Sabana (dry season site) in Darien Province, Panama. Field measurements were made in 1967 and 1968. No climate data are provided.Apart from litter quantity, most of the differences between these data reflect variations between the two plots sampled, rather than seasonal changes. Both plots were considered representative of the surrounding forest. The area was thought to have been forested for the previous 400 years, following abandonment of open savanna lands maintained by the Precolumbian Indians.Total annual leaf and branch fall averaged for the two sites was 1,137 g/m2/yr, representing a minimum ANPP estimate. Litter decomposition over the 9-month wet season was around 90%. LAI at both sites was high; however, the index for the dry site (10.6 m2/m2) was only half that of the wet season site (22.4 m2/m2).

This data set contains four ASCII data files (.txt format), one providing net primary production (NPP) component data and three providing climate data. The NPP studies were conducted in a lowland tropical rainforest in the Pasoh Forest Reserve, Malaysia (2.98 N 102.31 E) from 1971 through 1973. Precipitation and temperature data are available from weather stations located about 25 km from the study sites.The main part of the 2,450 ha Pasoh Forest Reserve is covered by lowland dipterocarp forest, with a core area of about 600 ha of undisturbed forest surrounded by a buffer zone of regenerating logged lowland forest. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,728 to 3,112 mm (mean 2,054 mm), which is relatively low for Malaysia, but the fairly even distribution of rain throughout the year permits the development of a typical lowland rainforest.Annual average litterfall data (1,055 g/m2/year) are available for several sub-sites based on bi-weekly collections. An additional 300 g/m2/year of leaf production was estimated to have been consumed by insects, and large wood fall/mortality was estimated to be 370 g/m2/year. Annual tree biomass increment was determined to be 640 g/m2/year, and a further 60 g/m2/year was allowed for root increments and 400 g/m2/year for root turnover. Including additional corrections to account for wood decay before measurement, total NPP was estimated to be 2,780 g/m2/year.

This data set contains four ASCII data files (.txt format), one providing net primary production (NPP) component data and three providing climate data. The NPP studies were conducted in a lowland tropical rainforest in the Pasoh Forest Reserve, Malaysia (2.98 N 102.31 E) from 1971 through 1973. Precipitation and temperature data are available from weather stations located about 25 km from the study sites.

This data set contains three ASCII files (.txt format). One data file contains above-ground biomass, litter, litterfall, herbivory, biomass change, and above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) estimates for a late secondary moist subtropical forest based on measurements from 16 permanent study plots located along an elevational (60-290 m) and topological gradient within the 132-ha Cinnamon Bay watershed on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. The purpose of the study was to provide information on forest structure, species composition, and forest productivity along environmental gradients, including the effects of hurricanes and drought. The other two files provide climate records from nearby weather stations (1917-1981).Above-ground biomass was measured every 5 years (1983-2003). Litterfall accumulation was determined in 1992-1993. In 1983, total above-ground biomass on all plots combined averaged 13,870 g/m2; by 2003 during a post-hurricane recovery period, it had declined by nearly 7 percent. In 1983, biomass was greatest on the summit, intermediate on slopes and valleys, and least on ridges; by 2003, the quantities for all sites had converged except on the summit plot.In 1992, ANPP was estimated based on annual litterfall accumulation (897 g/m2/year) plus biomass change due to delayed mortality (142 g/m2/year) plus estimated herbivory (25 g/m2/year), giving a total ANPP of 1,064 g/m2/year. Periodic storms and drought appear to maintain the forest in a disturbed state.

This data set contains two NPP data files and one climate data file (ASCI .txt format). The NPP files contain data for above-ground biomass, litterfall, and nutrient content of above-ground vegetation, organic surface layer, and soils measured during an 18-month period in 1970 and 1971 at two contrasting tropical seasonal evergreen forests in Magdalena Valley, Colombia. The climate record provides mean monthly and annual precipitation (1951-1992) and mean monthly and annual average temperature (1970-1997) from Barranca Bermeja (7.00 N 73.80 W) near the Magdalena Valley sites.One forest stand sits atop a perched water table on a typical valley terrace. It is low in height, basal area (22 m2/ha), and above-ground biomass (18,109 g/m2), but rich in palms with a simple two-layered structure, frequent windthrows and mortality, and few older trees. The contrasting forest stand developed on a lower slope site under more advantageous soil and water conditions. Although number of stems/ha in this forest are smaller and palms less conspicuous, the slope forest shares dominant species of both forests but with taller trees and greater basal area (32 m2/ha) and above-ground biomass (32,581 g/m2). The above-ground biomass and the vegetative bioelement stores were estimated by harvesting sample trees and palms and allometric regressions.Above-ground net primary production (ANPP) is based on total litterfall accumulation, measured over a 12-15 month period (1,202 g/m2/yr for the terrace forest and 873 g/m2/yr for the slope forest), giving minimum estimates of NPP.

This data set contains three ASCII files (.txt format). One file provides net primary productivity (NPP) data for the moist lowland tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. NPP estimates are based on field measurements of litterfall accumulation, tree growth and mortality, and herbivory. Above-ground biomass and LAI are also reported. The other two files provide climate data recorded onsite.Annual litterfall accumulation (leaf + twig + other litterfall) averaged 1,064 g/m2/year, excluding losses to herbivory, on the central plateau of the island and in the Lutz catchment (1969-1979) and 1,246 g/m2/year at Poacher's Peninsula (1986-1990). Herbivory due to insects (about 50 g/m2/year) was estimated from leaf litterfall (1974-1977) by measuring holes and gaps in fallen leaves. An additional 30 g/m2/year may be lost to vertebrate herbivores which leave no identifiable traces in litter traps. Coarse wood litterfall due to tree damage may represent an additional 46 g/m2/year. Above-ground biomass averaged 27,425 g/m2 based on inventory data collected every 5 years from 1985 to 2000 and allometric regression equations. Tree growth of 554 g/m2/year was based on above-ground biomass changes during the three census intervals. Tree mortality of 2-3% was estimated by recording dead or missing trees (1982-1990). LAI of 7.3 was based on the average area of leaves that fell per area of ground per year. Overall, above-ground NPP for Barro Colorado Island was estimated at 1,800 g/m2/year.