Data Citation

Cite this data set as follows:

Denissenko, E. A., V. Brovkin, and W. Cramer. 2001. NPP Multi-Biome: PIK Data for Northern Eurasia, 1940-1988 (Based on Bazilevich). 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

An extensive compilation of data on biomass and net primary productivity (NPP), with a comprehensive list of original literature sources, was developed previously by Prof. Natalia I. Bazilevich, Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences (formerly U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences), Moscow (Bazilevich 1993). This book contains estimates of plant biomass (phytomass) and NPP components for a range of natural and managed ecosystems in different zones of the former U.S.S.R. Most of the original records comprise at least estimates of above-ground NPP. Prof. Bazilevich provided expert estimates of root biomass and below-ground NPP for many of the records.

Starting with this principal literature reference (Bazilevich 1993), which contains about 500 records, the database was revised and extended to about 700 records through reference to the original literature. Work was performed at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany. Several quality-assurance steps were performed:

• There is no explicit reference in the original tables to the publication from which the data were taken. References were assigned in accordance with the short synthesis introduction to each chapter, where the original sources are mentioned.
• Geographical descriptions of study sites lacked precise latitude and longitude co-ordinates (e.g., "Taymyr Peninsula"). The original publications were checked where necessary in order to estimate the co-ordinates approximately to one degree of latitude/ longitude.
• The units of NPP were converted from dry matter to carbon using ecosystem-dependent conversion factors. Carbon contents were derived from two other publications on Eurasian ecosystems, as the product of C/N ratio (Bazilevich and Titlyanova, 1978) and N content (Rodin and Bazilevich, 1965).
• Elevations were determined either from the original publications or from geographical maps.

Note that each of the above steps may be a potential source of error, although on average the results appear reasonable.

Selected data are now available (127 records of total NPP, including 69 estimates of above-ground NPP), together with information on vegetation zone, vegetation descriptions, original author, and location. Total NPP ranges from 32 gC/m2/year (desert) to over 1000 gC/m2/year for grassy steppes and floodplains (tugai), and above-ground NPP from 38 gC/m2/year (tundra) to 511 gC/m2/year (broad-leaved forest). Study site locations cover a wide geographical expanse, from 39 N to 76 N, and from 23 E to 173 E.

Main References

Bazilevich, N. I. (1993) Biological Productivity of Ecosystems of Northern Eurasia. Nauka Publishers, Moscow. 293 pp. (in Russian).

Bazilevich, N. I., and A. A. Titlyanova. 1980. Comparative studies of ecosystem function. In: Grasslands, Systems Analysis and Man (A. I. Breymeyer and G. M. Van Dyne, eds.) International Biological Programme 19. Cambridge University Press. pp. 713-758.

Rodin, L.E. and N.I. Bazilevich (1965) Dynamics of Organic Matter and Biological Cycle of Ashes, Elements and Nitrogen in Different Vegetation Types of the Earth. Nauka Publishers, Moscow (in Russian).

Contact Information

Contact: Dr. Victor Brovkin
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Climate Systems Research Department
P.O. Box 601203
14412 Potsdam
GERMANY

Tel. +49 (331) 288-2592
Fax: +49 (331) 288-2695
E-mail: victor@pik-potsdam.de

A related data product derived from Prof. Bazilevich's work is available through the U.S. National Geophysical Data Center:

NGDC Global Ecosystems Database, dataset B02

This is a gridded visualization of Bazilevich's global primary productivity data set, at 10-minute resolution. The underlying data are still unpublished; for further information about efforts to make this data set available, contact:

Dr. Dmitry Varlyguin
GDA Corporation
Innovation Park at Penn State University
200 Innovation Blvd., Suite 234
State College, PA 16803
Tel: 814-237-4060
Fax: 814-237-4061
E-mail: dmitry@gdacorp.com