Biomass Allocation and Growth Data of Seeded Plants

This data set of leaf, stem, and root biomass for various plant taxa was compiled from the primary literature of the 20th century with a significant portion derived from Cannell (1982). Recent allometric additions include measurements made by Niklas and colleagues (Niklas, 2003). This is a unique data set with which to evaluate allometric patterns of standing biomass within and across the broad spectrum of vascular plant species. Despite its importance to ecology, global climate research, and evolutionary and ecological theory, the general principles underlying how plant metabolic production is allocated to above- and below-ground biomass remain unclear. The resulting uncertainty severely limits the accuracy of models for many ecologically and evolutionarily important phenomena across taxonomically diverse communities. Thus, although quantitative assessments of biomass allocation patterns are central to biology, theoretical or empirical assessments of these patterns remain contentious.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field	Value
Maintainer	Earthdata Forum
Last Updated	June 16, 2026, 00:15 (UTC)
Created	April 1, 2025, 14:40 (UTC)
accessLevel	public
bureauCode	{026:00}
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harvest_object_id	9664e991-a288-4353-a18b-3415fc276f55
harvest_source_id	b99e41c6-fe79-4c19-bbc3-9b6c8111bfac
harvest_source_title	Science Discovery Engine
identifier	10.3334/ORNLDAAC/703
license	https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified	2026-06-08T22:16:02Z
programCode	{026:000}
publisher	ORNL_DAAC
resource-type	Dataset
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spatial	["CARTESIAN", [{"WestBoundingCoordinate": -180.0, "NorthBoundingCoordinate": 90.0, "EastBoundingCoordinate": 180.0, "SouthBoundingCoordinate": -90.0}]]
temporal	1922-07-15/2003-07-15
theme	{"Earth Science"}