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.

Premise: The Mediterranean region is experiencing increasing aridity, affecting ecosystems and plant life. Plants exhibit various anatomical changes to cope with dry conditions, including anatomical changes. This study focused on five co-occurring Mediterranean plant species namely Quercus calliprinos, Pistacia palaestina, Pistacia lentiscus, Rhamnus lycioides, and Phillyrea latifolia in wet and dry sites, investigating anatomical differences in leaves and xylem. Methods: Leaf analysis involved stomatal density, stomatal length, Leaf Mass Area (LMA), lamina composition, quantification of leaf intercellular air spaces (IAS), and mesophyll cell area exposed to these spaces. Xylem anatomy was assessed through vessel length and area in branches. Results: In the dry site, three species showed increased stomatal density and decreased stomatal length. Four species exhibited increased palisade mesophyll (PM) and reduced air space volume. In contrast, the phenotypic change in the xylem was less pronounced, with vessel length remaining unaffected by the site conditions. Furthermore, vessel diameter decreased in two species. Intercellular air spaces (IAS) proved to be the most dynamic anatomical feature. Quercus calliprinos demonstrated the highest anatomical phenotypic changes, while Rhamnus lycioides exhibited minor changes. Conclusions: This study sheds light on the variation in anatomical responses among co-occurring Mediterranean plant species and identifies the most dynamic traits. Understanding these adaptations provides valuable insights into the ability of plants to thrive under changing climate conditions. Methods Histological preparations The samples were collected in June 2021, at the beginning of the dry season. For stem anatomy, one cm long segments of 0.5 to 1 cm in diameter were taken from the terminal branches of new growth. The same branches were used for leaf anatomy, where a rectangle of 1 x 2 cm was cut along the lamina while avoiding the midrib. All samples were fixed immediately after cutting in a formaldehyde-acetic acid–alcohol solution (FAA, 10:5:50 in double-distilled water) for 48 h. Following gradual dehydration in an ethanol series (70, 80, 90, 95, and 100%, for 30 min each), the samples were subjected to a gradual Histoclear solution (25, 50, 75, and 100%). The samples were incubated overnight at room temperature with Paraplast chips (Leica, Wetzlar, Germany, Paraplast Plus) followed by several hours of incubation at 42 °C. The dissolved pure paraffin was changed twice a day for four days at 62 °C before the samples were embedded in blocks. Following embedding, stem samples were immersed in water for a few days and then sectioned using a microtome (Leica RM2245, Leica Microsystems Ltd. , Nussloch, Germany) into 12 μm sections which were mounted on slides, incubated overnight at 40 °C, and stained with Fast Green and Safranin (Ruzin and others, 1999). Images were captured using a light microscope (Leica DMLB, Leica Microsystems Ltd. , Nussloch, Germany) with a Nikon DS-fi1 camera (Nikon Corporation, Japan). Image analysis was done using ImageJ software (Rasband, W.S., ImageJ, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA, http:// imagej.nih.gov/ij/, 1997–2015). Leaf anatomy analyses The leaf parameters (Table 3) were measured in eight samples from each of the five studied species at each site. Leaf mass area (LMA) was computed by dividing the leaf dry mass (g) by the leaf area (cm²). Leaf area was determined through the analysis of RGB-scaled photos using ImageJ software. Subsequently, the leaves were dried at 70°C for 5 days, followed by measurement of the dry weight. Stomatal density was measured from adaxial and abaxial epidermal imprints, which were made using a dental impression gel (CounterFit II, Clinician's Choice), followed by an impression of clear nail polish, which was removed using adhesive tape and mounted on a microscope slide. Stomata were counted on an area of 0.0837 mm2 which represented the whole image size at the corresponding magnification (x40). Lamina anatomy was analyzed from leaf cross sectional images using the ImageJ software to obtain thickness values in microns for the different leaf organs: adaxial (Ad) and abaxial (Ab) epidermis layers, palisade mesophyll (Pal) and spongy mesophyll (SM) as well as total leaf thickness (T). Cuticle thickness assessment was available only on the adaxial side (Ac) as the abaxial cuticle was indistinct. All parameters were measured at three different locations on a cross section. The Midrib vessel area was assessed by measuring the ten largest vessels using the ImageJ software. Intercellular airspaces were evaluated from the mesophyll surface area exposed to intercellular airspace per unit leaf area , which was calculated according to (Evans et al., 1994):: Where is the total length of mesophyll cells facing the intercellular air space, is the section width and F is the curvature correction factor, which depends on the shape of the cells and was calculated as the weight average of the palisade and spongy mesophyll according to (Thain, 1983). The fraction of the intercellular air space (%IAS) was calculated as Where ΣSs is the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the mesophyll cells and is the thickness of the mesophyll between the two epidermal layers. Stem anatomy analyses The stem parameters (Table 3) were measured in eight samples from each of the five studied species at each site. Vessel length distribution was measured by the "air injection method" (Cohen et al., 2003), with some modifications according to Wang et al. (2014). Briefly, fresh long shoots were cut using a sharp razor blade. The basal end of the stem segment was attached to a flexible silicone tube (clamped to it) and connected to an air compressor which injected air into an old dial manometer and a digital pressure sensor (MPX5100 IC, NXP Semiconductors, Netherlands) wired to a datalogger (Campbell Sci. CR1000 datalogger, Campbell Scientific, Inc., Utah, United States), along with a "bleed" valve. Pressure was adjusted to 0.08-0.15 MPa and logged during the measurements. The distal end of each shoot was immersed in water. Stem segments (2 cm long) were cut back until bubbling was observed, and the length of the remaining stem was taken as the maximum vessel length (in some cases, bubbles appeared immediately before cutting, in which case the maximum vessel length was longer). Then, the stem was cut back consistently to measure air flow rate at several lengths. For each stem length, the bubbles flowing out from the distal end were collected in a volumetric cylinder by the water displacement method according to (Wang et al., 2014). The airflow rate [Q (mL/min)] was computed as follows: Q =(Wi − Wf)/(ΔTρ) Where Wi and Wf are the initial and final weights of the volumetric cylinder respectively, ΔT is the time interval for the water displacement by the bubbles and ρ is the density of water displaced by the air. Air conductivity (C) was calculated according to equation [4] at (Cohen et al., 2003) as follows: Where L is the length of the wood segment (m), P is the distal pressure (kPa) at which the flow rate Q was measured at the distal end is the average pressure in the segment and ΔP is the pressure difference across the segment. According to Cohen et al. (2003) C should decrease exponentially as:
Where is the limiting conductivity as x approaches zero, k is the extinction coefficient and x is the stem length. The plot of the natural log of C versus x resulted in a linear plot, from which k was evaluated from the slope. The most common of mode vessel length (Lmode) was −1/k. The mean vessel length was calculated from Lmean = 2Lmode. The probability density function (PDF) of vessel length was calculated as described in (Cohen et al., 2003) and (Sperry et al., 2005) was: Where is the probability of vessels of length x and k (negative value) is the slope of the linear plot. The vessel area/diameter was evaluated from the most two outer rings of the stem cross sections (described above), which were marked and measured manually by "tracking tool" by Image J software. The vessel diameter (D) was calculated from the vessel area as follows: Statistical analyses The individual data for each anatomical trait are presented as boxplots. To test the effect of site, species, and their interaction on the anatomical traits, a two-way ANOVA was conducted using Python software (Python Software Foundation, Wilmington, Delaware, United States; package: statsmodel).Traits for which variances were non-homogeneous underwent logarithmic transformation before analysis. To compare the two sites for each species, contrast t-tests were performed. To quantify the degree of the difference between the two sites for each species, the effect size was measured using Cohen's d method for each anatomy trait. The formula used for calculating Cohen's d is: Cohen's d = (M1 - M2) / pooled standard deviation where M1 - M2 is the difference between means, i.e., the absolute value of the difference between the mean values of the wet and arid sites, and the pooled standard deviation was calculated as follows: pooled standard deviation = sqrt[(SD1^2 + SD2^2)/2] where SD1 and SD2 are the standard deviations for the wet and dry sites, respectively.

Wheat leaf rust, also known as wheat stalk rust, stripe rust. Wheat leaf rust mainly occurs in Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Henan, Shandong, Guizhou, Yunnan, Heilongjiang and Jilin. It mainly damages wheat leaves and produces herpes-like lesions, rarely occurring in leaf sheath and stem. Summer spore heap is round to long ellipse, orange-red, smaller than stem rust, larger than stripe rust, and scattered irregularly. Several secondary summer spore heaps occur around the primary summer spore heap, usually on the front of the leaves, and a few can penetrate the leaves. After maturation, the epidermis cracks in a circle, and the orange summer spores are scattered out. The winter spore heap mainly occurs on the back of leaves and leaf sheaths. It is round or oblong, black, flat and scattered, but it does not break up when it is mature. [Control methods] Variety selection: Resistant and resistant varieties such as Shaannong 7859, Ji5418, Lumai 1, Xiaoyan 6 and Xuzhou 21 were planted in Huanghuaihai region. In addition, in recent years, newly bred Winter Wheat Varieties with leaf rust resistance are: Jingdong 1, 8, Jinghe 3 (Jinghe 931), Jing411, Beinongbai, Wanmai 26, 27, 28, Mianyang 26, Bainong 64, Zhoumai 9-Aiyou 688, Xinbaofeng (7228), Yumai 39 (Yunong 8539), Zaomai 5, Jinsong 49, Xingmai 17, Yunmai 19, Qinmai 12, Jimai 48, 40, Ji 92-3235, 6. New lines 021, etc. Spring wheat varieties are Ken 95, Longmai 23, Longfumai 7, Mengmai 30, Jingyin 1, Longchun 8139, Dingfeng 3, etc. [Agricultural control] Strengthen cultivation and disease prevention measures to sow timely, eliminate weeds and self-growing wheat seedlings, timely drainage in rainy season, retention of humidity. [Drug control] Drug seed dressing with 0.03% - 0.04% (active ingredient) leaf rust or 20% Triazolone EC with 0.2% seed weight. The seeds coated with 15% Baofeng No. 1 seed coating agent (active ingredients are pink rust Ning, carbendazim, phoxim) are automatically solidified into film shape, and a protective ring is formed after sowing, with a long lasting effect. Four grams per kg of seeds were used to control wheat leaf rust, powdery mildew and total rot, and also to control underground pests. Spraying 20% Triazolone EC 1000 times at the initial stage of disease can treat stripe rust, stalk rust and powdery mildew, once every 10-20 days, and prevent 1-2 times.

The dataset of LAI measurements was obtained by LI-3000, the protractor and the ruler in the Yingke oasis and Huazhaizi desert steppe foci experimental areas on May, 20, 24, 25, 28 and 31, Jun. 6, 11, 12, 14, 16, 21 and 27, Jul. 2 and 9, 2008. The maximum leaf length and width of maize and wheat, the leaf angle, length and width of each section (one leaf was divided into 3 sections) were measured. And also the plant height, leaf base height, the crop spacing, the canopy height, row spacing and ridge spacing were measured. Two representative plants would be taken back for indoor observation for the stem length, stem width, stem circumference, and leaf area by LAI3000. Data were archived in Excel format.

The purpose of the SNF study was to improve our understanding of the relationship between remotely sensed observations and important biophysical parameters in the boreal forest. A key element of the experiment was the development of methodologies to measure forest stand characteristics to determine values of importance to both remote sensing and ecology. Parameters studied were biomass, leaf area index, above ground net primary productivity, bark area index and ground coverage by vegetation. Thirty two quaking aspen and thirty one black spruce sites were studied. Sites were chosen in uniform stands of aspen or spruce. Aspen stands were chosen to represent the full range of age and stem density of essentially pure aspen, of nearly complete canopy closure, and greater than two meters in height. Spruce stands ranged from very sparse stands on bog sites, to dense, closed stands on more productive peatlands. Diameter breast height (dbh), height of the tree and height of the first live branch were measured. For each plot, a two meter diameter subplot was defined at the center of each plot. Within this subplot, the percent of ground coverage by plants under one meter in height was determined by species. For the aspen sites, a visual estimation of the percent coverage of the canopy, subcanopy and understory vegetation was made in each plot. Dimension analysis of sampled trees were used to develop equations linking the convenience measurements taken at each site and the biophysical characteristics of interest (for example, LAI or biomass). Fifteen mountain maple and fifteen beaked hazelnut trees were also sampled and leaf area determined. These data were used to determine understory leaf area. The total above-ground biomass was estimated as the sum of the branch and bole biomass for a set of sacrificed trees. Total branch biomass was the sum of the estimated biomass of the sampled and unsampled branches. Total biomass is the sum of the branch and bole biomass. Net primary productivity was estimated from the average radial growth over five years measured from the segments cut from the boles and the terminal growth measured as the height increase of the tree. The models were used to back project five years and determine biomass at that time. The change in biomass over that time was used to determine the productivity. Measurements of the sacrificed trees were used to develop relationships between the biophysical parameters (biomass, leaf area index, bark area index and net primary productivity) and the measurements made at each site (diameter at breast height, tree height, crown depth and stem density). These relationships were then used to estimate biophysical characteristics for the aspen and spruce study sites that are provided in this data set. Biomass density was highest in stands of older, larger Aspen trees and decreased in younger stands with smaller, denser stems. LAI remains relatively constant once a full canopy is established with aspen's shade intolerance generally preventing development of LAI greater than two to three. Biomass density and projected LAI were much more variable for spruce than aspen. Spruce LAI and biomass density have a tight, nearly linear relationship. Stand attributes are often determined by site characteristics. However, differences between maximum LAI for aspen and spruce may also be related to differences in the leaf distribution within the canopy.

The BOREAS TE-10 team collected several data sets in support of its efforts to characterize and interpret information on the reflectance, transmittance, gas exchange, chlorophyll content, carbon content, hydrogen content, and nitrogen content of boreal vegetation. This data set describes the relationship between sample location, age, chlorophyll content, and C-H-N concentrations at several sites in the SSA conducted during the growing seasons of 1994 and 1996.

DNA marker results from Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests for leaf rust and stem rust, conducted as part of the Australian Cereal Rust Control Program by the University of Adelaide from 2000-2022.The zip file PCR_Gels_Workbooks.zip contains:Scanned laboratory workbooks for the PCR marker tests are available in PDF form, dating back to 2000.Gel photos corresponding to PCR marker tests taken during 2017-2022 are available in digitised form, mostly as Microsoft Powerpoint files (.pptx, containing the images and annotations), or in some cases as standalone image files (.jpg and .tif).The text file files.txt contains a listing of all of the files contained in the zip file, for convenience.

Recently, significant die-back of nonnative common reed, Phragmites australis, has been reported in the Mississippi River Delta (MRD), Louisiana, USA. This dieback has been attributed to an invasive scale insect, Nipponaclerda biwakoensis. We test whether fungi are involved in the recent infestation by this insect and subsequent die-offs of Phragmites australis. Several haplotypes of P. australis occur in the MRD, and the European (M) and Delta (M1) haplotypes appear to experience differing levels of N. biwakoensis infestation. We tested whether these haplotypes differed in their fungal microbiomes in both their leaf and stem tissues, and whether differences in fungal community composition were linked to the level of infestation using a metabarcoding Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) amplicon sequencing approach. Our analyses showed differences in fungal community composition and diversity between haplotypes and tissue types, but none of these differences were directly correlated with N. biwakoensis infestation severity. However, we did find that the European haplotype hosted higher putative pathogen loads in stem tissues compared to the Delta haplotype, which may confer resistance to herbivory, though it is possible that differences in infestation between haplotypes are due to morphology.

Methods Site and sample collection

On September 17, 2018, shortly after peak biomass, we traveled to the Passe-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area of the Mississippi River, Louisiana, USA. Passe-a-Loutre is a coastal freshwater marsh with a mean salinity of less than 1 ppt. P. australis is the dominant vegetation in the region (Knight et al., 2020). 20 samples of each haplotype (European and Delta) were collected at two separate sites (Table 1) for a total of 80 individuals. The paired-haplotype plots at each site were identified by researchers at Louisiana State University on May 31, 2017 (Knight et al., 2020). Individuals of the European haplotype and Delta haplotype are easily differentiated in the MRD due to morphological and phenological differences, with the European haplotype exhibiting a much shorter, more gracile stature, earlier flowering time (all 40 European haplotype individuals collected were in flower at the time of sampling), and sparse or absent ligule hairs. The Delta haplotype is much taller, thicker-stemmed and possess dense ligule hairs (Hauber et al., 2011). No Delta haplotype individuals were in flower at the time of sampling. Culms of each haplotype were cut at the surface of the water if the plot was flooded (because scale insects do not occur under water) or at the soil in dry plots and placed individually in bags on wet ice for transport. Mean water depth at Site 1 was 19.8 cm and 2.6 cm at Site 2. Information on stand density and number of dead and living culms was determined for each individual using a circular quadrat which covers an area of ¼ m2 placed with the selected culm in the center. On the day of collection, samples were placed in a 4°C refrigerator for holding and small subsamples of internodal (hereafter, “stem”) and leaf tissue from each of the 80 individual culms collected were placed in a -80°C freezer for metabarcoding analysis.

Using the remaining portions of the individuals, the number of N. biwakoensis insects per plant was determined by counting individuals every third internode and extrapolating to the entire culm. This was done by finding the average number of scales per node and multiplying by the number of internodes on the culm. Because the internode lengths differ within one individual, as well as between haplotypes, this value was standardized by the overall above-water height of the culm to determine scale density per centimeter of height. While the native scale insect Aclerda holci also occurs on P. australis in Louisiana, N. biwakoensis can be identified by its uniformly sclerotized and rounded abdomen (Knight et al. 2018) and was the only scale species present on the collected P. australis samples.

Surface sterilization

For metabarcoding, 10 culms from each plot were selected by arranging all collected culms within that plot in order of lowest scale density to highest. Starting with the lowest, every-other individual was chosen for analysis. This ensured we had a range of infestation represented for each plot and each haplotype. A 10cm section of healthy leaf tissue and a 4cm internodal section of stem from each sample were selected and placed in a tea strainer. Plant tissue was surface sterilized following protocol developed for Spartina patens (Lumibao et al., 2018). Tissues were sequentially soaked in 95% ethanol for 10 seconds, 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution for 2 minutes, 70% ethanol for 2 minutes, and rinsed in sterilized deionized water for 2 minutes. Samples were then dried on UV sterilized KIMTECH Kimwipes before placing in gamma-sterilized cryovials for storage at -80°C.

DNA extraction

Following surface sterilization, samples were homogenized using liquid nitrogen and a mortar and pestle sterilized between samples. Genomic DNA extractions for the leaf samples were done following Qiagen DNeasy ® PowerPlant® Pro Kit protocol using 50mg of tissue, Phenolic Separation Solution and 250µl of Solution IR. Leaf samples were eluted using 100µl of Solution EB. Due to low yields for stem tissue, 75mg of stem tissue was used and elution was done using 50µl of Solution EB. Extraction concentrations were determined using a ThermoFisher Scientific Qubit fluorometer and all samples above a concentration of 10ng/µl were standardized to 10ng/µl by mixing extraction product with additional Solution EB.

PCR

To allow for maximum flexibility in choosing region-specific primers and dual-indexing barcode combinations, sequencing libraries were created in a two-step process following U’ren and Arnold (2017). PCR1, or amplification and primer ligation, was done in duplicate with an annealing temperature of 54.0° C. The primer sequences used were ITS1F 5’ – CTT GGT CAT TTA GAG GAA GTA – 3’ and ITS2R 5’ – GCT GCG TTC TTC ATC GAT GC – 3’ (Gardes & Bruns, 1993; White et al., 1990). Sample duplicates were then pooled and dual indexing primers were added so that no two samples contained the same combination of indexing barcodes. Five nanograms of DNA from each sample were pooled into a common library along with four negative controls which were included for identification of possible contaminant sequences. The pooled library was then purified and concentrated using Agencourt AMpure XP Beads with Dynamag-2 Magnet and sent to Duke University for Illumina MiSeq v3 sequencing (300 bp paired reads).

Sequence analysis

    Amplicon sequence variants (ASV) were identified following the DADA2 ITS pipeline (version 1.8) (Callahan et al., 2016) in R (R Core Team, 2019). ASVs are “phylotypes” that are a single DNA sequence (not clustered by a sequence similarity threshold like operational taxonomic units, OTUs). Primers and adapters were trimmed using the Biostrings package in R (Pagès et al., 2020) and data was denoised and paired reads joined using DADA2. No further sequence trimming was done, because DADA2 is robust to low-quality sequences through the incorporation of read quality information into its error model. Seven possible contaminant sequences were identified using the negative controls and removed using the decontam package in R (Davis et al., 2018). One sample was dropped due to very low reads. Taxonomy was assigned using UNITE 7.2 with a minimum bootstrap confidence of 70% (Nilsson et al., 2019) and functional guild assignments were obtained using FUNGuild (Nguyen et al., 2016).

This dataset provides monthly estimates of biomass stocks and land-atmosphere carbon exchange across the western United States at 0.95 degrees longitude x 1.25 degrees latitude grid resolution from 1998 through 2010. The data include outputs from two types of model simulations: (1) a "free" simulation which used Community Land Model (CLM5.0) simulations forced with meteorology appropriate for complex mountainous terrain, and (2) "assimilation" runs using the land surface data assimilation system (CLM5-DART). In assimilation runs, the CLM5 vegetation state is constrained by remotely sensed observations of leaf area index and aboveground biomass, which influenced biomass stocks and carbon fluxes.

The BOREAS TE-09 team collected several data sets related to chemical and photosynthetic properties of leaves. This data set contains canopy biochemistry data collected in 1994 in the NSA at the YJP, OJP, OBS, BS and OA sites including biochemistry lignin, nitrogen, cellulose, starch, and fiber concentrations. These data were collected to study the spatial and temporal changes in the canopy biochemistry of boreal forest cover types and how a high-resolution radiative transfer model in the mid-infrared could be applied in an effort to obtain better estimates of canopy biochemical properties using remote sensing.

LAI estimates computed from unweighted openness by the canopy program from digitized canopy photographs.

The Boston University team collected several data sets along the Kalahari Transect during the SAFARI 2000 wet season field campaign between March 3 and March 18, 2000 to support the validation of the MODIS LAI/FPAR algorithm. Ground measurements of LAI, FPAR, leaf hemispherical reflectance and transmittance, and canopy transmittance were made using a LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzer, an AccuPAR ceptometer, a LiCor 1800-12S External Integrating Sphere (LI-1800) portable spectroradiometer, and an ASD handheld spectroradiometer. Leaf spectral data are provided in this data set. Leaf spectral measurements were made on samples from dominant tree, shrub, and grass species at 5 different Kalahari Transect sites - Mongu in Zambia and Pandamatenga, Maun, Okwa River, and Tshane in Botswana (from north to south) - where vegetation ranges from moist closed woodlands to arid sparsely-shrub-covered grasslands. Measurements were made on site with a LI-1800 portable spectroradiometer right after the leaves were cut from the trees or shrubs. Three or four sample leaves of each dominant species were measured.The data files, in ASCII comma-delimited (.csv) format, contain the wavelength of the measurement (from 400 nm to 1100 nm, at an interval of 1 nm) and the corresponding fraction of leaf reflectance, transmittance, and albedo (reflectance+transmittance). There is a separate data file for each tree and shrub species sampled at each site and a single file containing unidentified grass species collected from all of the sites. Average values for combined samples of trees and of shrubs at different sites are also provided.

The BOREAS TE-12 team collected several data sets in support of its efforts to characterize and interpret information on the reflectance, transmittance, and gas exchange of boreal vegetation. This data set contains measurements of leaf gas exchange conducted in the SSA during the growing seasons of 1994 and 1995 using a portable gas exchange system.

The BOREAS TF-11 team gathered a variety of data to complement their tower flux measurements collected at the SSA Fen site. This data set contains single-leaf gas exchange data from the SSA Fen site during 1994 and 1995. These leaf gas exchange properties were measured for the dominant vascular plants using portable gas exchange systems.

This global data set of photosynthetic rates and leaf nutrient traits was compiled from a comprehensive literature review. It includes estimates of Vcmax (maximum rate of carboxylation), Jmax (maximum rate of electron transport), leaf nitrogen content (N), leaf phosphorus content (P), and specific leaf area (SLA) data from both experimental and ambient field conditions, for a total of 325 species and treatment combinations. Both the original published Vcmax and Jmax values as well as estimates at standard temperature are reported.

The maximum rate of carboxylation (Vcmax) and the maximum rate of electron transport (Jmax) are primary determinants of photosynthetic rates in plants, and modeled carbon fluxes are highly sensitive to these parameters. Previous studies have shown that Vcmax and Jmax correlate with leaf nitrogen across species and regions, and locally across species with leaf phosphorus and specific leaf area, yet no universal relationship suitable for global-scale models is currently available.

These data are suitable for exploring the general relationships of Vcmax and Jmax with each other and with leaf N, P and SLA. This data set contains one *.csv file.

Knowledge of the optical properties of the components of the forest canopy is important to the understanding of how plants interact with their environment and how this information may be used to determine vegetation characteristics using remote sensing. During the summers of 1983 and 1984, samples of the major components of the boreal forest canopy (needles, leaves, branches, moss, litter) were collected in the Superior National Forest (SNF) of Minnesota and sent to the Johnson Space Center (JSC). At JSC, the spectral reflectance and transmittance characteristics of the samples were determined for wavelengths between .35 and 2.1 micrometers using the Cary-14 radiometer. This report presents plots of these data as well as averages to the Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) bands. There were two main thrusts to the SNF optical properties study. The first was to collect the optical properties of many of the components of the boreal forest canopy. The second goal of the study was to investigate the variability of optical properties within a species. The results of these studies allow a comparison of the optical properties of a variety of different species and a measure of the variability within species. These data provide basic information necessary to model canopy reflectance patterns.

This dataset provides leaf-level visible-near infrared spectral reflectance, chlorophyll fluorescence spectra, species, plant functional type (PFT), and chlorophyll content of common high latitude plant samples collected near Fairbanks, Utqiagvik, and Toolik, Alaska, U.S., during the summers of 2019, 2020, and 2021. A FluoWat leaf clip was used to measure leaf-level visible-near infrared spectral reflectance and chlorophyll fluorescence spectra. Fluorescence yield (Fyield) was calculated as the ratio of the emitted fluorescence divided by the absorbed radiation for the wavelengths from 400 nm up to the wavelength of the cut off for the FluoWat low pass filter (either 650 or 700 nm). Chlorophyll content of samples was measured using a CCM-300 Chlorophyll Content. The data are provided in comma-separated values (.csv) format.

The BOREAS group TE-05 collected measurements in the NSA and SSA on gas exchange, gas composition and tree growth. The leaf photosynthetic gas exchange data were collected in the BOREAS NSA and the SSA using a Li-Cor 6200 portable photosynthesis system. The data were collected to compare the photosynthetic capacity, stomatal conductance and leaf intercellular CO2 concentrations among the major tree species at the BOREAS sites. The data are average values from diurnal measurements on the upper canopy foliage (sun leaves).

This data set provides global leaf area index (LAI) values for woody species. The data are a compilation of field-observed data from 1,216 locations obtained from 554 literature sources published between 1932 and 2011. Only site-specific maximum LAI values were included from the sources; values affected by significant artificial treatments (e.g. continuous fertilization and/or irrigation) and LAI values that were low due to drought or disturbance (e.g. intensive thinning, wildfire, or disease), or because vegetation was immature or old/declining, were excluded (Lio et al., 2014). To maximize the generic applicability of the data, original LAI values from source literature and values standardized using the definition of half of total surface area (HSA) are included. Supporting information, such as geographical coordinates of plot, altitude, stand age, name of dominant species, plant functional types, and climate data are also provided in the data file. There is one data file in comma-separated (.csv) format with this data set and one companion file which provides the data sources.

The BOREAS TF-11 team gathered a variety of data to complement their tower flux measurements collected at the SSA Fen site. These data are LAI measurements made by the TF-11 team throughout the 1995 growing season. The data include the LAI of plants that fall into six categories: total, Carex spp., Betula pumila, Menyanthes trifoliata, Salix spp., and other vascular plants.