Litchfield Savanna Stem Diameter, Height, Basal Area and Aboveground Woody Biomass Data 

This data contains stem diameter, height measurement, basal area and above ground living biomass calculations for all stems ≥10cm diameter at breast height located in the Litchfield Savanna site. 

We at TERN acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Australia, New Zealand and all nations. We honour their profound connections to land, water, biodiversity and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. This work was funded by the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), an Australian Government National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) project. 

This dataset records tree diameter and height data used to calculate above-ground biomass across vegetation types in Australia. This data is important for mapping and monitoring changes in plant growth, carbon storage and terrestrial energy fluxes. 

Plot layout:
The 1-ha plot was divided into 25 subplots (20 m x 20 m). All stems within subplots were marked with aluminium tags if ≥10 cm and ≤ 30cm diameter at breast height. A line completely encircling the stem was painted at 1.3 m indicating point of measurement. All stems >30 cm diameter at breast height had the tree number painted onto the stem or marked using a stainless steel wire tapped into the stem. All trees were identified to the lowest taxonomic level.
Tree survey:
In August 2013, all individual stems ≥ 10 cm diameter at breast height (1.3 m) were mapped within each 20 x 20 m subplot. Diameter at breast height was recorded for all stems. Stem height was measured using a laser range finder.
Biomass calculations:
Above-ground woody biomass was calculated for each stem >10 cm diameter at breast height using the allometric equation from: Chen X. (2002) Carbon balance of a eucalypt open forest savanna of Northern Australia, PhD Thesis, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT. Williams R.J., Zerihun A., Montagu K., Hoffman M., Hutley L.B., Chen X. (2005) Allometry for estimating aboveground tree biomass in tropical and subtropical eucalypt woodlands: towards general predictive equations. Australian Journal of Botany 53: 607-619.