| Summary: | An extensive compilation of field data on net primary productivity (NPP) of natural and agricultural ecosystems worldwide was synthesized in the 1970s and early 1980s by Prof. H. Lieth, Dr. G. Esser and others. Much of this work was carried out at the University of Osnabrueck, Germany. More than 700 single point estimates of NPP or biomass were extracted from the scientific literature, each with a geographical reference (latitude/longitude). The literature cited dates from 1869 to 1982, with the majority of references from the 1960s and 1970s. Although this data set has not been updated since the 1980s, it represents a wealth of information for use in model development and validation. In the early 1970s, a subset of these NPP data was used by Lieth, Esser and co-workers to develop and test a series of statistical-correlative models of NPP as a function of mean annual temperature and precipitation. The later versions of these models included modifications for soil, seasonality, agriculture, and other human influences (
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