Carbon Dynamics Along a Permafrost Gradient at Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed (CPCRW) in Interior Alaska: Specific Leaf Area (SLA) for alder (Alnus crispa) and black spruce (Picea mariana) in a 75x75m spatial domain along a permafrost and vegetation gradient.

This dataset includes specific leaf area (SLA) data for two dominant tree species in the Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed: alder (Alnus crispa) and black spruce (Picea mariana). Up to 10 leaf samples were collected per species per sampling location. Project summary: Specific leaf area (SLA, leaf area per unit dry mass) is a key canopy structural characteristic, a measure of photosynthetic capacity, and an important input into many terrestrial process models. Although many studies have examined SLA variation, relatively few data exist from high latitude, climate-sensitive permafrost regions. We measured SLA and soil and topographic properties across a boreal forest permafrost transition, in which forest composition changed as permafrost deepened from 54 to >150 cm over 75 m hillslope transects in Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed, Alaska. This is an exploratory study to begin understanding SLA variation and controls thereof in a non-contiguous permafrost system.本数据集包含卡布-波克溪研究流域（Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed）内两种优势树种的比叶面积（specific leaf area, SLA）数据，分别为桤木（Alnus crispa）与黑云杉（Picea mariana）。每个采样点针对每个树种最多采集10份叶片样本。 项目概况：比叶面积（SLA，即单位干重的叶面积）是冠层关键结构特征，可用于衡量光合能力，同时也是众多陆地过程模型的重要输入参数。尽管已有诸多研究探讨了比叶面积的变异规律，但高纬度气候敏感型永久冻土区域的相关数据仍相对匮乏。本研究在阿拉斯加卡布-波克溪研究流域的75米山坡样带上开展了比叶面积、土壤与地形属性的测定工作，该样带跨越寒温带森林永久冻土过渡带，随着冻土深度从54厘米加深至150厘米以上，森林群落组成随之发生变化。本研究属于探索性研究，旨在初步厘清非连续永久冻土系统中比叶面积的变异规律及其调控机制。