A global database of net primary production of terrestrial ecosystems

Net primary production (NPP) is a fundamental measure of biomass production in ecosystems. In terrestrial biomes, NPP lacks standard measuring protocols and is difficult to measure. Thus, despite decades of research efforts, NPP data are limited and heterogenous. Moreover, there continues to be a lack of global NPP databases containing harmonized estimates for all major ecosystem types and which account for both above- and belowground production. We present a global database containing records for both above- and belowground production for forests, grasslands, arid shrublands, northern peatlands and tundra at 456 sites. The records are reported as annual production (g m^-2yr^-1). The NPP data are complemented with detailed site and methodological information, including a method specific estimate for the measurement uncertainty, as well as ancillary data on climatic conditions, soil fertility and management status. This database provides a basis for comparative studies on local, regional and global scales, and may serve as an important benchmarking dataset for the development of DGVMs.