The method for calculating net primary production accounted for simultaneous growth and death, and carbon flows to all trophic levels. The area is a typical East African grass savanna, which was used as grazing or holding ground for cattle for many years prior to the establishment of Nairobi National Park in 1946, when cattle grazing ceased and the area became a refuge for large herbivores. Net primary productivity was determined, initially under the auspices of a collaborative UNEP Project, since there was a lack of information on the productive capacity and carbon cycling of East African grasslands.
More detailed information is available in the associated guide document .