This vegetation survey data package comprises standardized vegetation condition measurements which are repeated every three years using the vegetation structure plots (1 m x 1 m, 20 m x 20 m) nested within 1 ha sites. The vegetation survey commenced in August 2002 and much of Booderee National Park was burned by wildfire in December 2003. The Jervis Bay Plot Network was established in 2002 in Booderee National Park in the Jervis Bay Territory, South-eastern Australia. The study location is a floristically diverse area in which fire history has been well-documented over several decades. The plot network’s objectives involve quantifying the inter-relationships between natural disturbance and/or management intervention (including weed and feral animal control and prescribed burning) and the reciprocal changes in vegetation condition and biodiversity response. The Jervis Bay Booderee National Park Plot Network study forms part of the collection of data packages by this plot network. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Jervis Bay Booderee National Park Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/jervis-bay-booderee-national-park.

We used a case study in an Australian wet montane forest to establish how predictive fire simulation models can be interpreted as management tools to identify potential fire refuges. We tested the ability of a topographically based fire prediction model developed by Mackey et al (2002) in the O’Shannassy and Maroondah water catchments, NE north-east of Melbourne, Australia, with fire severity data collected following a large wildfire in 2009 in the same area. We derived our fire severity data from a larger map created by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (2009), using SPOT satellite imagery and the normalised-burnt ratio. We examined the relationship between the probability of fire refuge occurrence as predicted by an existing fire refuge model and fire severity experienced during a large wildfire. We also examined the extent to which local fire severity was influenced by fire severity in the surrounding landscape. We used a combination of statistical approaches including generalised linear modelling, variogram analysis and receiver operating characteristics and area under the curve analysis (ROC AUC). We found that the amount of unburnt habitat and the factors influencing the retention and location of fire refuges varied with fire conditions. Under extreme fire conditions, the distribution of fire refuges was limited to only extremely sheltered, fire-resistant regions of the landscape. During extreme fire conditions, fire severity patterns were largely determined by stochastic factors that could not be predicted by the model. When fire conditions were moderate, physical landscape properties appeared to mediate fire severity distribution. Our study demonstrates that land managers can employ predictive landscape fire models to identify the broader climatic and spatial domain within which fire refuges are likely to be present. It is essential that within these envelopes, forest is protected from logging, roads and other developments so that the ecological processes related to the establishment and subsequent use of fire refuges are maintained. Department of Sustainability and Environment (2009) Remote sensing guideline for assessing landscape-scale fire severity in Victoria’s forest estate. Unpublished technical manual., Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne. Mackey, B., D. Lindenmayer, M. Gill, M. McCarthy, and J. Lindesay. 2002. Wildlife, Fire and Future Climate: A Forest Ecosystem Analysis. CSIRO publishing, Collingwood.

This weather data package comprises weather data for automatic weather stations situated at 13 sites separated by distances of between 5 and 80 km. The weather stations record temperature and rainfall (in 2010, one weather station was set up so that it also began recording wind speed and direction). The air temperature, rainfall, wind speed and wind direction data are recorded in a data logger housed within the instrument stand. The network program uses a core of 12 sites and aims to quantitatively track long-term shifts in biodiversity and ecological processes in relation to key drivers, including unpredictable rainfall and droughts, fire, feral predators and grazing. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Desert Ecology Plot Network's full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/desert-ecology

This weather data package comprises weather data for automatic weather stations situated at 13 sites separated by distances of between 5 and 80 km. The weather stations record temperature and rainfall (in 2010, one weather station was set up so that it also began recording wind speed and direction). The air temperature, rainfall, wind speed and wind direction data are recorded in a data logger housed within the instrument stand. The network program uses a core of 12 sites and aims to quantitatively track long-term shifts in biodiversity and ecological processes in relation to key drivers, including unpredictable rainfall and droughts, fire, feral predators and grazing. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Desert Ecology Plot Network's full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/desert-ecology

This package represents all data from surveys of vegetation within the Alpine Long Term Monitoring — Community Changes project. The surveys began in 1947, and the most recent is from 2013. As further surveys are conducted the new data will be added to this package. The Victorian Alpine Plot Network vegetation data package contains vegetation data collected at a sub-set of the 481 long term monitoring plots which have been established in Australian Alps and in Tasmania. The sampling regime within the Victorian Network generally consists of multiple randomly positioned transects within sites, (rather than ‘plots’ sensu stricto), with each site, and/or transect geo-located. Point quadrats are taken at fixed intervals along each transect. The number of transects within sites, and sampling frequency varies from annual to decadal, depending on site and purpose. This general array of sampling transects, point quadrats along transects and floristic quadrats is consistent between grassland and snowpatch monitoring sites, although the number of transects and floristic quadrats needed to detect change in key variables (vegetation cover, bare ground, etc) at each site varies over time. There are also long-term monitoring sites in wetlands. The Victorian Alpine Plot Network research plots are revisited on a 2–10 years basis. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Alpine Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/victorian-alpine

The Victorian Alpine Plot Network vegetation data package contains vegetation data collected at a sub-set of the 481 long term monitoring plots which have been established in Australian Alps and in Tasmania. The sampling regime within the Victorian Network generally consists of multiple randomly positioned transects within sites, (rather than ‘plots’ sensu stricto), with each site, and/or transect geo-located. Point quadrats are taken at fixed intervals along each transect. The number of transects within sites, and sampling frequency varies from annual to decadal, depending on site and purpose. This general array of sampling transects, point quadrats along transects and floristic quadrats is consistent between grassland and snowpatch monitoring sites, although the number of transects and floristic quadrats needed to detect change in key variables (vegetation cover, bare ground, etc) at each site varies over time. There are also long-term monitoring sites in wetlands. This is part of a much larger dataset that spans from 1944, when plot were set up to document long-term changes in ecosystem composition and structure in relation to disturbance (see methods for more information). The Victorian Alpine Plot Network research plots are revisited on a 2-10 years basis. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Alpine Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/victorian-alpine

This package contains spatial information for surveys carried out in the Mallee Plot Network. Data collected at these sites include weather observations, soil moisture, vegetation structure and floristics. This is then used in conjunction with surveys of herbivore activity and disturbance to gain insight into the dynamics of semi-arid mallee vegetation. The Mallee Plot Network research plots commenced in 1997. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Mallee Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/mallee.

This weather data package comprises weather data for automatic weather stations situated at 13 sites separated by distances of between 5 and 80 km. The weather stations record temperature and rainfall (in 2010, one weather station was set up so that it also began recording wind speed and direction). The air temperature, rainfall, wind speed and wind direction data are recorded in a data logger housed within the instrument stand. The network program uses a core of 12 sites and aims to quantitatively track long-term shifts in biodiversity and ecological processes in relation to key drivers, including unpredictable rainfall and droughts, fire, feral predators and grazing. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Desert Ecology Plot Network's full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/desert-ecology

The Victorian Alpine Plot Network Climatic Data Package contains climate data collected at a sub-set of the 481 long term monitoring plots situated in the Australian Alps. The climate data monitoring data comprises average hourly air temperature and location data for each of the snowpatch monitoring sites. This is part of a much larger dataset that spans from 1944, when plot were set up to document long-term changes in ecosystem composition and structure in relation to disturbance (see methods for more information). The Victorian Alpine Plot Network research plots are revisited on a 2–10 years basis. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Alpine Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/victorian-alpine

The Victorian Alpine Plot Network Plot-data Package contains plot-data collected at eighty-nine sites situated in the Australian Alps. Randomly positioned transects are situated within sites rather than ‘plots’ sensu stricto. The number of transects within sites, and sampling frequency varies from annual to decadal, depending on site and purpose. This is part of a much larger dataset that spans from 1944, when plot were set up to document long-term changes in ecosystem composition and structure in relation to disturbance (see methods for more information). The Victorian Alpine Plot Network research plots are revisited on a 2-10 years basis. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Alpine Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/victorian-alpine