Ground layer vascular plant species identity and projective foliage cover (PFC) data were collected from four permanently marked 50x10 metre plots in north Queensland on a three monthly frequency for three years. Ten 0.5 square metre quadrats were used for sampling at each occasion at each site and the data pooled and averaged. Refer to Neldner, V.J., Kirkwood, A.B. and Collyer, B.S. (2004). Optimum time for sampling floristic diversity in tropical eucalypt woodlands of northern Queensland. The Rangeland Journal 26: 190-203 for more information. Note: Spreadsheet compiled in 2021 from original data collection records.

The dataset consists of species identity and projective foliage cover (PFC) of ground layer vascular plants from five sites located near Mareeba, in northern Queensland. The sites are located in eucalypt communities with altitudes ranging from 380 to 840 m. Data have been collected annually since 1992, in April and May, i.e. during the annual peak of plant species richness. At each site, data collection is carried out using ten 0.5 m² quadrats deployed within a permanently marked 50 x 10 m plot. For each quadrat, all plant species visible above ground are identified and sampled. PFC data for each species from the ten quadrats are averaged. Any additional species occurring within the 50 x 10 m plot is also recorded and assigned a PFC of 0.1% (Neldner and Butler, 2021).

<br>This dataset lists the plant communities from Rangeland sites across Australia described by the TERN Surveillance Monitoring team, using standardised AusPlots methodologies. <br /> <br> For each plant community, species richness, relative species abundance, vegetation condition as well as the spatial extent of the community, are described using AusPlots Point intercept, Species richness, Relative species abundance, and Plot and Physical Descriptions methods. Plant species are identified at every site as part of the AusPlots Vegetation vouchering method. The specimen data is updated with the identification date and authority details when species identification is confirmed by the Herbaria.<br />

This dataset presents the demographic monitoring (growth and survival) of 81 tree species based on repeated stem measurement data from 20, 0.5 ha (100 m x 50 m) permanent moist forest plots in northern Queensland, Australia from 1971 to 2019, as well as four additional plots of 0.1 to 1 ha whose monitoring began in the 2000s. The plots have a rainfall range of 1200 to over 6000 mm, represent eleven vegetation types, six parent materials, and range from 15 m to 1500 m above sea level. Except for minor disturbances associated with selective logging on two plots, the plots were established in old growth forest and all plots have thereafter been protected. Plots were regularly censused and at each census the diameter at breast height (DBH) of all stems ≥10 cm DBH were recorded. We only report the data for the 81 species studied in Bauman et al. 2022 (Nature), here. We also provide the climatology of these plots as well as the temperature, vapour pressure deficit, and maximum climatological water deficit of all intervals separating consecutive censuses, as used in the analyses of Bauman et al. 2022.

We selected nine study sites, each incorporating three vegetation states: (a) fallow cropland, representing the restoration starting point, (b) planted old field (actively restored site), and (c) reference York gum (E. loxophleba) woodland. Plant species richness and cover All annual and perennial plant species were recorded in spring 2017 within each plot and identified to genus and species level where possible. Nomenclatures follow the Western Australian Herbarium (2017). A point intercept method previously demonstrated to provide objective and repeatable measures of cover (Godínez-Alvarez, Herrick, Mattocks, Toledo & Van Zee 2009; Prober, Standish & Wiehl 2011) was used to quantify cover of individual plant species, total vegetation cover and substrate types (i.e., bare ground, litter cover, plant cover). Ground cover, individual species, and canopy cover intercepting at every 2 m along four parallel, evenly spaced 50 m transects across each plot were recorded using a vertically placed dowel (8 mm wide, 2 m tall), resulting in 100 intercepting points per plot. For planted old fields, transects were placed parallel to planting rows, with two centred on rows and two centred between rows. This approximately represented the relative abundance of planted rows and non-planted inter-rows. If a species was recorded in the plot but did not intercept the dowel on any transect it was assigned 0.5 points. This method provided a measure of relative abundance (percentage cover) of plant species across the plot. To calculate species richness and cover across different life history and growth forms, species were classified into the following groups: total, native trees, native shrubs, native non – planted shrubs, native grasses, native perennial forbs, native annual forbs, exotic grasses and exotic annual forbs using the Western Australian Herbarium (2017) classification. Woody debris and leaf litter surveys Leaf-litter dry mass was estimated by collecting leaf-litter from five randomly placed 25 cm x 25 cm quadrats along two 50 m transects across each plot. Litter was stored in paper bags for transportation and then oven dried for 36 hours at 60 °C. The dried litter was weighed to 3 decimal points. Cover of fine and coarse woody debris and litter depth was estimated at every meter along two 20 m transects for each plot. Woody debris was classified by diameter. Length, max and min diameter was measured for all logs with a diameter greater than 10 cm.

This data contains stem diameter, height measurement, basal area and above ground living biomass calculations for all stems ≥10cm diameter at breast height located in the Litchfield Savanna site.

This data contains stem diameter, height measurement and above ground living biomass calculations for an Australian tropical rainforest. Diameter and height measurements for stems ≥10cm diameter at breast height were sampled between 2001 - 2010 in the canopy crane plot and in 2014 within the core 1 ha plot within the Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation site.

This data contains stem diameter, height measurement and above ground living biomass calculations for a Eucalyptus dominated woodland in 2015. Diameter and height measurements for stems ≥10cm diameter at breast height were sampled within the core 1 ha plot within the Karawatha Peri-urban site.

This data contains stem diameter, height measurement and above ground living biomass calculations for a Stringybark Eucalypt dominated woodland. Diameter and height measurements for stems ≥10cm diameter at breast height were sampled in 2014 and 2018 within the core 1 ha plot within the Wombat Stringybark Eucalypt site.

This data contains stem diameter, height measurement and above ground living biomass calculations for an Australian tropical rainforest. Diameter and height measurements for stems ≥10cm diameter at breast height were sampled in 2012, 2018 and 2023 within a 1 ha plot within the Daintree Rainforest Cow Bay site.