The Victorian Alpine Plot Network Invertebrate Pitfall Trapping Data Package contains invertebrate data which are sampled in 3-4 pitfall traps within each plot. The same points are used each season. A seven-day sampling period is repeated three times during the snow-free season (October to April) to help survey the full range of organisms present. The objective of the Australian Tundra Experiment (ATEX) is to assess the likely response of vegetation and invertebrates to temperature increases attained through passive warming. The ATEX experiment is locate at four sites on the Bogong High Plains, each site comprising multiple 1 square metre plots. ATEX follows the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) protocol (Molau & Mølgaard 1996, Jarrad et al. 2009) which focuses on the growth and phenological responses of cold adapted vascular plant species to environmental change, specifically, to an increase in summer (growing season) temperatures. The Victorian Alpine Plot Network research plots are revisited 4 times per year. This data package is associated with the following publication: Nash MA, Griffin PC, Hoffmann AA (2013) Inconsistent responses of alpine arthropod communities to experimental warming and thermal gradients. Clim Res 55:227-237. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01136

The Victorian Alpine Plot Network Vegetation (Insect flower visitors) Data Package contains phenology data which are sampled on the same dates, three times a year at transects situated at an altitude of 1400 m to 1880 m. These transects were established as a natural experiment - to provide infrastructure to validate the findings from the ATEX manipulated, experimental plots. The aim is to describe the phonological responses of alpine plants to environmental variables and assess the usefulness of this measure to assess vulnerability to changing abiotic (e.g. climate) and biotic (e.g. invasive species) factors. This is part of a dataset that spans from during data collected in 2011 to document long-term effects directly through climate and indirectly through biotic interactions (see methods for more information). The Victorian Alpine Plot Network research plots are revisited 4 times per year. 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 (Insect flower visitors) Data Package contains phenology data which are sampled on the same dates, three times a year at transects situated at an altitude of 1400 m to 1880 m. These transects were established as a natural experiment - to provide infrastructure to validate the findings from the ATEX manipulated, experimental plots. The aim is to describe the phonological responses of alpine plants to environmental variables and assess the usefulness of this measure to assess vulnerability to changing abiotic (e.g. climate) and biotic (e.g. invasive species) factors. This is part of a dataset that spans from during data collected in 2011 to document long-term effects directly through climate and indirectly through biotic interactions (see methods for more information). This data package is associated with the following publication: Johanson, L. G., Hoffmann, A. A., Walker, K. L. and Nash, M. A. (2018), Bees of the Victorian Alps: Network structure and interactions of introduced species. Austral Ecology. doi:10.1111/aec.12669

The Woodland Restoration Plot Network Invertebrate Data Package contains ant survey data for sixteen 0.02 hectare sites which were established in 2002. The sites were located on retired farmland that includes a mosaic of restored vegetation (native plantings) of varying ages juxtaposed with patches of remnant vegetation and untreated, abandoned pasture. All sites were originally woodland prior to agricultural development about 200 years ago. The plantings monitored by the Woodland Restoration Plot Network research plots commenced in 1992. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Woodland Restoration Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://www.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/woodland-restoration

The dataset contains distribution data for the Yellow Crazy Ant (<i>Anoplolepis gracilipes</i>) and scale insects (eg <i>Parasaissetia nigra</i>, ,i>Dysmicoccus finitimus</i>), collected during the Waypoint Survey component of the Pulu Keeling National Park Island-wide Survey (IWS). The aim of the Waypoint Survey is to monitor densities of the invasive Yellow Crazy Ant (<i>Anoplolepis gracilipes</i>) and to detect establishment of any new scale insect species. The other components of the IWS (Transit Survey and Ink Card and Nocturnal Survey) are recorded in separate submissions.