The Woodland Restoration Plot Network Vegetation Structure and Composition Background Data Package contains vegetation floristics and structure survey data for ninety-six 0.1 hectare sites which were established from 2001 to 2007. 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 and have been revisited every 3-4 years since 2001. 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

This data package is a derivative product consisting of a summary of the published data package Woodland Restoration Plot Network: Vegetation Structure and Composition Data, Western Sydney Parklands (Western Sydney Regional Park), NSW, Australia, collected in 2001. (http://www.ltern.org.au/knb/metacat/ltern.120/html). These data are used to produce the graph and conclusions found in figure 8.30 on page 314 of Lindenmayer et. al 2014, Biodiversity and Environmental Change: Monitoring Challenges and Directions. These data show trends in compositional similarity of revegetated sites to remnant native vegetation in the first decade since planting (1992-2001) in a woodland restoration project. The lack of convergence between revegetated areas and native woodlands in species composition suggests that there has been little colonisation of native species in the revegetated sites. These data were collected from twenty-five 0.1 hectare sites which were established in a 10-year chronosequence of plantings that was sampled in 2001. 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 and have been revisited every 3-4 years since 2001. 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 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

<br>The aim of this project is to compile land use and management practices and their observed and measured impacts and effects on vegetation condition. The results provide land managers and researchers with a tool for reporting and monitoring spatial and temporal transformations of Australia’s native vegetated landscapes due to changes in land use and management practices. Following are the details about the Cumberland State Forest, Old Abandoned Arboretum site, NSW, Australia. </br><br> Pre-European reference-analogue vegetation: The Cumberland State Forest is part of the Blue Gum High Forest (Daniel Connolly pers comm). It is a tall wet sclerophyll forest found on Wianamatta group Ashfield Shale. Blue Gum High Forest is dominated by Sydney blue gum (<em>Eucalyptus saligna</em>), blackbutt (<em>E. pilularis</em>), and turpentine (<em>Syncarpia glomulifera</em>) with a number of other eucalypts occurring patchily. A sparse open cover of small trees includes a variety of sclerophyllous and mesophyllous species. The ground layer is variable in composition and cover; including ferny, grassy or herbaceous and/or vines and climbers. The characteristics of the ground cover are related to the topgraphic position. </br><br> Brief chronology of changes in land use and management:<ul style="list-style-type: disc;"> <li>1788- Area managed by indigenous Darug people</li> <li>1788-1824: Region explored, un-modified native forest blue gum/ironbark on shale</li> <li>1825: Parcel selected by Mr Shepherd</li> <li>1860: Tree cover likely to have been thinned - selective logging for fences and housing</li> <li>1826-1907: Grazing stock on native pastures</li> <li>1908: Land parcel cleared and sown to improved pasture, and evidence of chicken farm and fruit orchards</li> <li>1909-1937: Managed as improved pasture and grazing</li> <li>1937-38: Purchased by NSW Forestry Commission</li> <li>1941-42: Remaining native forest trees cleared to establish an arboretum</li> <li>1943-45: Arboretum planted as a future urban working forest</li> <li>1946-73: Arboretum managed for education and demonstration - infilling regrowth native forest observed</li> <li>1974-84: Arboretum increasing managed for recreation - infilling regrowth native forest observed</li> <li>1985-2012: Area managed for recreation (ex-arboretum and regrowth native forest).</li></ul></br>

<br>The aim of this project is to compile land use and management practices and their observed and measured impacts and effects on vegetation condition. The results provide land managers and researchers with a tool for reporting and monitoring spatial and temporal transformations of Australia’s native vegetated landscapes due to changes in land use and management practices. Following are the details about Organ Pipes National Park, Volcanic Plains Bioregion, Victoria. </br><br> Pre-European reference-analogue vegetation: Treeless basalt plain predominantly grassland dominated by Kangaroo Grass <em>Themeda triandra</em> with an array of inter-tussock species. </br><br> Brief chronology of changes in land use and management:<ul style="list-style-type: disc;"> <li>1830: Indigenous people manage the area</li> <li>1835: Sheep grazing commenced (shepherds)</li> <li>1851: Alienated from the Crown as freehold and fenced</li> <li>1851-1965: Area managed for dairying, an orchard and cropping and grazing modified pastures</li> <li>1965: Agricultural production abandoned</li> <li>1965-1986: Area minimally managed</li> <li>1972: Organ Pipes National Park declared</li> <li>1986-1992: Commenced species re-introduced site with supplemental plantings. Area managed to control weed and further incursions</li> <li>1989-2003: Repeated monitoring. Area lightly grazed by rabbits and macropods</li> <li>1993: Site burnt [prescribed fire]; supplemental re-vegetation with indigenous local species </li> <li>1995: Site was burnt [prescribed fire]</li> <li>1997: Site was burnt [prescribed fire] followed by drought</li> <li>2003: Ceased monitoring and enhancement to the site</li> <li>2004-10: Minimal intervention.</li></ul></br>

<br>The aim of this project is to compile land use and management practices and their observed and measured impacts and effects on vegetation condition. The results provide land managers and researchers with a tool for reporting and monitoring spatial and temporal transformations of Australia’s native vegetated landscapes due to changes in land use and management practices. Following are the details about Wirilda-Eucalyptus-Allocasuarina open grassy woodland, SA. </br><br> Pre-European reference-analogue vegetation: river red gum (<em>Eucalyptus camaldulensis</em>), blue gum (<em>E. leucoxylon</em>) - drooping sheoak (<em>Allocasuarina verticillata</em>) open woodland. </br><br> Brief chronology of changes in land use and management:<ul style="list-style-type: disc;"> <li>1750-1849: Meru indigenous people manage the area</li> <li>1838: Explorers traversed the area</li> <li>1850: Pastoralists with shepherds, grazing sheep</li> <li>1883: Land selected, boundary fencing established</li> <li>1883-1900: Continuous grazing with sheep and cattle grazing native vegetation</li> <li>1890: Heavy timber cutting for Callington and Kanmantoo mines, sheep grazing</li> <li>1901-72: Continuous grazing with sheep and cattle grazing modified and native pastures</li> <li>1901-ongoing: Area invaded by invasive pasture species (oats) and weeds</li> <li>1950: Commenced fertilizing pastures using super - applied aerially</li> <li>1972: Area purchased by the Lay family</li> <li>1974: Ceased applications of super fertilizer, ceased grazing, all cattle removed</li> <li>1974-1981: Planted thousands of local endemic seedlings mainly trees and shrubs</li> <li>1974-2012: Monitoring and recording of seedling survival and regeneration</li> <li>1974-1985, 2006-12: Major effort in controlling weeds and feral animals</li> <li>1982: Area gazetted as a Heritage Agreement</li> <li>1992: Massive summer rains (a 1:430 year event) with major erosion along watercourses and regeneration of most species</li> <li>2004: Neighbour starts fire that burns out 25% of area</li> <li>2006: Area gains a 10 year package of funding under the “bushbids” biodiversity stewardship programme</li> <li>2007: <em>Monadenia</em> weed orchid and bridal creeper begin to invade area.</li></ul></br>

The authors analyzed a total of 3,002,411 quality-filtered bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences in the 48 technical replicates across 8 revegetation chronosequence sites, consisting of 3,316 OTUs. Nine bacterial phyla dominated this dataset, including Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia.The OTU data provide information on bacterial flux at this restoration site through a stagger of years and can be used accordingly.