ground cover
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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.
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This dataset provides understorey herbaceous biomass, ground cover and overstorey woody cover response to different fire regimes over a twenty year period at a grassland and open woodland in the tropical savannas of northern Australia. BOTANAL was used to assess understorey herbaceous biomass. Woody canopy cover was derived from digital analysis of oblique aerial imagery taken from a helicopter at the site in 1995 and again in 2013. Woody cover (tree basal area and canopy cover) was also assessed using a bitterlich gauge on BOTANAL ground based transects in 2009. The data could be used to calibrate models of herbaceous growth and woody cover change in response to long term fire. It may be useful for assessing climate change impacts on aboveground carbon sequestration. The fire regimes tested were of varying frequency (every 2, 4 and 6 years) and season (June vs. October) of fire compared to unburnt controls on woody cover and pasture composition. Sites were open to grazing by cattle.
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<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>
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<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 South Brooman State Forest, NSW. </br><br> Pre-European reference-analogue vegetation: The site was originally eucalypt tall open forest, multi-aged open, dry sclerophyll forest. The main overstorey species were spotted gum (<em>Corymbia maculata</em>), <em>Eucalyptus muelleriana</em>, <em>E. paniculata</em>, <em>E. pilularis</em>. The main understorey species were <em>Acacia spp.</em>, <em>Acmena spp.</em> </br><br> Brief chronology of changes in land use and management:<ul style="list-style-type: disc;"> <li>1830: Unmodified</li> <li>1880: Area picked over for high quality sawlogs</li> <li>1945: Area picked over for high quality sawlogs</li> <li>1949: Sawlog harvesting - 85% of area</li> <li>1959: Sawlog harvesting - 85% of area</li> <li>1968: Commercial Thinning - 25% of area</li> <li>1969: Area left to rehabilitate</li> <li>1994: Wildfire - 100% of the area</li> <li>1996: Pole harvesting - 5% of area</li> <li>1998: Sawlog harvesting - 20% of the area</li> <li>1999 and 2003: Hazard reduction</li> <li>1997: Site was burnt (prescribed fire) followed by drought</li> <li>2004-2011: Area left to rehabilitate</li></ul></br>
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The dataset contains biological data collected 2005, 2012 as part of the Tanami Regional Biodiversity Monitoring (Tanami RBM) program. The Tanami RBM program uses 89 sites across the Tanami region, central-west Northern Territory. At these sites, flora and fauna are surveyed during the late-dry (usually November-December) or late-wet (usually February-March) seasons. Each site comprises a 200 m x 300 m survey plot from which the data are recorded using various survey methods: site descriptions, vegetation transects, bird surveys, small vertebrate trapping, and tracking surveys. This dataset contains the data from eight surveys undertaken between 2005 and 2012: six in the late-dry and two in the late-wet seasons. The precision of site locations has been reduced to 0.1 decimal degree, which is approximately 10 km at the study region. This denaturing is because some sites contain threatened and/or sensitive species that might be at risk from collection or disturbance. The dataset contains species information from vegetation surveys and fauna species captures and observations. The data can be used to: [1] Review the outcomes of the survey methodologies [2] Presence data of the species recorded [3] Impacts of mining on the region's flora and fauna e.g. what is the spatial and temporal impact of mining activities on biota? [4] Conservation and biodiversity e.g. what are the spatial and temporal trends in the occurrence of key/threatened species? How do land units/systems change over time?
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This dataset lists land surface characteristics observed in Rangeland sites across Australia by the TERN Ecosystem Surveillance team, using standardised AusPlots methodologies. <br /> Land surface observations are collected at each site as part of the AusPlots method. At each site, observations on ground cover, lithology, erosion (state, extent, and human accelerated), surface drainage, microrelief, aspect and angle are recorded as part of the Ausplots Ground cover and Plot description methods.<br />