public read cn=submitters,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org all cn=pn_mallee,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org read Professor David Keith Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales Plot Leader

Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052 Australia

02 9385 2111 david.keith@unsw.edu.au The Mallee Plot Network Vegetation Survey (Structure) Data Package contains vegetation survey data for ten of the fifty-three experimental 0.2 hectare sites which were established on dune crests and upper slopes in Tarawi Nature Reserve; Scotia Sanctuary and Danggali National Park. The Mallee Plot Network research plots commenced in 1996 and were revisited annually for 3 years and then on a decadal basis. 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 Census data Seedlings Established plants Structural Estimates of cover Height Vegetation strata. Keywords List Vegetation structure Plant species composition Plant species abundance LTERN Monitoring Themes 0501 Ecological Applications 0602 Ecology ANZSRC-FOR Codes Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation GCMD Science Keywords: CC-BY-4_0 Special conditions Prior to publication of research utilising this data, the data provider (David Keith) requests consultation. Tarawi Nature Reserve; Scotia Sanctuary and Danggali National Park, Western New South Wales and South Australia, Australia 140.958503 141.222776 -33.271362 -33.467802 2014 Katy Wilkins Centre for Ecosystem Science Research Assistant

Centre for Ecosystem Science School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052

02 9385 8296 k.wilkins@unsw.edu.au Mark Tozer NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) Research Scientist

PO Box 1967 Hurstville Sydney NSW 2220

02 9585 6496 mark.tozer@environment.nsw.gov.au Chris Simpson Centre for Ecosystem Science Research Assistant

Centre for Ecosystem Science School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052

0409 159 334 Christopher.Simpson@unsw.edu.au Renee Woodward Centre for Ecosystem Science Research Assistant

Centre for Ecosystem Science School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney NSW 2052

02 9585 6051 Renee.Woodward@environment.nsw.gov.au 1408532875740

Fifty-three experimental 0.2 hectare sites were established on dune crests and upper slopes in Tarawi Nature Reserve; Scotia Sanctuary and Danggali National Park. Data for ten of these are included in this data package. This is part of a much larger dataset that spans from during 1996 to 2011.

Attributes recording vegetation structure are visually estimated in each of five 15 x 15 m fenced plots and the three 13 x 7.5 m unfenced external plotsexclusion and external plot. These currently include: hummock grass height (ten randomly selected individuals per plot); and single estimates per plot for: tree cover and height range; shrub height (median and range); shrub cover; hummock grass cover; ephemeral grass cover; leaf and twig litter cover and bare ground cover. The estimates made in each plot are aided by informally dividing each plot into segments for logistical purposes only, and then aggregated for the plot.

The Mallee Plot Network research plots commenced in 1996 and were revisited annually for 3 years and then on a decadal basis. The study focusses on vegetation dynamics on dune crests and upper slopes, primarily because resources are insufficient to sample across the full catenary sequence of dunes and swales. Study of fire in swale landforms is problematic because these are rarely flammable under prescribed fire conditions due to the absence of hummock grasses, which augment lateral fuel connectivity and thus promote fire spread on the dune crests and slopes. The study is located in the red aeolian sand dunefield landscape of the Scotia district within Tarawi Nature Reserve (33.44ºS 141.16ºE), Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary (33°17′S 141°05'E) and Danggali Nature Reserve (33° 22' S 140° 45' E) in south-western New South Wales and adjacent area of South Australia. The study area sits on the south-eastern edge of the Australian arid zone. This location is close to the arid limits of distribution of the mallee woodland biome, which stretches across the temperate semi-arid belt of southern Australia (Noble 1984). Mallee woodlands typically occur within regions receiving 200-500 mm rainfall per year. During 1940-2010, mean annual rainfall at Tarawi Homestead was approximately 240 mm (data summary courtesy of John Warren, Tarawi NR). Fifty-three experimental sites have been established on dune crests and upper slopes during 1996 – 2011, of which 29 are located within Tarawi NR, with 16 in Scotia and eight in Danggali NR. In Tarawi NR, each is marked with a steel sign on an adjacent access track. These include four pilot sites established during 1996-1998, during which the design of herbivore exclosures were developed. 1408532875740 Data Owner 1410741491082 Plot Network Contact 1410741595318 Plot Network Contact 1410741683956 Plot Network Contact 1410741759667 Plot Network Contact Since 2012 this project has been part of the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN). This work was supported by the Australian Government’s Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Network (www.tern.org.au) – an Australian research infrastructure facility established under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and Education Infrastructure Fund–Super Science Initiative through the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education. kmle_vegetation_structure_2014_p304t537.csv kmle_vegetation_structure_2014_p304t537.csv 1 0 \r\n column , ecogrid://knb/ltern2.536.3 cn=submitters,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org all cn=pn_mallee,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org read cn=allusers,o=unaffiliated,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org read sitelabel Site identification number Character subplotlabel Subplot identification label Character censusn Sequential census identification number Character elemlabel Element label EucCov cover of eucalypt stratum EucHtMax maximum height of eucalypt stratum EucHtMin minimum height of eucalypt stratum EucHtMode modal height of eucalypt stratum NonEucCov cover of non-eucalypt tree stratum NonEucHtMax Maximum height of non-eucalypt tree species (m) NonEucHtMin Minimum height of non-eucalypt tree species (m) NonEucHtMode Modal height of shrubs (m) HumCov Projective cover (%) of hummock grasses HumHt Height of randomly selected grass hummock (m) - 10 replicates TusCov Projective cover (%) of tussock grasses TusHtMax Maximum height of tussock grasses (m) TusHtMin Minimum height of tussock grasses (m) TusHtMode Modal height of tussock grasses (m) ForbCov Projective cover (%) of forbs ForbHtMax Maximum height of forbs (m) ForbHtMin Minimum height of forbs (m) ForbHtMode Modal height of forbs (m) LitCov Projective cover (%) of leaf litter and dead woody debris BareCov Projective cover (%) of bare ground elemrep Element replicated (e.g.replicate measurements of Triodia height per subplot) Character elemvalue Estimate of cover (%) or height (m) number real http://dev.ltern.org.au/index.php/ltern-plot-networks/mallee