Brief description
This dataset consists of counts of plants and seeds for the ephemeral desert herb Trachymene glaucifolia obtained from the Ethabuka and Carlo Reserves in the Simpson Desert, Australia, from 2004-2011 by the Desert Ecology Research Group (DERG) in conjunction with LTERN. It also consists of monthly rainfall data obtained from 1995-2012. Collectively, the dataset was used to construct Multivariate Auto-regressive State-Space (MARSS) models for the manuscript "Reducing common sources of uncertainty in time series population data using MARSS models". For more information see: DERG : https://www.desertecology.edu.auLineage
Data were collected from four sites within Ethabuka Reserve and Carlo Station within the Simpson Desert, Australia. Two grids were set up at each site (total = 8 grids), with each grid occupying 1 ha consisting of 15 5 × 5 m plots. Five plots were spaced randomly, but with a minimum separation of 5 m, on 100 m transects along the crest, middle and swale of the dunes, with 100 m separating the crest and the swale transects. Surveys recording plant species abundances were conducted 4 times a year from 2004-2006 and 1-2 times a year from 2007-2013. We provide the data only from 2004-2011, as this is what was used for the construction of the population models. For the seed counts, soil samples were taken adjacent to each plot using a tray 2 cm deep covering a 20 × 20 cm area. Seeds within the samples were later sieved, identified and counted to estimate the size of the seed bank within each plot. Seed counts presented in the datasheet have been multiplied by 625 to adjust for the total size of the plot. Daily rainfall data was recorded from 1995-2012 via automated weather stations set up near the study sites. The data presented are monthly totals - if the weather station was not fully operational for the entire month, then the entry is left blank. MARSS model estimates for the rainfall were obtained and 3 month cumulative rainfall was calculated from these estimates with dates lining up with the population survey dates. This cumulative rainfall data was used as a covariate for the population models.
Progress Code: completed
Maintenance and Update Frequency: notPlanned
Notes
CreditWe at TERN acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Australia, New Zealand and all nations. We honour their profound connections to land, water, biodiversity and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
The authors acknowledge Aaron Greenville, Bobby Tamayo, DERG staff, LTERN, Bush Heritage Australia and ARC for funding, support and assistance in data collection, data entry and data management.
Purpose
This dataset is a subset of a larger vegetation plot dataset collected by the Desert Ecology Research Group in conjunction with LTERN. It consists of plant and seed counts for the species Trachymene glaucifolia in plots located in Ethabuka and Carlo Reserves within the Simpson Desert from 2004-2011, and rainfall data for the study sites from 1995-2012. Files have been formatted to be read into the statistical program R to construct Multivariate Auto-Regressive State-Space (MARSS) models using the MARSS package. For more information on MARSS, see: Holmes E.E., Ward E.J. & Scheuerell M.D. (2012). Analysis of multivariate time-series using the MARSS package. Version 3.4. http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/MARSS. Holmes E.E., Ward E.J. & Wills K. (2012). MARSS: multivariate autoregressive state-space models for analyzing time series data. R Journal, 4, 11-19. Desert Ecology Plot Network 8,000 km2 in the north-eastern Simpson Desert, western Queensland Established: 1990 Aim: Track long-term shifts in biodiversity in relation to key drivers, both intrinsic to the resource-pulse dynamics and due to human disturbance. These drivers include unpredictable rainfall and droughts, fire, feral predators and grazing. Key research questions: 1) How will increased climate extremes impact on the dynamic network of interactions among species and their role in maintaining biodiversity? 2) How do complex predator-prey interactions regulate vertebrate diversity in arid Australia? Surveys: Surveys of flora and fauna are undertaken several times each year and manipulative experiments are conducted to disentangle the multiple interacting processes. Climatic variables of rainfall and temperature are recorded continuously by 13 automatic weather stations installed in 1995.
This dataset is a subset of a larger vegetation plot dataset collected by the Desert Ecology Research Group in conjunction with LTERN. It consists of plant and seed counts for the species Trachymene glaucifolia in plots located in Ethabuka and Carlo Reserves within the Simpson Desert from 2004-2011, and rainfall data for the study sites from 1995-2012. Files have been formatted to be read into the statistical program R to construct Multivariate Auto-Regressive State-Space (MARSS) models using the MARSS package. For more information on MARSS, see: Holmes E.E., Ward E.J. & Scheuerell M.D. (2012). Analysis of multivariate time-series using the MARSS package. Version 3.4. http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/MARSS. Holmes E.E., Ward E.J. & Wills K. (2012). MARSS: multivariate autoregressive state-space models for analyzing time series data. R Journal, 4, 11-19. Desert Ecology Plot Network 8,000 km2 in the north-eastern Simpson Desert, western Queensland Established: 1990 Aim: Track long-term shifts in biodiversity in relation to key drivers, both intrinsic to the resource-pulse dynamics and due to human disturbance. These drivers include unpredictable rainfall and droughts, fire, feral predators and grazing. Key research questions: 1) How will increased climate extremes impact on the dynamic network of interactions among species and their role in maintaining biodiversity? 2) How do complex predator-prey interactions regulate vertebrate diversity in arid Australia? Surveys: Surveys of flora and fauna are undertaken several times each year and manipulative experiments are conducted to disentangle the multiple interacting processes. Climatic variables of rainfall and temperature are recorded continuously by 13 automatic weather stations installed in 1995.
Created: 2011-09-17
Issued: 2014-07-07
Modified: 2024-04-30
Data time period: 2004-05-12 to 2011-09-17
text: Study sites for the dataset are located in Carlo Station and Ethabuka Reserve covering ~ 4400km of area within the Simpson Desert, Australia. There are four study sites each consisting of two grids, whereby 1 grid = 15 5x5 m plots. Exact plot locations have been intentionally withheld as there may be issues with rare or threatened species. Please contact authors for details of plot locations.
Subjects
> 1000 km or > 10 degrees |
Biological Sciences |
BIOSPHERE |
DESERTS |
Degree |
Desert Ecology |
Didiscus glaucifolius F.Muell. |
EARTH SCIENCE |
ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS |
Ecology |
Millimetre |
Monthly - < Annual |
Number |
POPULATION DYNAMICS |
Population Ecology |
SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS |
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS |
Trachymene glaucifolia (F.Muell.) Benth. |
VEGETATION COVER |
biota |
individual count (Number) |
latitude (Degree) |
longitude (Degree) |
rainfall amount (Millimetre) |
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Point-of-truth metadata URL Identifiers
- URI : geonetwork.tern.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/42ffa5e8-7afa-4da4-a3eb-45e60e3f012c
- global : 42ffa5e8-7afa-4da4-a3eb-45e60e3f012c
