Nanangroe Plantation Plot Network: Nocturnal Birds Spotlight Survey, Southwest Slopes, NSW, Australia, 2012-2017

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Abstract: This nocturnal birds survey data package comprises spotlight surveys conducted every two years, between 2012 and 2017, along 200 metre fixed transects at each site for 20 minutes per site. Animal species and abundance are recorded. Distances along and adjacent to a transect are also recorded. If animals are up on a tree, tree species and animal height (distance from the ground to the animal) are also recorded. Nocturnal birds are also detected by the calls during spotlighting. The principle objective of the Nanangroe study is to directly quantify changes in woodland vertebrate assemblages and their relationships with habitat variables when the surrounding landscape matrix is converted from a semi-cleared grazing landscape to a landscape dominated by an exotic softwood plantation The study area is located in the Southwest Slopes of NSW west of Lake Burrinjuck and includes four exotic Pine Plantations (Nanangroe, Cotway, East Bungongo and Bungongo), as well as private properties adjacent those plantations. Repeated sampling of the vegetation structure and cover and selected vertebrate groups on all sites from 1998 has created a long term dataset. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Nanangroe Plantation Forest Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://doi.org/10.25911/5c3d49dd32d9b. Sampling method: Refer to Lindenmayer, DB, Cunningham, RB, MacGregor, C, Tribolet, C & Donnelly, CF 2001, ‘A prospective longitudinal study of landscape matrix effects on fauna in woodland remnants: experimental design and baseline data’, Biological Conservation, vol 101 no 2, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(01)00061-1 Study extent: No limitations or missing units in temporal coverage outlined. Project funding: Between 2012 and 2017 this project was part of the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), 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.