Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network: Plot-based Vegetation Sampling Data, Northern Territory, Australia, 1994-2016

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Abstract: The Three Parks Savanna Fire-Effects Network was established in 1994 with the primary aim of training management staff and assisting with the development of adaptive approaches to conservation-based fire management in regional savanna systems. This dataset comprises the vegetation sampling data from the 220 plots located across the Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network, of which 133 are in Kakadu National Park, 41 in Litchfield National Park and 46 in Nitmiluk National Park. The vegetation data consists of the quantitative assessment of all species in three major strata within 800 square meter plots. Plots are positioned to investigate environmental changes in areas of interest by land managers and may reveal environmental dynamics. Plots are located in a variety of landform and vegetation type / habitats and conditions, and may be in vicinity of intensively managed sites such as camp grounds and other tourist attractions. Areas also include ecotones and patches of fire-sensitive vegetation such as stands of Callitris and sandstone heaths. The full program assesses fire regimes and their impacts on plant and vertebrate biodiversity components. The program consists of two complementary elements – mapping of fire histories based upon interpretation of satellite imagery, and assessment of vegetation and faunal components at a large series of permanent monitoring plots located across respective parks. *Note: Plots are located within a National Park and physical access to the plots is restricted. Sampling method: Monitoring plot establishment and resampling exercises are conducted either at the end of the wet season period to facilitate flora identification (i.e. before herbaceous plants wither, or the vegetation is burnt), or late dry season due to access logistical restictions, for example floodplain sites. Sampling is designed to assess all levels of habitat strata including non-woody and woody species diversity. This package has chosen to use the following names from the NTFlora database: • Fimbristylis miliacea (instead of Fimbristylis quinquangularis) • Fimbristylis pterygosperma (instead of Fimbristylis pterigosperma) • Sauropus lissocarpus (instead of Phyllanthus arnhemicus) • Sauropus lissocarpus instead of Phyllanthus arnhemicus • Cartonema sp. antrorse • Cartonema sp. pedicellate • Haemodorum sp. red flowers (instead of Haemodorum sp. Red flowers) • Utricularia nivea (instead of Utricularia sp. Small white) • Antidesma ghesaembilla (instead of Antidesma ghaesembilla) • Melastoma malabathricum • Melastoma malabathricum subsp. malabathricum (instead of Melastoma affine) Study exten: The plots were established in 1995 at the end of the wet season period to facilitate flora identification before herbaceous plants senesce. The full floristic sampling is timetabled to occur every five years. There have been up to 5 different time sets of data collected but not every site has been revisited each time. Fire recording by photo and ground observation is undertaken at the end of every fire season early, late and wet season. **Note plot 95 in Kakadu National Park was lost after the first visit (T1). Project funding: SBetween 2012 and 2018 this project was part of, and funded through the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) a facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy. This project has also received funding through Parks Australia, NT Parks & Wildlife Service, Tropical Savannas CRC, and Darwin Centre for Bushfires Research (Charles Darwin University).