Data from: Consequences of grazer-induced vegetation transitions on ecosystem carbon storage in the tundra ...

• Main Authors: Ylänne, Henni, Olofsson, Johan, Oksanen, Lauri, Stark, Sari
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2018
• Subjects: Plant functional types; Rangifer tarandus; carbon stocks; Plant–soil interactions; Soil carbon; Arctic; Norway; Reisa; Northern Norway; Tundra
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bb49h; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.bb49h

1. Large herbivores can control plant community composition and, under certain conditions, even induce vegetation shifts to alternative ecosystem states. As different plant assemblages maintain contrasting carbon (C) cycling patterns, herbivores have the potential to alter C sequestration at regional scales. Their influence is of particular interest in the Arctic tundra, where a large share of the world’s soil C reservoir is stored. 2. We analysed how grazing mammals influence tundra vegetation and how grazer-induced vegetation shifts affect tundra C stocks, by resampling two sites located along pasture rotation fences in northern Norway. These fences have separated lightly grazed areas from heavily grazed areas (in close proximity to the fences) and moderately grazed areas (further away from the fences) for the past 50 years. 14 years earlier, the lightly and moderately grazed areas were dominated by dwarf shrubs, whereas heavy grazing had promoted the establishment of graminoid-dominated vegetation. Since ... : Ylanne_etal_2017_FunctEcol_dataThis file contains the carbon stock, vegetation abundance and soil data that is presented in the article "Consequences of grazer-induced vegetation transitions on ecosystem carbon storage in the tundra". The study sites Raisduoddar (69°31’29 N, 21°19’16 E; altitude 430–570 m asl) and Čearro (69°43’23 N, 21°37’45 E; altitude 540–570 m asl) are located in Northern Norway. In this file, Raisduoddar is referred to as Reisa. Other occuring acronyms are HG, MG and LG that represent the different grazing intensities found at the two sites. LG represents lightly grazed areas that are located 5 meters from the pasture rotation fence on the Winter grazing range. HG represent heavily grazed areas that are located 5 meters from the pasture rotation fence on the summer grazing range. MG represents moderately grazed areas, 100 m away from the fence on the summer grazing range. At each of the sites, we set eight transects perpendicular to the reindeer fence that cross all three grazing ...