Vegetation survey data from Climoor fieldsite in Clocaenog Forest 1999 - 2012

• Main Authors: Reinsch, S., Sowerby, A., Emmett, B.A.
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: NERC Environmental Information Data Centre 2015
• Subjects: vegetation; Biodiversity; Soil; Calluna vulgaris; Vaccinium myrtillus; Empetrum nigrum
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5285/5b39a644-d614-4f2b-8df6-202ed440b4ab; https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/5b39a644-d614-4f2b-8df6-202ed440b4ab

This dataset contains vegetation survey data from an upland heath site in the Clocaenog Forest. This was done by pin point methodology, and data includes both pin hits as well as measurements converted into plant biomass (grammes per square metre). Vegetation was surveyed in the experimental plots at the Climoor site in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The vegetation at the site is a typical UK upland heathland, dominated by Calluna vulgaris, with Vaccinium myrtillus and Empetrum nigrum also being present in the vegetation understory. In each year, measurements were taken at a time period of maximum growth, which was late August/early September. Individual species can be examined, as well as the different components of the higher plants (i.e. leaf, stem, flower). Data was collected by CEH staff and PhD students trained in the use of the methods. Climoor is a climate change manipulation experiment that utilises automated roof technology to produce drought and warming experimental treatments that reflect climate change predictions for the next 20-30 years. : Within each plot, three quadrats were chosen, and in each quadrat a grid of 100 pins was lowered through the multi-layered canopy. Permanent base pegs to mount the point quadrat grid frames were installed in each of the quadrats to ensure the same vegetation was surveyed each year. Every touch of vegetation was recorded, detailing the height of the hit, the species and the structure (i.e. leaf, stem, etc.). Multiple hits of the same species structure were only recorded once for each height (e.g. two V. myrtillus leaves touching at the same height would only be recorded once). Pin hits were recorded on dictaphones and transcribed back in the office into Excel. The transcribing stage was double checked to ensure no errors were made in data input. This is done using a combination of the filter tool in excel to look for misspelt species codes and to check all the rows/pins for each quadrat were included. The total number of pins recorded in each plot (should be 300) was double checked to make sure none were missed and the total number of hits for each of the data input codes determined. A summary sheet gives an overview of the number of hits in each plot for each data input code. It also adjusts for any missing pins. This is done very simply, if the number of pins deviates from the 300 that should have been recorded, each of the hit totals for each of the data input codes is adjusted by this ratio. The total number of hits for each data input code was copied/pasted into a main master file for the dataset. In this file, conversion factors are applied to the data to provide biomass (g/m2) numbers. The conversion factors were derived from 10 areas (each 0.5 m2) outside and surrounding the experimental plots. These were pin-pointed in an identical method to that carried out inside the plots in 2000, and then destructively harvested to determine calibration calculations between biomass and number of pin-hits.