Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network: Victorian Central Highlands Long Term Monitoring Vegetation and Logging Data, 2010–2012
Abstract: We conducted a study comparing the recovery of vascular plants in the Mountain ash forests of Victoria’s Central Highlands after various disturbances. Prior to disturbance, all sites had a dominant overstorey of Mountain Ash that had regenerated from the 1939 wildfire. Our sites covered four disturbance treatment types – two severities of wildfire (low and high severity) and two types of logging treatment (clearfell and salvage logging). Comparisons were made between the treated sites with undisturbed forest which were unlogged and unburnt since 1939.
The data were collected from long term monitoring sites in 2011 following the large 2009 Black Saturday wildfire. All vascular plant species were recorded along a 100 metre transect that extended centrally down the middle of each 1.0 hectare (100 x 100 metre) study sites. Plant species presence was recorded within 5 metres either side of the transect, and in three 10 x 10 metres plots situated 10–20 metres, 50–60 metres and 90–100 metres along the central transect. Clearfelled sites were logged in 2009 as well as cut unburnt forest. Slashed areas were subsequently burnt in a regeneration burn, typically 6 months post-harvest. Salvage logging also involved clearfelling, undertaken within 12 months of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire. Forest that was salvage logged was burned at high severity.
The study concluded there were important differences in response to fire and logging. Species richness declined across the ‘disturbance gradient’ from low severity burned, high severity burned, clearfell logged to salvage logged forest, and the frequency of certain functional groups (sprouting species, ferns and midstorey trees) declined across the gradient of disturbance.
This is part of a much larger dataset that began in 1983 when the Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network research plots commenced. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network’s full program is provided athttp://doi.org/10.25911/5c4445118125d.
These data were published as a component of the paper Blair, D. P., McBurney, L. M., Blanchard, W. , Banks, S. C. and Lindenmayer, D. B. (2016), Disturbance gradient shows logging affects plant functional groups more than fire. Ecol Appl, 26: 2280-2301, https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1369.
Sampling method: A series of experiments were undertaken across areas subjected to logging within the Central Highlands. The sites covered clearfell harvesting of unburnt forest of 1939 age, sites that were salvage logged following fires in 2009 and clearfell logged and seeded sites that were part of a larger experiment on seeding after harvesting. The sites were selected in a variety of ways, including through consultation with DELWP and VicForests.
Study extent: Vegetation sampling was undertaken between March and June.
Project funding: This research was funded by means of three grants: Australian Research Council; Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Parks Victoria and between 2012 and 2018 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.
Type
collection
Title
Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network: Victorian Central Highlands Long Term Monitoring Vegetation and Logging Data, 2010–2012
Alternate Title
Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network: Vegetation And Logging Data, 2010–2012
Collection Type
Dataset
Access Privileges
Long Term Ecological Research Network
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
10.25911/5c45454ecaa48
Metadata Language
English
Data Language
English
Brief Description
We conducted a study, between 2010 and 2012, comparing the recovery of vascular plants in the Mountain ash forests of Victoria’s Central Highlands after various disturbances.
These data were published as a component of the paper Blair, D. P., McBurney, L. M., Blanchard, W. , Banks, S. C. and Lindenmayer, D. B. (2016), Disturbance gradient shows logging affects plant functional groups more than fire. Ecol Appl, 26: 2280-2301, https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1369.
A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network’s full program is provided at http://doi.org/10.25911/5c4445118125d.
Full Description
Abstract: We conducted a study comparing the recovery of vascular plants in the Mountain ash forests of Victoria’s Central Highlands after various disturbances. Prior to disturbance, all sites had a dominant overstorey of Mountain Ash that had regenerated from the 1939 wildfire. Our sites covered four disturbance treatment types – two severities of wildfire (low and high severity) and two types of logging treatment (clearfell and salvage logging). Comparisons were made between the treated sites with undisturbed forest which were unlogged and unburnt since 1939.
The data were collected from long term monitoring sites in 2011 following the large 2009 Black Saturday wildfire. All vascular plant species were recorded along a 100 metre transect that extended centrally down the middle of each 1.0 hectare (100 x 100 metre) study sites. Plant species presence was recorded within 5 metres either side of the transect, and in three 10 x 10 metres plots situated 10–20 metres, 50–60 metres and 90–100 metres along the central transect. Clearfelled sites were logged in 2009 as well as cut unburnt forest. Slashed areas were subsequently burnt in a regeneration burn, typically 6 months post-harvest. Salvage logging also involved clearfelling, undertaken within 12 months of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire. Forest that was salvage logged was burned at high severity.
The study concluded there were important differences in response to fire and logging. Species richness declined across the ‘disturbance gradient’ from low severity burned, high severity burned, clearfell logged to salvage logged forest, and the frequency of certain functional groups (sprouting species, ferns and midstorey trees) declined across the gradient of disturbance.
This is part of a much larger dataset that began in 1983 when the Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network research plots commenced. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network’s full program is provided athttp://doi.org/10.25911/5c4445118125d.
These data were published as a component of the paper Blair, D. P., McBurney, L. M., Blanchard, W. , Banks, S. C. and Lindenmayer, D. B. (2016), Disturbance gradient shows logging affects plant functional groups more than fire. Ecol Appl, 26: 2280-2301, https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1369.
Sampling method: A series of experiments were undertaken across areas subjected to logging within the Central Highlands. The sites covered clearfell harvesting of unburnt forest of 1939 age, sites that were salvage logged following fires in 2009 and clearfell logged and seeded sites that were part of a larger experiment on seeding after harvesting. The sites were selected in a variety of ways, including through consultation with DELWP and VicForests.
Study extent: Vegetation sampling was undertaken between March and June.
Project funding: This research was funded by means of three grants: Australian Research Council; Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Parks Victoria and between 2012 and 2018 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.
Methods
Plot set-up
1
The long term monitoring sites were set up from 1983 to 2011. Sites were located in different age forest, land tenures, geographic locations, and environmental factors.
Vascular plant identification
2
Transect and plots flagged
Sites were selected from on-going research sites relating to clearfell logging of unburnt forest, a seeding experiment and a study of salvage logging. Existing 100 x 100 metre sites were selected from a pool of 175 such long term monitoring sites as part of the ANU Central Highlands project. Each site has a central transect. Species were observed and documented within 5 metre of central transect. Further identification of all vascular plants was undertaken within three 10 x 10 metre plots along transect at 10–20m, 50–60m and 90–100m intervals.
Data collection methods
3
Clipboard, pen, datasheet
Data collected using non-invasive methods, using proformas (paper field sheet) with species marked ‘T’ (transect), 1, 2 or 3 (plots 1, 2 and 3).
Documentation of data
4
Central database
Data is entered into database from field sheets.
File Descriptions
lvic_logging_data_2011-2012_p655.csv
| disturbance_category |
| ||||||
| flora_descriptor |
| ||||||
| number of records | 2923 | ||||||
| plot_number |
| ||||||
| site_code |
| ||||||
| survey_year |
| ||||||
| treatment |
|
lvic_vegetation_data_2011-2012_p655.csv
| disturbance_category |
| ||||||||||
| flora_descriptor |
| ||||||||||
| number of records | 1421 | ||||||||||
| plot_number |
| ||||||||||
| site_code |
| ||||||||||
| survey_year |
| ||||||||||
| treatment |
|
Contact Email
david.lindenmayer@anu.edu.au;
davoblair@nex.net.au;
Laurence.berry@anu.edu.au;
david.keith@unsw.edu.au;
david.keith@environment.nsw.gov.au
Contact Address
Fenner School of Environment & Society
ANU College of Medicine, Biology & Environment
Frank Fenner Building 141
Linnaeus Way
CANBERRA, ACT, 0200
Australia
Contact Phone Number
+61 2 612 50654;
+61 439 660 996;
+61 2 9995 5000;
+61 2 6125 7653;
+61 427 770 593;
+61 2 9385 2111;
+61 427 856 498
Contact Fax Number
+61 2 6125 0746
Principal Investigator
David Lindenmayer
Supervisors
David Lindenmayer
Collaborators
Sam Banks;
David Blair;
Lachlan McBurney;
Wade Blanchard
Fields of Research
0502 - Environmental Science and Management;
0602 - Ecology;
0705 - Forestry Sciences
Keywords
GCMD:Earth Science>Biosphere>Vegetation>Forest Composition/Vegetation Structure;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Vegetation structure;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Fire;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Plant species composition;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Logging forestry;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Plant species abundance;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Individual plants;
keyword:Logging;
keyword:Fire;
keyword:Mountain ash;
keyword:Eucalyptus regnans;
keyword:Disturbance;
keyword:Logging functional groups;
keyword:Vascular plants;
keyword:Species diversity;
Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest;
Vegetation And Logging Data
Type of Research Activity
Strategic basic research
Date Coverage
2012
2010
Geospatial Location
Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia
text
northlimit = -37.342523; southlimit = -37.919069; westlimit = 145.477922; eastLimit = 146.195374
iso19139dcmiBox
Date of data creation
2016-04-14
Year of data publication
2016
Creator(s) for Citation
Lindenmayer
David
Blair
David
Keith
David
McBurney
Lachlan
Berry
Laurence
Publisher for Citation
Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University
Publications
10.1002/eap.1369
Blair, D. P., McBurney, L. M., Blanchard, W. , Banks, S. C. and Lindenmayer, D. B. (2016), Disturbance gradient shows logging affects plant functional groups more than fire. Ecol Appl, 26: 2280-2301, https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1369.
Disturbance gradient shows logging affects plant functional groups more than fire.
doi
Related Websites
ANU Open Research. Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) collection.
http://hdl.handle.net/1885/130861
Other Related Identifiers
MorphoId:ltern2.1071;
PackageId:655
Access Rights
Data collected prior to 2012 is available via mediated access only.
Co-authorship with the data provider (Professor David Lindenmayer) of any publication of research utilising this data is an expected outcome.
The data provider requests consultation, including a summary of the proposed research and intended use, before publication of research utilising this data is possible.
Access Rights Type
Restricted
Rights held in and over the data
AusGoal Restrictive Licence - This licence has been developed specifically for material that may contain personal or other confidential information. It may also be used for other reasons, including material to be licenced under some form of limiting or restrictive condition.
Licence Type
AusGoalRestrictive - AusGoal Restrictive Licence
Licence
LTERN Deed: 43
Retention Period
Indefinitely
Data Management Plan
No
Status: Published
Published to:
Published to:
- Australian National University
- Australian National Data Service
Related items
- hasAssociationWith:
Victorian Tall Eucalypt Forest Plot Network data packages, 1983-2018 [anudc:5557] - hasAssociationWith:
Mr Lachlan McBurney [anudc:5601] - hasAssociationWith:
David Blair [anudc:5577] - hasAssociationWith:
Professor David Lindenmayer [anudc:5580] - hasAssociationWith:
Wade Blanchard [anudc:5627] - hasAssociationWith:
Sam Banks [anudc:5622]