Victorian Alpine Plot Network (Alpine Summit Plots): Lowland-to-highland Roadside Transects Walking Track Data, South-East Highlands, Australia, 2015

Abstract: This Victorian Alpine Plot Walking Track data package comprises transect-based vegetation data for Lowland-to-highland Roadside Walking Track Transects in the South-East Highlands, Australia. Plots are numbered chronologically along the transects. The transects follow three walking tracks in the Victorian Alps. Each track is divided into 200 m long, 3-4 m wide plots. Within each plot, exotic species are identified and are assigned abundance scores. The distance point of the first occurrence of each species is also noted within each plot. The Alpine Summit plots study, which commenced in 2001, forms part of the collection of data packages by the Victorian Alpine Plot Network. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Alpine Plot Network’s full program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c11c3d283b0e. Sampling method: The data collection protocol follows the guidelines of the Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN; http://www.mountaininvasions.org/). The aim is to determine which exotic (and native) species are where on mountain roadsides and are using these data against background quadrat data collected over past years and decades to test hypotheses about roads as vectors for dispersal of invasive species. Study extent: These data aim to document the distribution of exotic (and native) species from foothills to mountain summits along transport corridors. Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project has been part of the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN). LTERN is 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 Alpine Plot Network (Alpine Summit Plots): Lowland-to-highland Roadside Transects Walking Track Data, South-East Highlands, Australia, 2015
Alternate Title
Victorian Alpine Plot Network: Lowland-to-highland Roadside Transects — Walking Track Monitoring Summit Plots, 2015
Collection Type
Dataset
Access Privileges
Long Term Ecological Research Network
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
10.25911/5c34194fa0db6
Website Address
https://datacommons.anu.edu.au/
Metadata Language
English
Data Language
English
Brief Description
This Victorian Alpine Plot Walking Track data package comprises transect-based vegetation data for Lowland-to-highland Roadside Walking Track Transects in the South-East Highlands, Australia. P The Alpine Summit plots study, which commenced in 2001, forms part of the collection of data packages by the Victorian Alpine Plot Network. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Alpine Plot Network’s full program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c11c3d283b0e.
Full Description
Abstract: This Victorian Alpine Plot Walking Track data package comprises transect-based vegetation data for Lowland-to-highland Roadside Walking Track Transects in the South-East Highlands, Australia. Plots are numbered chronologically along the transects. The transects follow three walking tracks in the Victorian Alps. Each track is divided into 200 m long, 3-4 m wide plots. Within each plot, exotic species are identified and are assigned abundance scores. The distance point of the first occurrence of each species is also noted within each plot. The Alpine Summit plots study, which commenced in 2001, forms part of the collection of data packages by the Victorian Alpine Plot Network. A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Victorian Alpine Plot Network’s full program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c11c3d283b0e. Sampling method: The data collection protocol follows the guidelines of the Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN; http://www.mountaininvasions.org/). The aim is to determine which exotic (and native) species are where on mountain roadsides and are using these data against background quadrat data collected over past years and decades to test hypotheses about roads as vectors for dispersal of invasive species. Study extent: These data aim to document the distribution of exotic (and native) species from foothills to mountain summits along transport corridors. Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project has been part of the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN). LTERN is a Facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Methods
Plot Setup
1
The sampling regime consists of three walking tracks transects with 200 m long, 3-4 m wide plots located along the transects. The three road-side transects are:
1) Heathy Spur foot-track (~5.4 km)
2) Fitzgerald's Track. (~3.5 km, from Big River Fire Trail to Fitzgeralds hut)
3) Alpine Walking Track from Basalt Temple to Cope Saddle (~9.7 km, transect went 1.2 km past Cope Saddle)
(Weed transect temporarily stopped at 9800 m which is the old Cope Hut-Mt Cope junction (metal sign-post). Pole 478 is at 9815 m.)
Data Collection
2
Handheld GPS unit
Within each plot, two people walk in a single file, approximately 5 m apart. Observers identify exotic species within 2 m either side of the walking line and assign an abundance score, which are:
• 1 = < 10 individuals per 100 m² = less than 0.1 individuals per m²
• 2 = 10 to 100 individuals per 100 m² = 0.1 to 1.0 individuals per m²
• 3 = > 100 individuals per 100 m² = more than 1.0 individuals per m²
Additionally, each exotic species observed is noted at the distance point when it first appears in that plot (if present in that plot).
File Descriptions
vasp_walking_track_weeds_2015_p589t851.csv
abundance
definitionAbundance (species density)
ordinal enumeration codes
1< 10 individuals per 100 m² = less than 0.1 individuals per m²
210 to 100 individuals per 100 m² = 0.1 to 1.0 individuals per m²
3> 100 individuals per 100 m² = more than 1.0 individuals per m²
date
date time formatYYYY-MM-DD
definitionDate of survey
distance
definitionDistance at which exotic species is first observed in specified plot
ratio number typewhole
ratio standard unitmeter
notes
definitionGeneral observations
nominal text definitionCharacter
number of records397
plot
definitionPlot identifier
ordinal text definitionNumeric
species
definitionScientific name of exotic species
nominal text definitionCharacter
track
definitionWalking track name
nominal text definitionCharacter
type
definitionNature of track within specified plot
nominal enumeration codes
Road margin (bitumen)Edge of currently used bitumen road (Bogong High Plains Road…)
Vehicle trk (old)Long established walking track (…20 yrs plus?)
Vehicle trk margin (management)Tracks used by authorised vehicles, walkers, possibly horses
Walking trk (new)Freshly created walking track (..less than 2 yrs?)
Walking trk (old)Old disused vehicle track now used as foot track only
Contact Email
belln@unimelb.edu.au; ary@unimelb.edu.au
Contact Address
Bio21 Institute Departments of Genetics and Zoology University of Melbourne Melbourne, Vic., 3010 Australia
Contact Phone Number
+61 3 8344 2282
Principal Investigator
Ary Hoffman
Supervisors
Ary Hoffman
Collaborators
John Morgan; Henrick Wahren
Fields of Research
0602 - Ecology
Keywords
GCMD:Biological Classification > Plants; GCMD:Biosphere > Terrestrial Ecosystems > Alpine/Tundra; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Vegetation structure; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Plant species composition; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Plant species abundance; LTERN Monitoring Theme:Individual plants; keyword:Alpine National Park; keyword:Species richness; keyword:Compositional changes; keyword:Weed invasion; keyword:Altitudinal gradient; Victorian Alpine; Summit Plots; Lowland-to-highland Roadside Transects — Walking Track Monitoring
Type of Research Activity
Pure basic research
Date Coverage
2015-01-18
2015-01-16
Geospatial Location
Victorian Alpine Plot Network Lowland-to-highland Roadside Transects Data
text
northlimit = -36.7325; southlimit = -37.13255; westlimit = 146.4542; eastLimit = 147.30667
iso19139dcmiBox
Date of data creation
2018-10-26
Year of data publication
2018
Creator(s) for Citation
Hoffman
Ary
Publisher for Citation
The Australian National University Data Commons
Other Related Identifiers
MorphoId:ltern6.299; PackageId:589
Access Rights Type
Open
Rights held in and over the data
Creative Commons Licence (CC BY- Attribution) is assigned to this data. Details of the licence can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Licence Type
CC-BY - Attribution (Version 4)
Licence
LTERN Deed: 7 Date of execution: 2016-10-10
Data Location
https://datacommons.anu.edu.au
Retention Period
Indefinitely
Data Management Plan
No
Status: Published
Published to:
  • Australian National University
  • Australian National Data Service
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