Data Paper. Data Paper

File List

shapefiles.zip -- Shapefiles compressed together in a zipped dirctory. 33,505,926 bytes

readme.txt -- 3 January 2012 explanation for file corrections

All .csv files are ASCII text, comma separated:
allrecords_density.csv - 125,201 records, 9,414,808 bytes
allrecords_cover.csv - 81,365 records, 7,606,877 bytes
quad_info.csv - 44 records, 656 bytes.
quad_inventory.csv - 14 records, 2,086 bytes
species_list.csv - 155 records, 5,128 bytes
daily_climate_data.csv - 5114 records, 128,441 bytes
annuals_counts_v3.csv - 2,536 records, 68,899 bytes
species_name_changes.csv - Originally assigned plant names were corrected for synonyms based on the USDA Plants Database (http://plants.usda.gov/). Name changes are recorded in this file. 86 records, 3,387 bytes

Description

This historical data set consists of 44 permanent 1-m² quadrats located on northern mixed prairie in Miles City, Montana, USA. Individual plants in these quadrats were identified and mapped annually from 1932 through 1945. Quadrats were located in six pastures assigned to cattle grazing treatments with light, moderate, and heavy stocking rates of 1.24, 0.92, and 0.76 ha/ animal-unit-month (two pastures in each). These data provide unique opportunities to test the interactive effects of grazing and climate variables on demographic rates, plant–plant interactions, and population and community dynamics. We provide the following data and data formats: (1) the digitized maps in shapefile format; (2) a tabular version of the entire data set (a table that replaces the full spatial data with one (x,y) coordinate for each individual perennial plant record); (3) grazing treatment information; (4) an inventory of the years each quadrat was sampled; (5) a species list, containing information on plant growth forms and shapefile geometry type (e.g., points or polygons); (6) a record of changes in species names; (7) daily precipitation and temperature records; and (8) counts of annual plants in the quadrats (annuals were counted, not mapped, by the original mappers).

Key words: climate; demography; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Montana; northern mixed prairie; plant community; plant population; species interactions