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Data

30 years of ground flora composition and cover data in Queensland tropical woodlands 

Ver: 1.0
Status of Data: onGoing
Update Frequency: biennially
Security Classification: unclassified
Record Last Modified: 2025-12-02
Viewed 311 times
Accessed 89 times
Dataset Created: 2021-12-15
Dataset Published: 2022-03-07
Data can be accessed from the following links:
HTTPPoint-of-truth metadata URLHTTPLocation_of_site_1_and_1A.jpgHTTPNeldner_site_1.jpgHTTPNeldner_site_2.jpgHTTPNeldner_site_3.jpgHTTPNeldner_site_4.jpgHTTPSite_locations.csvHTTPTiming_of_fires_aSO0OxX.csvHTTPcover_updated_names_with_2021_sampling.csvHTTPro-crate-metadata.json
How to cite this collection:
Neldner, V. (2022). 30 years of ground flora composition and cover data in Queensland tropical woodlands. Version 1.0. Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. Dataset. https://portal.tern.org.au/metadata/73ef6908-1b4e-4a85-9d1c-c62689c38cd4 
The dataset consists of species identity and projective foliage cover (PFC) of ground layer vascular plants from five sites located near Mareeba, in northern Queensland. The sites are located in eucalypt communities with altitudes ranging from 380 to 840 m. Data have been collected annually since 1992, in April and May, i.e. during the annual peak of plant species richness. At each site, data collection is carried out using ten 0.5 m2 quadrats deployed within a permanently marked 50 x 10 m plot. For each quadrat, all plant species visible above ground are identified and sampled. PFC data for each species from the ten quadrats are averaged. Any additional species occurring within the 50 x 10 m plot is also recorded and assigned a PFC of 0.1% (Neldner and Butler, 2021). 
Credit
We at TERN acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Australia, New Zealand and all nations. We honour their profound connections to land, water, biodiversity and culture and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. Queensland Herbarium provided the funding and equipment to conduct this research. 
Purpose
This study collects data to provide insights from long-term monitoring into the dynamics of savanna plant species composition, specifically on the ground layer. Key questions are: (1) How much variation is there from year to year in plant species abundance and composition? And (2) is there evidence of directional change in community composition? 
Lineage
In the first three years of data collection (1992-1994) sampling was conducted at three monthly internvals. These data are recorded in Neldner, V. (2021): Seasonal changes in ground flora composition and cover in Queensland tropical woodlands. Version 1.0.0. Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN). (Dataset). https://doi.org/10.25901/0jtn-qr55 
Method DocumentationData not provided.
Procedure StepsData not provided.
Five sites within 30 km of Mareeba, northern Queensland.
Temporal Coverage
From 1992-05-01 to on going 
Spatial Resolution

Data not provided.

Vertical Extent

Data not provided.

Data Quality Assessment Scope
All data are collected by V. J. Neldner and collaborators. Any unknown plant is collected and the specimen identified at the Queensland Herbarium. Most species are vouchered in the Queensland Herbarium. Plant nomenclature follows Brown and Bostock (2020). 
Data Quality Report
Data not provided. 
Data Quality Assessment Outcome
Most species were recorded to the species level. If a species could only be identified to genus level then it was recorded as genus species, e.g. Fimbristylis sp. 
ANZSRC - FOR
Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology)
Forest biodiversity
GCMD Sciences
AGRICULTURE - WEEDS, NOXIOUS PLANTS OR INVASIVE PLANTS
BIOSPHERE - FIRE ECOLOGY
BIOSPHERE - GRAZING DYNAMICS / PLANT ECOLOGY
BIOSPHERE - SAVANNA
BIOSPHERE - VEGETATION
Horizontal Resolution
1 meter - < 30 meters
Parameters
foliage projective cover
scientific name
Temporal Resolution
Annual
Topic
biota
environment
User Defined
Ground layer dynamics
Heteropogon triticeus
Mnesithea rottboellioides
Themeda triandra
Vegetation dynamics
Author
Neldner, Victor
Contact Point
Neldner, Victor
Publisher
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
Neldner V.J. and Butler D. B., 2021. Dynamics of the ground layer communities of tropical eucalypt woodlands of northern Queensland. Australian Journal of Botany, vol. 69(2), pages: 85-101.
Brown G.K. and, Bostock P.D. (2020). Introduction to the Census of Queensland flora 2020. Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane.
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Please advise any work or publications that use this data via the online form at https://www.tern.org.au/research-publications/#reporting 
Please cite this dataset as {Author} ({PublicationYear}). {Title}. {Version, as appropriate}. Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. Dataset. {Identifier}. 
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Please advise any work or publications that use this data via the online form at https://www.tern.org.au/research-publications/#reporting