Identification

Title

Botanical data for calcareous grassland, heathland and woodland sites in Dorset, UK, 2017-2018

Abstract

This dataset contains botanical data from 13 calcareous grassland, 13 heathland and 12 woodland sites within Dorset, UK. The sites were selected to represent a range of habitat types across a condition gradient as measured by levels of degradation from the original habitat. The original habitats were identified as being calcareous grassland, heathland or woodland from a survey conducted in the 1930s. Within heathland and calcareous grassland sites the percentage cover of all plant species were recorded within five 1m quadrat squares. Plants were recorded to species level where possible, or genus where species level was not possible. Covers of bare ground and litter were also recorded. Within woodlands plots, sampling was done slightly differently to enable recording of ground level plants and species within multiple canopy levels. Cover and presence of all herbaceous species were recorded in 2m quadrat squares, cover of tree seedlings (<1.5 m height) were recorded in 5m quadrat squares and ground-level cover of trunk of tree species if necessary were recorded in 10m quadrat squares. Heathland and calcareous grassland sites were visited in summer 2017 and woodland sites were visited in summer 2018. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/8a75395f-7858-40a2-8364-eb3482aeaad1

Resource type

dataset

Resource locator

https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/data/8a75395f-7858-40a2-8364-eb3482aeaad1

name: Download the data

description: Download a copy of this data

function: download

https://data-package.ceh.ac.uk/sd/8a75395f-7858-40a2-8364-eb3482aeaad1.zip

name: Supporting information

description: Supporting information available to assist in re-use of this dataset

function: information

Unique resource identifier

code

https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/8a75395f-7858-40a2-8364-eb3482aeaad1

codeSpace

doi:

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

biota

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Environmental Monitoring Facilities

originating controlled vocabulary

title

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2008-06-01

Keyword set

keyword value

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

-2.961

East bounding longitude

-1.681

North bounding latitude

51.08

South bounding latitude

50.521

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

2017-05-01

End position

2018-06-30

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2020-11-02

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Original sites were identified from work by Professor Ronald Good, an eminent Dorset botanist who undertook an extensive botanical survey of Dorset from 1931 to 1939. The archive is publically available through the Dorset Environmental Records Centre. Sites were selected from those sites identified by Good as being calcareous grassland, heathland or woodland in 1930s. The subsampling approach used a variety of data sources, to identify current habitat types, including the UK Land Cover Map 2007, Natural England’s Priority Habitat Inventory and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), survey data from Horsfall, the Dorset Heathland survey and information on the Higher Level Stewardship schemes. Within heathland and calcareous grassland sites the percentage cover of all plant species were recorded within five 1m quadrat squares. These were taken at random points within a W walk over the 50m sample square. Within woodlands plots, sampling was done slightly differently to enable recording of ground level plants and species within multiple canopy levels. Five 10m x 10m quadrats for tree and shrub cover were set in a cross shape across the 50m x 50m sample area (figure 1) one in each corner & one in the centre. Within these 10m x 10m quadrats canopy cover and presence of each canopy tree species was recorded. Within the centre of each 10 x 10 m quadrat (positioning by eye) a single 5 x 5 m quadrat was set out. Within these 5m x 5m quadrats, canopy cover and presence of shrubs, understory trees & tree saplings (> 1.5 m height, < 10 cm dbh) was recorded. In each 5 x 5 m quadrat a single 2 x 2 m quadrat was then also set up. Cover and presence of all herbaceous species, cover of tree seedlings (<1.5 m height) and ground-level cover of trunk of tree species if necessary were recorded. Data were collected by experienced field ecologists, the same ecologists carried out all surveys. Data are consistent and reliable. Data were recorded into a spreadsheet as recorded in the field. Data were checked for any anomalies.

Conformity

Conformity report

specification

title

Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2010-12-08

degree

explanation

Data format

name of format

Comma-separated values (CSV)

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

Constraint set

Limitations on public access

If you reuse this data, you should cite: McCracken, M.E., Bullock, J.M., Ridding, L.E., Hulmes, L., Hulmes, S., Evans, P.M., Newton, A.C., Watson, S.C.L. (2020). Botanical data for calcareous grassland, heathland and woodland sites in Dorset, UK, 2017-2018. NERC Environmental Information Data Centre https://doi.org/10.5285/8a75395f-7858-40a2-8364-eb3482aeaad1

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

organisation name

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Responsible party

organisation name

NERC Environmental Information Data Centre

email address

info@eidc.ac.uk

responsible party role

publisher

Responsible party

organisation name

Environmental Information Data Centre

email address

info@eidc.ac.uk

responsible party role

custodian

Responsible party

organisation name

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

University of Bournemouth

email address

ANewton@bournemouth.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

University of Portsmouth

email address

stephen.watson@port.ac.uk

responsible party role

author

Responsible party

organisation name

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

email address

enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

responsible party role

owner

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

organisation name

Environmental Information Data Centre

full postal address

Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg

Lancaster

LA1 4AP

UK

email address

info@eidc.ac.uk

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2021-04-01T09:49:52

Metadata language

eng