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Ridding, L.E. ; Hawes, P. ; Walls, R. ; Pilkington, S.L.; Bailey, J.; Pywell, R.F.; Pescott, O.L.

Vascular plant and bryophyte survey from a 33-year chronosequence on bare chalk, Dorset, 2019-2020

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This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence

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https://doi.org/10.5285/358eb380-74a0-4acd-9df2-696fdf13a6d7
Vascular plant and bryophyte survey data from a 33-year chronosequence on bare chalk, used to investigate primary succession. The bare chalk plots were created from archaeological excavations on Down Farm, north Dorset, between the years 1986 and 2018, resulting in 13 different plots. The vascular plant survey was carried out in July 2019 using 50 cm x 50 cm quadrats. Quadrats were recorded every 1 m along a 16 m transect in each of the 13 plots. The bryophyte survey was carried out in February 2020 using 20 cm x 20 cm quadrats, along the same transects for 11 of the 13 plots.
Publication date: 2023-05-30
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More information

View numbers valid from 01 June 2023 Download numbers valid from 20 June 2024 (information prior to this was not collected)

Format

Comma-separated values (CSV)

Spatial information

Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84 / Pseudo-Mercator

Temporal information

Temporal extent
2019-01-01    to    2020-12-31

Provenance & quality

A total of 13 transects (16 m in length) were set up in July 2019, with one in each of the excavated blocks dated 1986, 2004–2008, and 2013–2018 (2 blocks were excavated in 2016). The percentage cover of vascular plant species were recorded in 50 cm x 50 cm quadrats every 1 m along each of the 13 transects, giving a total of 208 quadrats. Vascular plants were identified to species level, with the exception of Taraxacum microspecies. The percentage cover of bryophytes were recorded in February 2020 using the same methodology, but with a 20 cm x 20 cm quadrat. Two plots were not recorded for bryophytes, the first of which (excavated in 2006) was due to rubble left on the plot, which would have influenced the colonisation of bryophytes and the second plot (excavated in 2016) was excluded due to time constraints, as there was already another plot recorded of this age. Bryophytes were identified to species level, with the exception of a few small and/or infertile individuals, where it was only possible to classify specimens to a group level (affecting some Didymodon and Bryum species).
Data were collected by experienced field ecologists. Paper data sheets were digitised into Excel and were checked for any anomalies.

Licensing and constraints

This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence

Cite this dataset as:
Ridding, L.E. ; Hawes, P. ; Walls, R. ; Pilkington, S.L.; Bailey, J.; Pywell, R.F.; Pescott, O.L. (2023). Vascular plant and bryophyte survey from a 33-year chronosequence on bare chalk, Dorset, 2019-2020. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/358eb380-74a0-4acd-9df2-696fdf13a6d7

Correspondence/contact details

Ridding, L.E.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 8BB
UNITED KINGDOM
 enquiries@ceh.ac.uk

Authors

Ridding, L.E.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Hawes, P.
Walls, R.
Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland
Pilkington, S.L.
Vegetation Survey and Assessment Ltd
Bailey, J.
Pywell, R.F.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Pescott, O.L.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Other contacts

Rights holder
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Custodian
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk
Publisher
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk

Additional metadata

Topic categories
biota
INSPIRE theme
Land Cover
Keywords
bryophyte , chalk , Dorset , Environmental survey , succession , vascular plant
Funding
Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/N018125/1
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Award: NE/N018125/1
Last updated
08 February 2024 17:26