Tree carbon accumulation among habitats with varying levels of ash dieback, Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire, UK, 2021-2022
Dahlsjö, C.A.L., Malhi, Y., Bailey, A. (2026). Tree carbon accumulation among habitats with varying levels of ash dieback, Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire, UK, 2021-2022. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/fc00dbd0-bf3d-495e-9895-190919f8e5e8
The data represent the growth rates and carbon accumulation among different tree species. Tree censuses were conducted in November 2020, September 2021, and September 2022. Carbon accumulation data are available for 2021 and 2022. Data were collected from 15 plots across Wytham Woods, near Oxford in southern England, to measure the accumulation of carbon (MgC/ha/year) among tree species and size classes from three experimental plot types (15 plots in total, five plots per type). The plot types include ash dominated (AD), ash dominated where ash trees have been girdled (ADG), and non-ash dominated (NAD) plots. The data contributed to a project on the ecological impact of ash dieback and were used to quantify the growth rates, and carbon accumulation, among habitats with varying levels of ash dieback represented by different treatments.
Tree censuses were conducted in November 2020, September 2021, and September 2022. A diameter band was used to record the diameter at breast height of all trees (>1cm diameter) in each plot. Growth values were calculated by subtracting the diameter from one year by the diameter from the previous year. Stems that grew or shrank by 10 cm or more were removed due to suspected sampling error. Data within size classes and species that were outside 3 standard deviations of the mean were also removed as they were classed as outliers that may have been affected by sampling error. The growth was then converted to biomass growth using allometric equations as outlined in Dahlsjo and Malhi (2024) and then converted to carbon assuming that the stems contained 49% carbon. Due to the high risk of sampling error we have produced a relatively conservative dataset of carbon accumulation from plots with varying levels of ash dieback. Limitations include a small number (5) of plots per treatment. Data were converted from Excel into csv.
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre