DOI: 10.5061/dryad.0gb5mkm85
title: Data from: Vegetation dynamics 1946–2018 in an old-growth conifer forest

description: We analysed ground vegetation in 250 plots in 2018 in the old-growth Picea
 abies-dominated forest Säby Västerskog, SE Sweden as a follow-up of
 studies in 1946 and 1998 with the same layout of plots. The vegetation
 changes were not clearly directional: the species composition in 2018 was
 intermediate between that of 1946 and 1998, whereas in 1998 species
 richness was higher and with the unique presence of a number of species
 indicating small-scale disturbances. Vaccinium myrtillus increased in
 cover since 1946 and Avenella flexuosa decreased. This goes against
 regional trends, attributed to climate warming and changes in nitrogen
 deposition. Regional changes are overshadowed by fine-scale disturbances
 and micro-successions.
description: We analysed ground vegetation in 250 plots in 2018 in the
 old-growth <em>Picea abies-</em>dominated<em>
 </em>forest Säby Västerskog, SE Sweden as a follow-up of studies in
 1946 and 1998 with the same layout of plots. The plots
 were not  permanently marked but their position is recorded with GPS
 coordinates to make it possible to repeat the study. Plot size was 0.5
 m<sup>2</sup> in 1946, but changed to 1
 m<sup>2</sup> in 1998 and 2018. Cover was recorded in the
 Hult-Sernander-Du Rietz scale. Vegetation changes were
 analysed by ordination and similarity in species composition. For a subset
 of species the cover changes are shown in maps for the three
 surveys.
description: # Data from: Vegetation dynamics 1946–2018 in an old-growth conifer
 forest.
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0gb5mkm85](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0gb5mkm85) We analysed ground vegetation in 250 plots in 2018 in the old-growth *Picea abies*-dominated forest Säby Västerskog, SE Sweden as a follow-up of studies in 1946 and 1998 with the same layout of plots.  The plots were not  permanently marked but their position is recorded with GPS coordinates to make it possible to repeat the study. Plot size was 0.5 m2 in 1946, but changed to 1 m2 in 1998 and 2018. Cover was recorded in the Hult-Sernander-Du Rietz scale. ## Description of the data and file structure Data are included in csv-files (comma-delimited, decimal point). Missing data are coded as "NA". **Species names with abbreviations used in the data files** | **Species** | **Abbreviation** | | :------------------------------------------ | :--------------- | | **Vascular plants** |   | | *Agrostis canina* | Agr.cani | | *Agrostis capillaris* | Agr.capi | | *Anemone nemorosa* | Ane.nemo | | *Anthoxanthum odoratum* | Ant.odor | | *Athyrium filix-femina* | Ath.fili | | *Avenella flexuosa* | Ave.flex | | *Calamagrostis arundinacea* | Cal.arun | | *Campanula persicifolia* | Cam.pers | | *Carex canescens* | Car.cane | | *Carex digitata* | Car.digi | | *Carex echinata* | Car.echi | | *Carex leporina* | Car.lepo | | *Carex nigra* | Car.nigr | | *Carex pallescens* | Car.pall | | *Carex pilulifera* | Car.pilu | | *Chamaenerion angustifolium* | Cha.angu | | *Convallaria majalis* | Con.maja | | *Dactylis glomerata* | Dac.glom | | *Deschampsia cespitosa* | Des.cesp | | *Dryopteris carthusiana* | Dry.cart | | *Dryopteris dilatata/D. expansa* | Dry.di.e | | *Dryopteris filix-mas* | Dry.fili | | *Epilobium montanum* | Epi.mont | | *Equisetum sylvaticum* | Equ.sylv | | *Festuca ovina* | Fes.ovin | | *Fragaria vesca* | Fra.vesc | | *Galeopsis tetrahit* | Gal.tetr | | *Geranium robertianum* | Ger.robe | | *Goodyera repens* | Goo.repe | | *Gymnocarpium dryopteris* | Gym.dryo | | *Hepatica nobilis* | Hep.nobi | | *Hieracium* sect. Hieracium | Hie.Hier | | *Hieracium* sect. Vulgata | Hie.Vulg | | *Hylotelephium telephium* | Hyl.tele | | *Hypericum maculatum* | Hyp.macu | | *Juncus filiformis* | Jun.fili | | *Lactuca muralis* | Lac.mura | | *Lathyrus linifolius* | Lat.lini | | *Linnaea borealis* | Lin.bore | | *Luzula pilosa* | Luz.pilo | | *Lycopodium annotinum* | Lyc.anno | | *Lycopodium clavatum* | Lyc.clav | | *Lysimachia europaea* | Lys.euro | | *Lysimachia thyrsiflora* | Lys.thyr | | *Maianthemum bifolium* | Mai.bifo | | *Melampyrum pratense* | Mel.prat | | *Melampyrum sylvaticum* | Mel.sylv | | *Melica nutans* | Mel.nuta | | *Milium effusum* | Mil.effu | | *Moehringia trinervia* | Moe.trin | | *Orthilia secunda* | Ort.secu | | *Oxalis acetosella* | Oxa.acet | | *Phegopteris connectilis* | Phe.conn | | *Poa annua* | Poa.annu | | *Poa nemoralis* | Poa.nemo | | *Polypodium vulgare* | Pol.vulg | | *Pteridium aquilinum* | Pte.aqui | | *Ranunculus repens* | Ran.repe | | *Ribes alpinum* | Rib.alpi | | *Ribes uva-crispa* | Rib.uva | | *Rubus idaeus* | Rub.idae | | *Sanicula europaea* | San.euro | | *Solidago virgaurea* | Sol.virg | | *Stellaria alsine* | Ste.alsi | | *Stellaria graminea* | Ste.gram | | *Urtica dioica* | Urt.dioi | | *Vaccinium myrtillus* | Vac.myrt | | *Vaccinium vitis-idaea* | Vac.viti | | *Veronica chamaedrys* | Ver.cham | | *Veronica officinalis* | Ver.offi | | *Vicia sepium* | Vic.sepi | | *Viola palustris* | Vio.palu | | *Viola riviniana* | Vio.rivi | | **Bryophytes** |   | | *Atrichum undulatum* | Atr.undu | | *Aulacomnium palustre* | Aul.palu | | *Brachythecium* s.l., *Eurhynchium* s.l. | Bra.Eur | | *Dicranum* spp. | Dicr.spp | | *Hylocomium splendens/Pleurozium schreberi* | Hyl.Ple | | *Mnium s.l.,* Rhodobryum roseum | Mni.spp | | *Plagiochila asplenioides* | Pla.aspl | | *Polytrichum* spp. | Poly.spp | | *Ptilium crista-castrensis* | Pti.cris | | *Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus* | Rhy.triq | | *Sphagnum* spp. | Sph.spp | **Data file SaVa13.csv** Cover of 13 species recorded in plots in 1946, 1998 and 2018 | **Column** | **Explanation** | | :-------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Plot | Plot number. 101-353, 1946; 401-643, 1998; 701-950, 2018 | | Surv | Survey number. 1, 1946; 2, 1998; 3, 2018 | | xcol | Plot position in original grid, approximately W-E direction, but not in strict order | | yrad | Plot position in original grid, approximately N-S | | East | SWEREF99 east coordinate | | North | SWEREF99 north coordinate | | Species columns | Cover of species in Hult-Sernander-Du Rietz scale (5, &gt; 50% cover; 4, 25-50%; 3, 12.5-25%; 2, 6.25-12.5%; 1, &lt; 6.25%).  |   **Data file SaVaAll.csv** Presence and cover of all species recorded in plots in 1946, 1998 and 2018 | **Column** | **Explanation** | | :-------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Plot | Plot number. 101-353, 1946; 401-643, 1998; 701-950, 2018 | | Surv | Survey number. 1, 1946; 2, 1998; 3, 2018 | | East | SWEREF99 east coordinate | | North | SWEREF99 north coordinate | | Elev | Elevation (m a.s.l) | | Species columns | 1946 and 2018: Cover of species in Hult-Sernander-Du Rietz scale (0-5). 1998: Cover for the 13 species included in SaVa13.csv. Presence-absence for the rest (0, 1). | **Data file env2018.csv** Environmental data for the plots in 2018 | **Column** | **Explanation** | | :---------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Plot | Plot number 701-950 | | Surv | Survey number. 3, 2018 | | East | SWEREF99 east coordinate | | North | SWEREF99 north coordinate | | Elev | Elevation (m a.s.l) | | Treedens | Tree densities within 5-m radius around the plot. 0, no trees; 1, few trees; 2, modest density; 3, high density | | Columns Picea to Prunsp | Presence (1,0) of tree species within 5-m radius around plot: *Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, Corylus avellana, Sorbus aucuparia, Salix caprea, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Acer platanoides, Sorbus intermedia, Populus tremula, Sambucus racemosa, Prunus padus, Frangula alnus, Prunus* sp. | | Ntreesp | Number of tree species within 5-m radius around the plot | | Treebasepc | Cover of tree base or big root above ground in plot (%) | | Treebase | Tree base, or big root above ground in plot, cover scale 0-5 | | Logs | Number of logs crossing plot | | Logspc | Cover of logs in plot (%) | | Litter | Cover of litter in plot, cover scale 0-5 | | Soil | Cover of open soil in plot, cover scale 0-5 | | Stone | Cover of stone, boulder or rock in plot, cover scale 0-5 | | Rootplate | Presence of root plates in plot, 0/1 | | Rootpit | Presence of root pit in plot, 0/1 | | Gap | Plot situated in forest gap, 0/1 | | Boar | Disturbance by wild boar in plot, 0/1 | ## Code/Software **R script file “SpChanges_Fig4.R”** Changes in species cover and frequency between years. Calculations for Fig. 4 **R script file “Turnover_Fig2.S2.TabS1.R”** R script for Figs 2 and S2, and Table S1 **R script file “Ordinations_Fig5.6.7.8.S1.R”** R script for ordinations presented in Figs 5-8 and Fig. S1