DOI: 10.5061/dryad.nzs7h44n1
title: Data from: Annual understory plant recovery dynamics in a temperate woodland mosaic during a decade of ecological restoration

description: Temperate woodlands are one of the world’s ecosystems in greatest need of
 ecological restoration, but relatively little is known about their
 floristic recovery dynamics over decadal timescales. From 2000 to 2012, we
 monitored understory plant communities in a woodland mosaic in
 Missouri, USA, as it underwent restoration via prescribed,
 dormant-season burning and mechanical thinning of red cedar (Juniperus
 virginiana) and exotic shrubs. Native species richness increased linearly
 by 36% over this time period, driven primarily by an influx of forb
 species in thin-soiled upland areas where red cedar was removed. Floristic
 quality also increased with differential dynamics across local
 communities; forest floristic quality saturated quickly whereas floristic
 quality increased gradually over the time series in woodlands and red
 cedar–dominated woodlands. Species that underlay these patterns were
 mainly ruderal or matrix forbs and grasses with little dependence on
 intact, undisturbed habitats. In contrast, conservative species were rare
 or absent. This case study suggests that understory plant recovery
 dynamics may be slower in harsher and more degraded sites and faster in
 more mesic sites within a woodland mosaic. Our observations set a
 benchmark for woodland understory plant recovery dynamics and indicate
 that a future restoration challenge is to prioritize the managed
 translocation of dispersal-limited, conservative species.
description: To monitor the influence of restoration activities on herbaceous
 vegetation, 30 permanent 50-m transects were established in 2000, one year
 prior to the first prescribed burn. Transects were selected by placing a
 grid over a topographical map and choosing grid coordinates from a random
 number table. Transects were evenly distributed among three identifiable
 plant communities: an upland community dominated by white oak (Quercus
 alba), a mesic slope community dominated by northern red oak (Q. rubra),
 paw paw (Asimina triloba), and spicebush (Lindera benzoin), and an invaded
 community dominated by eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Transects
 were separated by =5 m and were selected to maximize elevational gradient.
 Slope and aspect were uncontrolled. Vegetation was sampled in three
 strata: ground layer (&lt;0.5 m height), shrub layer (0.5-3 m), and
 canopy. Ground and shrub layer plant abundance and cover were sampled
 twice per year (Apr, Jun) in five nested quadrats along each transect.
 Ground layer quadrats were 0.5 sq-m, and shrub quadrats were 1 sq-m in Apr
 and 2 sq-m in Jun. Quadrats were offset by five meters between seasons to
 reduce impact on the vegetation. Herbaceous and shrub layer sampling were
 conducted in all years 2000-2012 except 2006, when there was little
 vegetation due to restoration activities. Canopy composition and diameters
 at breast height were sampled along each transect using a crown
 line-intercept technique (Cox 1980). Canopy sampling was conducted in
 2000, 2004, 2007, and 2012. Following prescribed fires, the percentage of
 each transect that had burned was also estimated. Plants were initially
 identified using Steyermark (1963), and taxonomy was subsequently updated
 to Yatskievych (1999, 2006, 2013). Voucher specimens were deposited at
 Missouri Botanical Garden. In 2016, Olivia Hajek (a Research Experience
 Undergraduate) collected environmental data for each quadrat. She measured
 elevation using a Garmin GPSmap. She measured aspect using a compass. She
 measured slope using a clinometer; slope was measured over a 3-m distance
 centered on the quadrat. To calculate a relative radiation index (RRI), we
 used the formula RRI = cos (180° – O) x sin ß x sin ' + cos ß x cos
 ', where O = aspect, ß = slope, and ' = latitude (Maren et al.
 2015). Canopy cover was estimated using a spherical densiometer. The
 percent of exposed rock in each quadrat was also recorded based
 on subjective evaluation on a rank-transformed scale with 0=0% cover,
 1=0-5%, 2=5-25%, 3=25-50%, 4=50-75%, 5=75-95%, and 6=95-100%. Burned or
 cut Juniper stumps were counted within a 2.5-m radius centered on each
 herb quadrat. 
description: Data collector(s): Nels Holmberg, Olivia Hajek
 Date of data collection: April-July 2000-2012, June-July 2016
 (SNR_Nels_Environment.csv) Where collected: Dana Brown
 Woods Management Unit, Shaw Nature Reserve, Franklin County, Missouri,
 USA Person to contact with questions: Nels Holmberg
 (nholmbrg@fidnet.com) or Leighton Reid
 (j.leighton.reid@gmail.com) Data entry
 Software (including version #) used to prepare data set:
 Microsoft Excel 2007, R version 3.2.4 Data processing
 that was performed: Data were proofed for transcription errors. Plant
 classifications were changed to match<br> Yatskievych (1999, 2006,
 2013). Data from 2000 were excluded due to incomplete sampling, except for
 SNR_Nels_Canopy.csv.<br> For SNR_Nels_Canopy.csv, canopy cover for
 R6 in 2000 is excluded because it is not equivalent to other years. On
 2017-10-09,<br> JLR fixed some problems with shrub data identified
 by NH, and JLR also removed duplicate rows (&gt;600).
 Person/people who entered data: Christian Schwarz
 Person/people who proofed data: Leighton Reid, Nels
 Holmberg Person to contact with questions: Leighton
 Reid (j.leighton.reid@gmail.com) Variables:<br>
 ABP = Plant species Annual (A), Biennial (B), or Perennial (P)
 [Factor]<br> ACRON = Plant species acronym [Factor]<br> Asp =
 Aspect (degrees from N) [Numeric]<br> Burn = Estimated percentage of
 each transect burned during prescribed fires [Numeric]<br> C =
 Coefficient of conservatism [Integer]; 99 = Adventive species<br>
 C34 = Photosynthetic system for grasses [Factor]. Sources: Baskin et al.
 (1995), Campbell (2004), Smith & Wu (1994), Towne (2002), Waller
 & Lewis (1979)<br> Cancov = Canopy cover (percent)
 [Numeric]<br> Cov = Percent Cover [Numeric]<br> D = Day
 [Integer]<br> DBH = Diameter at breast height
 (cm)[Numeric]<br> Elev = Elevation (m) above mean sea level
 [Numeric]<br> End = Last month of spore or pollen production
 [Integer]. Source: Yatskievych (1999, 2006, 2013)<br> Family = Plant
 family [Factor]<br> Genus = Plant genus [Factor]<br> H =
 Habitat [Factor] "J" = Juniper; "R" = Red oak;
 "W" = White oak<br> Int = Intercept or distance in meters
 along transect occupied by canopy cover of a given species
 [Numeric]<br> Jstump = Juniper stump density [Integer]<br> L =
 Layer [Factor] "H" = Herbaceous; "S" = Shrub<br>
 M = Month [Integer]<br> MO = Plant species wetness category
 [Factor]<br> Notes = Additional text clarifying data
 [Character]<br> NT = Plant species Native (Nt) or Adventive (Ad)
 [Factor]<br> PHYS = Plant species physiognamy [Factor]<br> Q =
 Quadrat [Integer] This is equivalent to the length (m) from the start of
 the transect<br> Rocks = Index of soil rockiness - see methods
 [Integer]<br> RRI = Relative radiation index - see methods
 [Numeric]<br> Ses = Season [Factor] "Sp" = Spring =
 April/May. "Su" = Summer = June/July<br> Slp = Slope
 measured in degrees over 3 m centered on the herb quadrat
 [Numeric]<br> Source = Plant species information source [Factor]. LT
 = Ladd & Thomas (2015). NH = Nels Holmberg expert
 opinion.<br> Species = Plant species [Factor]<br> Start =
 First month of spore or pollen production [Integer]. Source: Yatskievych
 (1999, 2006, 2013)<br> Stems = Number of stems [Integer]<br> T
 = Transect [Factor]<br> Y = Year [Integer]
 Literature:<br> Baskin, J.M., Webb, D.H. & Baskin,
 C.C. 1995. A Floristic Plant Ecology Study of the Limestone Glades of
 Northern Alabama.<br> Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 122:
 226-242.<br> Campbell, J. 2005. Comparative ecology of warm-season
 (C4) versus cool-season (C3) grass species in Kentucky, with
 special <br> reference to Bluegrass Woodlands. In:  Proceedings of
 the 4th Eastern Native Grass Symposium. University of Kentucky,<br>
 Department of Forestry. Lexington, Kentucky, pp. 95-115.<br> Ladd,
 D. & Thomas, J.R. 2015. Ecologist checklist of the Missouri flora
 for floristic quality assessment. Phytoneuron 12: 1-274.<br> Maren,
 I.E., Karki, S., Prajapati, C., Yadav, R.K., Shrestha, B.B.  2015.  Facing
 north or south:  does slope aspect impact <br> forest stand
 characteristics and soil properties in a semiarid trans-Himalayan valley?”
  Journal of Arid Environments 121:  112-123.  <br> Smith, M.
 & Wu, Y. 1994. Photosynthetic characteristics of the shade-adapted
 C4 grass Muhlenbergia sobolifera (Muhl.) Trin.:<br> control of
 development of photorespiration by growth temperature. Plant, Cell
 & Environment 17: 763-769.<br> Towne, E.G. 2002. Vascular
 plants of Konza Prairie Biological Station: an annotated checklist of
 species in a Kansas tallgrass<br> prairie. SIDA, Contributions to
 Botany 20: 269-294.<br> Waller, S.S. & Lewis, J.K. 1979.
 Occurrence of C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways in North American grasses.
 Journal of Range<br> Management 32: 12-28.<br> Yatskievych,
 G.A. 1999. Steyermark's Flora of Missouri, revised edition. Missouri
 Department of Conservation with Missouri <br> Botanical Garden
 Press, Saint Louis, Missouri.<br> Yatskievych, G.A. 2006.
 Steyermark's Flora of Missouri, revised edition. Missouri Botanical
 Garden Press with Missouri Department <br> of Conservation, Saint
 Louis, Missouri.<br> Yatskievych, G.A. 2013. Steyermark's Flora
 of Missouri, revised edition. Missouri Botanical Garden Press with
 Missouri Department<br>  of Conservation, Saint Louis,
 Missouri.