DOI: 10.5061/dryad.h18931zr3
title: FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database

description: FLAMITS database contains 19,972 records of 40 flammability variables
 (classified according to the measured component of flammability). For each
 record, relevant details of the flammability experiment are included, such
 as the burning device, the ignition source, and the burned plant part. In
 addition, FLAMITS compiles taxonomic and functional data of the studied
 species and information on the study site (locality, geographic
 coordinates, biome, biogeographic realm, and fire activity). We compiled
 data from 295 studies located in 39 countries and distributed across 12
 biomes worldwide over the last 62.5 years (1961 to 15th May 2023). The
 dataset has 1790 plant taxa from 186 families, 833 genera, and 1790
 species.
description: GENERAL INFORMATION 1\. Title of Dataset FLAMITS: A global database of
 plant flammability traits Access this dataset on Dryad: https:// doi. org/
 10. 5061/ dryad. h1893 1zr3 2\. Author Information a) Principal
 Investigator. Contact Information Name: Korina Ocampo Zuleta. Institution:
 Universidad Austral de Chile. Email: 
 b) Co-investigator. Contact Information Name: Susana Paula. Institution:
 Universidad Austral de Chile. Email: c)
 Co-investigator. Contact Information Name: Juli G. Pausas. Institution:
 Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación. Email:
 3\. Date of the data collection: 1961 to
 15th May 2023 (The last 62.5 years). 4\. Spatial Location of data
 collection: We compiled data from 295 studies in 39 countries and
 distributed across 12 biomes worldwide. 5\. Major Taxa and Level of
 Measurement: 1790 plant taxa from 186 families, 883 genera, and 1784
 species. 6\. Information about funding sources: Agencia Nacional de
 Investigación y Desarrollo, Grant/Award Number:PIA/BASAL FB210006 and
 21190817; Dirección de Investigación, Universidad Austral de Chile,
 Grant/Award Number: TD-2021-01; Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y
 Tecnológico, Grant/Award Number: 1190999; Generalitat Valenciana,
 Grant/Award Number: Promteo/2021/040. SHARING/ACCESS INFORMATION 1\. Links
 to publications that cite or use the data: Ocampo-Zuleta, K., Pausas, J.
 G. & Paula, S.(2023). FLAMITS: A global database of plant flammability
 traits. Global Ecology and Biogeography.
 2\. Links to other publicly
 accessible locations of the data: None 3\. Links/relationships to
 ancillary data sets: None 4\. Was data derived from another source? No A.
 If yes, list source(s): NA 5\. Recommended citation for this dataset:
 Ocampo-Zuleta, Korina; Pausas, Juli G.; Paula, Susana (2023). FLAMITS:
 FLAMmability plant traiTS database [Dataset]. Dryad.
 DATA & FILE OVERVIEW
 1\. File list: the "data file", which includes the main data
 values and key information for their interpretation; the "taxon
 file", with the taxonomic and ecological description of the taxa
 included in the database; the "synonymy file", to relate the
 taxa names used in the database to the synonymous names used in the data
 source; the "site file", that includes details on the
 geographical location and ecological characteristics of the study sites;
 and the "source file", with the references used. 2\.
 Relationship between files, if important: yes 3\. Additional related data
 collected that was not included in the current data package: None 4\. Are
 there multiple versions of the dataset? No DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR:
 data_file.csv 1\. General description: each record consists of one
 flammability trait data (column: var_value) measured on a given taxa
 (taxon_name) obtained in a particular study (source_ID), usually for a
 specific location (site_ID) and a specific sampling time (sampling_time),
 with some indicated exceptions (i.e. averaged data from several locations
 or sampling times). The names of the flammability traits (and their units)
 were homogenized based on the description of the measurement, and assigned
 to one of the four flammability dimensions (flam_dimension): ignitability,
 combustibility, sustainability, and consumability. We included records of
 a semi-quantitative variable integrating the abovementioned flammability
 dimensions, which was classified as "integrated" in the
 flam_diension column. Relevant information on the flammability experiment
 was also systematized and included in the database the type of device used
 for the experimental burning (burning_device); the ignition source
 (ignition_source), the preheating method (i.e. treatment prior to exposure
 to the ignition source; preheating), the device used for measuring the
 temperature (temp_device), and the part of the organism burnt
 (plant_part). When available, FLAMITS also includes whether the fuel was
 alive or dead (fuel_type), whether the sample was pre-dried before the
 burning experiment or not (predrying), as well as the moisture content of
 the fuel (fuel_moisture) and the sampling period (sampling_time). In
 addition, it was indicated whether the specimens studied were taken from
 the native or from the non-native distribution range of the species
 (origin) according to the information of the study site and corroborated
 with global databases (i.e. Plants of the World Online). Finally, each
 record was linked to a unique identifier for the study site (site_ID) and
 another for the reference of the data source (source_ID). 2\. Number of
 variables: 21 3\. Number of cases/rows: 19,972 4\. Variable List: \- ID:
 Unique record identifier (numeric) \- taxon_ID: Unique taxon identifier
 used in the "Taxa" file \- taxon_name: Taxon name without
 authority names. Complete names are provided in the "Taxa" file
 \- var_name: Flammability variable name (see definitions in Table 2) \-
 var_value: The numerical value of the flammability variable \-
 flam_dimension Measured flammability component (see definitions in Table
 2): ignitability; combustibility; sustainability; consumability;
 integrated \- burning_device: Type of device used for the flammability
 test (see definitions in Table 2): burning bench; calorimeter;
 epiradiator; flat flame burner; ignition temperature tester; grill;
 infrared burner; muffle furnace; thermal analyser; wind tunnel \-
 ignition_source: Type of ignition source: flame; heater; flame + heater;
 sparkler \- ignition_source_desc: Description of the characteristics of
 the ignition source. ND = no data available \- preheating: Whether or not
 the samples were preheated before the combustion experiment: no; yes \-
 preheating_desc: Description of the procedures of preheating the sample
 before the exposure to the ignition source \- temp_device: Temperature
 measurement device: infrared camera; infrared thermometer; thermocolour
 pyrometer; thermocouple; ND (= no data available); NA (= not applicable)
 \- plant_part: Part of the plant burnt (see definitions in Table 2): bark;
 branches; cones; outer bark; inner bark; leaves; litter; roots; stems;
 twigs; whole plant; wood \- fuel_type: Type of fuel burnt: all; dead;
 live; ND (= no data available) \- predrying: Whether or not the samples
 were dried before the combustion experiment: no; yes \- fuel_moisture:
 Fuel moisture (in %) before the flammability test \- origin: Type of
 distribution range of the burnt specimens: non-native; native \-
 source_ID: Unique identifier used in the "Source" file to label
 the source from which the data were obtained. Complete references are
 listed in the "Source" file \- site_ID: Unique identifier used
 in the "Site" file to label the study sites. A description of
 the study sites is provided in the "Site" file \- sampling_time:
 Period, season, or month of sampling. ND = no data available \- comments:
 Relevant comments 5\. Definition variable List: 5.1 Flammability variable
 (var_name; for flam_dimension = Ignitability) \- Ignition frequency (%):
 Percentage of samples that ignited during the experimental burning. A
 sample is considered to be ignited when a flame appears after being
 exposed to an ignition source during a limited period of time (e.g., 10 s
 in Jaureguiberry et al., 2011 or 60 s in Americo et al., 2021) and if the
 sample sustains the flame after the ignition source has been removed
 (Valette, 1990) \- Flammability value: Index defined as a function of the
 ignition frequency and the mean ignition time score. A flammability of
 this type is declared low when the scores are 0 and 1, medium for scores 2
 and 3, and high for scores 4 and 5 (Valette, 1990) \- Temperature at
 flaming (°C): Temperature of the sample (or of the surrounding air) at the
 beginning of the flame phase (i.e., when the flames appear and are
 maintained; Saura-Mas et al., 2010) \- Temperature at smoke (°C):
 Temperature of the sample (or of the surrounding air) at the beginning of
 the smoke phase (i.e., when the smoke appears; Saura-Mas et al., 2010) \-
 Temperature at smouldering (°C): Temperature of the sample (or of the
 surrounding air) at the beginning of the smouldering phase (i.e., when
 glowing occurs; Saura-Mas et al., 2010) \- Time to flaming (s): Time to
 the beginning of the flaming phase (i.e., when the flames appear and are
 maintained; Saura-Mas et al., 2010). Time measurements start when the
 sample is exposed to an ignition source (Cui et al., 2020; Krix et al.,
 2019) or when the sample reaches a given temperature (e.g., 60°C;
 Saura-Mas et al., 2010) \- Time to maximum heat release rate (s): Time
 elapsed since the beginning of the flaming phase up until the maximum heat
 release rate is reached (Dupuy et al., 2003) \- Time to maximum smoke
 density (s): Time elapsed since the exposure to the ignition source up
 until the maximum smoke density is reached (King, 1975) \- Time to smoke
 (s): Time to the beginning of the smoke phase (i.e., when the smoke
 appears; Saura-Mas et al., 2010). Time measurements start when the sample
 is exposed to an ignition source (Krix et al., 2019) or when the sample
 reaches a given temperature (e.g., 60°C; Saura-Mas et al., 2010) \- Time
 to smouldering (s): Time to the beginning of the smouldering phase (i.e.,
 when the glowing occurs; Saura-Mas et al., 2010). Time measurements start
 when the sample is exposed to an ignition source (Krix et al., 2019) or
 when the sample reaches a given temperature (e.g., 60°C; Saura-Mas et al.,
 2010) 5.2 Flammability variable (var_name; for flam_dimension =
 Combustibility) \- Calorific value (kcal/kg): The amount of energy
 released per unit of fuel biomass burnt (Shaha, 2018) \- Energy flux
 (kW/m²): The rate of energy release during combustion per surface area
 unit (see "heat release rate" definition for details; NIST,
 2022) \- Energy release rate (kW): The rate of energy release during
 combustion. The value usually corresponded to the average heat release
 rate over the experimental burning (Belcher, 2016) \- Flame height (cm):
 Maximum flame height, estimated visually to the nearest centimeter (Santos
 et al., 2018) \- Flame intensity (kW/m): Maximum heat release rate per
 meter of fire front (Liodakis et al., 2011) \- Flame propagation: Number
 of opposite directions in which flames spread from the center of the
 sample (0 to 4; Ganteaume, 2018) \- Heat released per mass (°C s/g):
 Energy released as heat during the flame occurrence, estimated as the area
 under the temperature-time curve throughout the flaming duration divided
 by the fresh fuel biomass (Blackhall & Raffaele, 2019) \- Mass loss
 rate (g/s): Burnt biomass divided by the flaming duration (i.e., since the
 ignition to the flame extinction; Simpson et al., 2016) \- Mass loss rate
 per area (g/m2 s): Mass loss rate per area unit of the fuel sample (see
 "mass loss rate" definition for details; Ramadhan et al., 2019)
 \- Maximum energy flux (kW/m2): Maximum rate of energy release during
 combustion per surface area unit (White et al., 1996) \- Maximum energy
 release rate (kW): Maximum energy release rate obtained during the
 experimental burning (see "energy release rate" definition for
 details; Madrigal et al., 2011) 5.3 Flammability variable (var_name; for
 flam_dimension = Combustibility) \- Maximum flame temperature (°C):
 Highest temperature measured in the flame during the sample burning
 (Cornwell et al., 2015) \- Maximum sample temperature (°C): Highest
 temperature measured in the sample during burning (Burger & Bond,
 2015) \- Percentage rate of mass loss (%/s): Burnt biomass percentage
 divided by flaming duration (from ignition to flame extinction; de Freitas
 Rocha & Landesmann, 2016) \- Smoke release rate (m2/s): Volumetric
 smoke flow rate through the duct of a cone calorimeter (Dowbysz &
 Samsonowicz, 2021) \- Smoke specific extinction area (m2/kg):
 Instantaneous amount of smoke produced per mass unit of burnt sample in a
 cone calorimeter (Babrauskas, 2016) \- Temperature increase rate (°C/s):
 Maximum rate of temperature increase during flaming combustion (Page et
 al., 2012) 5.4 Flammability variable (var_name; for flam_dimension =
 Sustainability) \- Burning duration (s): Amount of time that the
 combustion is sustained; can be restricted to the flaming duration or it
 can also include the smouldering phase (Pausas et al., 2017) \- Flaming
 duration (s) Time elapsed from the appearance of the first visible flame
 until no more flames were seen (Grootemaat et al., 2015) \- Flaming
 duration per mass (s/g): Flaming duration standardized by the dry,
 pre-burning fuel mass (Grootemaat et al., 2017) \- Frequency of sustained
 flaming (%): Percentage of samples that maintained flames for (at least) a
 given time (e.g., 10 s in Weir & Scasta, 2014) or that propagated fire
 over (at least) a given distance (of 125 mm in Santana & Marrs, 2014)
 \- Rate of burning spread (cm/s): It expresses the speed of burning (by
 smouldering or flaming). It can be calculated by dividing the length of
 the sample that was burnt by the burning time (Jaureguiberry et al., 2011)
 or the time interval between the flaming front passage at two points of
 the sample (Pausas et al., 2017) \- Smoke duration (s): Amount of time
 over which smoke is emitted (Krix et al., 2019) \- Smouldering duration
 (s): Amount of time during which glowing occurs, usually measured as the
 time from the end of the last visible flame until the glowing phase died
 out (Grootemaat et al., 2015) or by subtracting flaming duration from the
 total burning duration (Gabrielson et al., 2012) \- Smouldering duration
 per mass (s/g): Smouldering duration standardized by the dry, pre-burning
 fuel mass (Grootemaat et al., 2017) 5.5 Flammability variable (var_name;
 for flam_dimension = Consumability) \- Burnt biomass (%): Post-burning
 sample weight related to its weight before the experimental burning
 (Liodakis & Antonopoulos, 2006). Note that the initial change in
 weight of a burnt sample corresponds to the evaporation of water and other
 gases \- Estimated burnt biomass (%): Visually estimated percentage of the
 fuel biomass or volume consumed by the fire (Burger & Bond, 2015) \-
 Total heat release (MJ/m2): Total heat produced by the burning fuel over
 the entire period of the experiment calculated by integrating the heat
 release rate curve vs. the time (Madrigal et al., 2009) \- Total smoke
 release (m²/m²): Smoke production in a cone calorimeter standardized by
 the burnt specimen's area unit (Östman et al., 1992) 5.6 Flammability
 variable (var_name; for flam_dimension = Integrated) \- Flammability
 index: Compound value of flammability obtained by adding standardized
 scores of the maximum sample temperature, the rate of burning spread, and
 the burnt biomass. It has a minimum possible value of 0 (no flammability)
 and a maximum value that would rarely exceed 3 (maximum flammability)
 (Jaureguiberry et al., 2011) 5.7 Burning device (burning_device) \-
 Burning bench: Device to perform flammability assays under laboratory
 conditions, where the samples are located on a surface or container
 (frequently a steel mesh) and exposed to a flame (e.g., from a lit,
 alcohol-soaked cotton, a Bunsen burner, etc.). Fireproof rings are
 included here (Cornwell et al., 2015) \- Calorimeter: Device for the
 measurement of the heat produced by a chemical reaction or a physical
 change, as well as its heat capacity. Types of calorimeters included are:
 bomb calorimeter, scanning calorimeter, microcalorimeter, mass loss
 calorimeter, and cone calorimeter (Toppr, 2022). The type of calorimeter
 used is specified in the "Comments" field \- Epiradiator: Device
 consisting of an electrical heating resistor (typically powered by 500 W)
 placed inside an opaque and impermeable silica case. The resistor is fixed
 to a refractory surface at the top of the case (i.e., the heating plate).
 The fuel is placed lying on the heating plate or at a certain distance
 above it to test the flammability initiated by (respectively) heat
 conduction or radiative heat, boosted (Valette, 1997) or not (Pausas et
 al., 2012) by a pilot flame \- Flat flame burner: Device with a movable
 platform where a radiating heating panel simulates the radiative heating
 ahead of the flame front in a wildfire and a flat blame burner provides
 the heat transfer by convection (Engstrom et al., 2004) \- Grill:
 Propane--butane gas barbecue for flammability measurements of large plant
 samples up to 70 cm in length: the sample is exposed to a blowtorch (10 s)
 after preheating at 150°C for 2 min (Jaureguiberry et al., 2011) \-
 Ignition temperature tester: A device equipped with a hot plate with a
 non-corrosive abrasion resistant surface (usually an aluminum plate) on
 which a layer of solid particles or powder of a specified thickness is
 deposited. It allows measurement of the minimum temperature of the hot
 plate that will result in combustion of the sample (i.e., resulting in a
 flame or incandescence; NRC, 1979) \- Infrared burner: A device that
 focuses a flame of a standard gas burner onto a ceramic tile with
 thousands of microscopic holes; this converts the heat of the flame into
 infrared energy (Dove, 2011) \- Muffle furnace: Furnace built with
 refractory materials that can reach temperatures above 350°C (Gilbson,
 2022) \- Radiant panel: A device in which the sample (placed on a metal
 plate) is exposed to the heat flux emitted by a radiant panel and uses a
 pilot flame as ignition source (Overholt et al., 2014) \- Thermal
 analyzer: A device to study the properties of materials as they change
 with temperature using a set of techniques collectively known as thermal
 analysis. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) is one of those techniques
 frequently used to assess fuel flammability (Espectrometria, 2020) \-
 Outdoor wind tunnel: Device consisting of a fan and a tunnel several
 metres long placed in the ground, which is covered with sand. The fuel is
 placed on the sand and ignited from one end of the tunnel. The fan
 (controlled by an electronic system) is used to create an airflow that
 simulates the action of the wind inside the tunnel (cf. Madrigal et al.,
 2011) \- Scale wind tunnel: Device designed according to the Forced
 Ignition and Flame Spread Test (FIST), where samples are heated from above
 by a radiant panel. The pyrolyzates produced by the heated sample are
 carried to a Kanthal wire ignitor by a fixed airflow. Ignition occurs,
 when sufficient pyrolyzates are accumulated (Jolly et al., 2012)
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: taxon_file.csv 1\. General description: The
 "Taxon" file also includes the accepted taxa name and the
 taxonomic family following the APG IV and PPG I systems (APG IV et al.,
 2016; PPG I et al., 2016).Taxon names were first checked for misspellings
 and then we searched for synonymous names using the World Flora Online
 (WFO, 2022) and the Taxonomic Name Resolution Service (TNRS; Boyle et al.,
 2013). Notice that in some cases, the taxa were only determined at the
 genus level. 2\. Number of variables: 16 3\. Number of cases/rows: 1791
 4\. Variable List: \- taxon_ID: Unique taxon identifier (numeric) \-
 taxon_name: Currently accept species, subspecies, or variety names in
 World Flora Online (WFO) or the Taxonomic Name Resolution Service (TNRS)
 \- author: Authority for the taxon name \- group: Suprafamily taxonomic
 group: bryophyte; dicot; gymnosperm; lichen; monocot; pteridophyte \-
 family Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV and Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group I
 family \- genus: Genus, that is, the first part of the species binomial
 name \- species: The specific epithet, that is, the second part of the
 species binomial name \- lifespan: The period during which an individual
 of a species is alive and physiologically active: annual; perennial;
 variable \- growth_form: Morphology of the whole plant related to its
 size: bambusoid; climber; epiphyte; fern; forb; graminoid; large shrub;
 lichen; moss; palm-like;shrub; subshrub; tree \- woodiness: Presence and
 distribution of wood in the plant: fibrous; herbaceous; suffrutex; woody
 \- leaf_phenology: Phenology of leaves: deciduous; evergreen;
 semideciduous \- native_distrib: Known native distribution of the taxon by
 state, city, or country \- source_plant_ID: Unique identifier used in the
 "Source" file to label the source from which the lifespan and
 the growth form were obtained. Complete references are listed in the
 "Source" file \- source_leaf_ID: Unique identifier used in the
 "Source" file to label the source from which the leaf phenology
 was obtained. Complete references are listed in the "Source"
 file \- source_distrib_ID: Unique identifier used in the
 "Source" file to label the source from which the native range of
 the species was obtained. Complete references are listed in the
 "Source" file 5\. Definition variable List: 5.1 Growth form
 (growth_form) \- Bambusoid: Perennial plant with fibrous stems arising
 from belowground, clonal structures (usually rhizomes). The stems lack or
 have only weak secondary growth, but their rapid vertical growth sometimes
 forms tree-sized canopies (Pérez-Harguindeguy et al., 2013) \- Climber:
 Plant that roots in the soil but relies, at least initially, on external
 support for its upward growth and leaf positioning (Pérez-Harguindeguy et
 al., 2013) \- Epiphyte: Plant that grows attached to the trunk or branch
 of a shrub or tree (or to anthropogenic supports) by aerial roots, usually
 without contact to the ground (Pérez-Harguindeguy et al., 2013) \- Forb:
 Broad-leaved herbaceous plant (Tavşanoğlu & Pausas, 2018). Herbaceous
 ferns, mosses, and lichens are included here Graminoid Herbaceous plant
 with a grass-like morphology (Tavşanoğlu & Pausas, 2018) \- Large
 shrub: Tall, woody plant that, under optimal conditions, may reach an
 arborescence structure (Tavşanoğlu & Pausas, 2018). It includes large
 shrubs or small trees \- Palmoid: Plant of variable size with a
 rosette-shaped canopy of typically large (often compound) leaves atop a
 thick, columnar, unbranched (or small-branched) stem of fibrous
 consistency (Pérez-Harguindeguy et al., 2013) \- Shrub: Dwarf woody plant
 (typically \\&lt;50 cm), including suffruticose (suffrutescent) plants
 (Tavşanoğlu & Pausas, 2018). Includes most chameaphytes Subshrub Plant
 with usually multiple, ascending, woody stems less than 0.5 m tall
 (Pérez-Harguindeguy et al., 2013) \- Tree: Very tall woody plant,
 frequently with one main, primary stem and a green canopy rarely touching
 the ground (Tavşanoğlu & Pausas, 2018) DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR:
 Synonymy_file.csv 1\. General description: The "Synonymous" file
 includes the accepted name and the name used in the corresponding
 reference. 2\. Number of variables: 3 3\. Number of cases/rows: 248 4\.
 Variable List: \- original_name: Name given to the taxon in the data
 source \- taxon_name: Currently accept species, subspecies, or variety
 names in World Flora Online (WFO) or the Taxonomic Name Resolution Service
 (TNRS) \- taxon_ID: Unique taxon identifier used in the "Taxa"
 file DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Site_file.csv 1\. General description:
 The geographical description of each sampling site was compiled in the
 "Site" file, including latitude, longitude, country, and
 locality. Coordinates were either collected directly from the source or
 estimated from the sampling site. When the source did not provide detailed
 information on the sampling site (such as location or coordinates), the
 location (and the associated geographic data) where the burning experiment
 took place was included instead. The column named type was used to report
 whether the location corresponded to the sampling or the burning site.
 Using the coordinates, we specified the corresponding ecoregion (cf. Olson
 et al., 2001) and the fire activity of the location (cf. Pausas &
 Ribeiro, 2013). 2\. Number of variables: 11 3\. Number of cases/rows: 482
 4\. Variable List: \- site_ID: Unique identifier for the study sites
 (alphanumeric) \- source_ID: Unique identifier used in the
 "Source" file to label the data source. Complete references are
 listed in the "Source" file \- country: Country where the study
 was conducted \- locality: Location of the study site. ND = no data
 available \- type: Whether the location corresponds to the sampling site
 or to the site where the burning experiment was carried out: sampling;
 burning \- latitude: Latitude (in decimal degrees) of the study site \-
 longitude: Longitude (in decimal degrees) of the study site \- realm: Code
 for the corresponding biogeographical realm where the study area was
 located (cf. Olson et al., 2001, BioScience, 51, 933-938) \- biome: Code
 for the corresponding terrestrial biome where the study area was located
 (cf. Olson et al., 2001, BioScience, 51, 933-938) \- ecoreg: Code for the
 corresponding terrestrial ecoregion where the study area was located
 (cf. Olson et al., 2001, BioScience, 51, 933-938) \- fire: A dimensionless
 measurement of the average fire activity of the ecoregion of the study
 site (cf. Pausas & Ribeiro, 2013, Global Ecology and Biogeography, 22,
 728-736) 5\. Definition variable List: 5.1 Terrestrial biomes (biome,
 cf. Olson et al. 2001) \- 1: Tropical and subtropical moist, broadleaf
 forests (tropical and subtropical, humid): also known as tropical moist
 forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat, generally found in
 large, discontinuous patches centered on the equatorial belt and between
 the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, TSMF are characterized by
 low variability in annual temperature and high levels of rainfall of more
 than 2,000 mm (79 in) annually. Forest composition is dominated by
 evergreen and semi-deciduous tree species. \- 2: Tropical and subtropical
 dry, broadleaf forests (tropical and subtropical, semihumid): Is located
 at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in
 climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred
 millimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons that last several
 months and vary with geographic location. These seasonal droughts have
 great impact on all living things in the forest. \- 3: Tropical and
 subtropical coniferous forests (tropical and subtropical, semihumid): a
 tropical forest habitat type. hese forests are found predominantly in
 North and Central America and experience low levels of precipitation and
 moderate variability in temperature. Tropical and subtropical coniferous
 forests are characterized by diverse species of conifers, whose needles
 are adapted to deal with the variable climatic conditions. \- 4: Temperate
 broadleaf and mixed forests (temperate, humid): Broadleaf tree ecoregions,
 and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions.
 These forests are richest and most distinctive in central China and
 eastern North America, with some other globally distinctive ecoregions in
 the Himalayas, Western and Central Europe, the southern coast of the Black
 Sea, Australasia, Southwestern South America and the Russian Far East. \-
 5: Temperate coniferous forests (temperate, humid to semihumid): Temperate
 coniferous forests are found predominantly in areas with warm summers and
 cool winters, and vary in their kinds of plant life. In some, needleleaf
 trees dominate, while others are home primarily to broadleaf evergreen
 trees or a mix of both tree types. A separate habitat type, the tropical
 coniferous forests, occurs in more tropical climates. \- 6: Boreal
 forests/taiga (subarctic, humid): Generally referred to in North America
 as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous
 forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. \- 7: Tropical
 and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands (tropical and
 subtropical, semiarid): The biome is dominated by grass and/or shrubs
 located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and
 tropical latitudes. Tropical grasslands are mainly found between 5 degrees
 and 20 degrees in both North and south of the Equator. \- 8: Temperate
 grasslands, savannas, and shrublands (temperate, semiarid):The predominant
 vegetation in this biome consists of grass and/or shrubs. The climate is
 temperate and ranges from semi-arid to semi-humid. The habitat type
 differs from tropical grasslands in the annual temperature regime as well
 as the types of species found here. \- 9: Flooded grasslands and savannas
 (temperate to tropical, fresh or brackish water inundated): Consisting of
 large expanses or complexes of flooded grasslands. These areas support
 numerous plants and animals adapted to the unique hydrologic regimes and
 soil conditions. Large congregations of migratory and resident waterbirds
 may be found in these regions. \- 10: Montane grasslands and shrublands
 (alpine or montane climate): The biome includes high elevation grasslands
 and shrublands around the world. Includes high elevation (montane and
 alpine) grasslands and shrublands, including the puna and páramo in South
 America, subalpine heath in New Guinea and East Africa, steppes of the
 Tibetan plateaus, as well as other similar subalpine habitats around the
 world. \- 11: Tundra (arctic climate): Is a type of biome where tree
 growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There
 are three regions and associated types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine
 tundra, and Antarctic tundra. Tundra vegetation is composed of dwarf
 shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens. Scattered trees grow in some
 tundra regions. \- 12: Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub or
 sclerophyll forests (temperate warm, semihumid to semiarid with winter
 rainfall): The biome is generally characterized by dry summers and rainy
 winters, although in some areas rainfall may be uniform. Summers are
 typically hot in low-lying inland locations but can be cool near colder
 seas. Winters are typically mild to cool in low-lying locations but can be
 cold in inland and higher locations. All these ecoregions are highly
 distinctive, collectively harboring 10% of the Earth's plant species.
 \- 13: Deserts and xeric shrublands (temperate to tropical, arid): Deserts
 and xeric shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome. coregions in this
 habitat type vary greatly in the amount of annual rainfall they receive,
 usually less than 250 millimetres (10 in) annually except in the margins.
 \- 14: Mangrove (subtropical and tropical, salt water inundated): Is a
 shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water.
 Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and
 tidal rivers. They have special adaptations to take in extra oxygen and to
 remove salt, which allow them to tolerate conditions that would kill most
 plants. 5.2 Biogeographic realms (realm, cf. Olson et al. 2001) \- NA:
 Neartic: Covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central
 Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. \- PA: Paleartic: It stretches
 across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North
 Africa. \- AT: Afrotropic: Includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern
 Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the
 western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopian Zone or
 Ethiopian Region. \- IM: Indomalay: It extends across most of South and
 Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia. \- AA:
 Australasia: Includes Australia, the island of New Guinea (comprising
 Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian province of Papua), and the eastern
 part of the Indonesian archipelago, including the island of Sulawesi, the
 Moluccas (the Indonesian provinces of Maluku and North Maluku), and the
 islands of Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, and Timor, often known as the
 Lesser Sundas. \- NT: Neotropic: It includes the tropical terrestrial
 ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
 \- OC: Oceania: Includes the islands of the Pacific Ocean in Micronesia,
 the Fijian Islands, the Hawaiian islands, and Polynesia. New Zealand,
 Australia, and most of Melanesia including New Guinea, Vanuatu, the
 Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia. \- AN: Antarctic: Includes Antarctica
 and several island groups in the southern Atlantic and Indian oceans.
 DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Source_file.csv 1\. General description:
 The "Source file" contains the references used 2\. Number of
 variables: 4 3\. Number of cases/rows: 397 4\. Variable List: \-
 source_ID: Unique identifier for the data source (alphanumeric) \-
 data_type: Data type obtained from the source: flammability; complementary
 (e.g. life form, leaf phenology, species distribution) \- reference_type:
 Reference type: book; book section; conference paper; peer-reviewed
 article; preprint; technical report; thesis; web page \- reference: Full
 reference