The role of canopy cover dynamics over a decade of changes in the understory of an Atlantic beech-oak forest

This dataset hosts the main data and R codes of the analyses carried out to study the role of canopy cover dynamics over a decade of changes in the understory of an Atlantic Beech-Oak forest. We measured changes in understory taxonomical and functional composition, richness and diversity between 2006 and 2016, and relate those changes to changes in canopy coverage between both years.

The data show changes between 2006 and 2016 in the species abundance, richness and diversity of 102 understory communities, and in the functional composition, richness and diversity for five functional traits (Leaf dry matter content, Specific leaf area, Leaf size, Plant height and Seed mass). Changes in canopy coverage between 2006 and 2016 were studied as an explanatory variable.

The R codes show the main analyses carried out in the study: 1) The calculation of the functional composition, richness and diversity of the five traits studied (Leaf dry matter content, Specific leaf area, Leaf size, Plant...