TREND (PSRF) vegetation plot data 2011

The TREND (PSRF)- Terrestrial Ecosystems project initiated a landscape-scale monitoring transect along the Adelaide Geosyncline region in southern Australia, initially spanning approximately 550 km. The aim was to examine spatial drivers of species composition and to isolate the influence of climate on whole vegetation community composition and therefore inform on-going monitoring of the impact of climate change. Specific questions were: 1. What are the most important spatial drivers of species and phylogenetic composition along landscape-scale environmental gradients? 2. Can the answer to Question 1. inform selection of suitable spatial analogues for climate change? 3. How can a framework for assessing spatial drivers be used to monitor and interpret shifts in species composition due to climate change? The dataset consists of site and species records (see attachments) for plots established along the Adelaide Geosyncline for the TREND project. Data consist of vascular plant species composition (presence-abundance/absence) within 900m² plots plus site data, including aspect and soil properties. Data have been used to analyze changes in composition with geographic and environmental differences and as a baseline for monitoring.