Santa Cruz island time series vegetation data

Methods
This dataset was collected as part of a long-term vegetation monitoring program on Santa Cruz Island, California, USA, following the removal of non-native grazers. Sampling was conducted across 100 30 x 2 m plots representing a range of plant communities (oak woodland, chaprral, pine, grassland, coastal scrub), restoration histories and management strategies.

Field Methods:
Vegetation surveys were conducted annually during peak biomass (typically between March and May). Within each plot, species presence and cover were recorded using a modified point-intercept method along permanent transects. Each transect consisted of a standardized number of regularly spaced points where all hits were identified to species when possible.

Environmental Data:
In addition to vegetation data, abiotic variables such as slope, aspect, soil type, and elevation were recorded for each plot using GPS, topographic maps, and field observations. Climatic data were interpolated from nearby weather stations and remote sensing sources when relevant.

Data Processing:
Species names were standardized to The Jepson eFlora taxonomy (2022). Percent cover was calculated from point-intercept data and averaged across transects within each plot-year. Quality control steps included filtering misidentifications, removing non-vascular plant records, and excluding plots with incomplete metadata.

Data Structure:
The final dataset includes:

Plot metadata (location, environmental variables, management history),

Annual species composition data (percent cover by species),

and survey year identifiers.

Each row represents a unique plot-year combination, with associated species-level or community-level attributes.