The frequency, magnitude, and spatial distribution of heart rot in dominant temperate tree species in a forest dynamics plot

The composition, dynamics, and health of forest tree communities are governed by interactions with the abiotic and biotic environment. Fungi are critical biotic interactors that play an increasingly appreciated role in forest tree health, particularly with respect to mycorrhizal and pathogenic fungi. Heart rot fungi, while known to infect large fractions of the individuals in managed stands, have been considerably understudied in tree community ecology. Heart rot has been predicted to form hotspots in the forest due to crown or bole damage and/or soil moisture gradients, and is expected to vary across species due to life history differences. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified heart rot, the incidence, magnitude, and spatial distribution of heart rot in 328 individuals with diameters greater than or equal to 10 cm across the six most dominant tree species in a mixed broadleaf temperate forest dynamics plot. The results show that 71% of individuals display some degree ..., , , # The frequency, magnitude, and spatial distribution of heart rot in dominant temperate tree species in a forest dynamics plot

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.p2ngf1w2c](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.p2ngf1w2c)

## Description of the data and file structure

The data table contains the tag number, position of the individual tree in the plot, whether it has any rot, and the percentage of rot. These data are from the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center Forest Dynamics Plot in Michigan, USA.

### Files and variables

#### File: HeartRotDist.csv

**Description:** 

##### Variables

* TreeNumber: This the tag number of the tree.
* GlobalX: This is the x coordinate for the tree in the plot (meters).
* GlobalY: This is the y coordinate for the tree in the plot (meters).
* Rot: Whether the tree has heart rot (1) or no heart rot (0).
* PercentRot: The percent of the stem at 130cm above ground that has heart rot.
* Species: A six letter species code (ABIBAL-*Abies balsamea*, AC...,