Impact of Snowmelt Timing and Tree Proximity on Dutchman's Breeches Phenology and Performance in Mont Megantic National Park (Quebec, Canada; 2018-2019)

Data herein were collected in 2018 and 2019 in Mont Megantic National Park, Quebec, Canada, in a sugar maple-dominated temperate deciduous forest. Individuals of Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), a common understory spring ephemeral plant that is only active in the spring, were transplanted into a fully factorial experiment of snowmelt timing (early vs. late) and tree proximity (near vs. far) to determine the role of thaw circle formation in the local clustering of this species near canopy tree trunks. Plant phenology (emergence, senescence, and growing season length) and performance (stem abundance and leaf area) were tracked during two years of snow manipulation. Additionally, microclimate temperature data were collected in a subset of plots in 2018.