Semi-natural grasslands vegetation data, Levanger, Norway

This data
set contains data on vascular plant species in semi-natural grasslands in a
study area in Levanger, Norway. The extent of the study area was about 4 km × 5 km. The vegetation was recorded in 1 m × 1 m plots using a restricted random sampling design and the dataset
includes data from 132 such plots. The coordinates for each plot were randomly
drawn within the study area but only plots located within a semi-natural meadow
was included in the final dataset.
The random sampling
was restricted by dividing the study area into five equally sized units and requiring
an equal number of plots within each of these. The study area and the management of the
grasslands are also described in Johansen et al. (2016).

In the sampling plots,
the cover of all vascular plant species was recorded as percentage cover and
these are the numbers presented in the dataset. The total cover within a plot
was allowed to exceed 100%.
In addition to the plant
cover data, a number of environmental variables were recorded for each plot.
The environmental variables can be found to the right in the dataset, and include
variables scored by visual assessment in the field and results from lab analysis
of soil samples.

Separated soil samples
were collected from 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil depth. Each soil sample included
soil from nine different subsamples taken just outside the 1 m × 1 m plots. The soil samples were analysed for pH and organic matter content
(OM) according to standard methods. The ammonium-acetate-lactate method (–AL)
described by Egner et al. (1960) was used to estimating the content of plant
available P, K, Mg and Ca in the soil samples. The units for all plant available
nutrients are mg 100 g-1.

References:

Egner, H., Riehm, H., & Domingo, W. R. (1960).
Untersuchungen uber die chemische Boden-Analyse als Grundlage fur die
Beurteilung des Nahrstoffzustandes der Boden. Kungliga Lantbrukshogskolans
Annaler 26: 199–215

Johansen, L., Wehn, S., & Hovstad, K. A. (2016). Clonal
growth buffers the effect of grazing management on the population growth rate
of a perennial grassland herb. Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional
Ecology of Plants 223: 11– 18 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2016.04.007