Corridor Project Data, Plant Species in Matrix, Savannah River Site, SC USA, 2007

These data document plant species richness in the mature pine plantation forest (i.e. matrix) surrounding focal patches of open habitat in the Corridor Project experimental landscapes. Each of eight replicated landscapes contains five open patches: one central patch surrounded by four peripheral patches. The central patch is connected to one peripheral patch by a corridor; the unconnected peripheral patches have either a rectangular or winged shape. Matrix surrounding one connected, one rectangle, and one winged patch was sampled in each landscape for this study (24 patches total). This data set details plant species composition in the matrix surrounding each patch. Sampling was conducted within 5 contiguous10x10m plots (forming a 50 x 10m transect), that radiated out from each corner of a patch (four transects per patch).