Point Quadrat Vegetation Data, Buxton Climate Change Experiment, UK, 1994-2009

The Buxton Climate Change Impacts study was established in 1992 on a steep daleside of calcareous grassland outside Buxton, Derbyshire, UK. The vegetation has been surveyed annually since 1994 with nondestructive point quadrat touches (with gaps in 2005, 2007, and 2008) in early summer that correlate with total plot biomass. In five replicate blocks of 3 x 3 m plots, the vegetation has been subjected to climate treatments of winter heating (3C above ambient, Nov-April), summer drought (no rain, July-Aug), summer augmented rainfaill (20% above the long-term average, June-Sept), and two interaction treatments (heating-drought, heating-watered) in addition to replicated controls. The grassland is maintained in a short turf to simulate sheep and cattle grazing each autumn (Oct).