Presence, abundance, and environmental data from 1996 on Celastrus orbiculatus and other exotic plant species in the southern Appalachians, USA

A variety of abiotic, biotic, human and historic variables related to environmental suitability and propagule pressure determine the distribution of invasive plants in a landscape. Understanding the role of these variables for invasive species is challenging because environmental variables are often correlated, many invaders have broad ecological niches, and invasive distributions are often highly dynamic. The researchers examined the role of environmental variables at multiple spatial scales on the distribution of an invasive vine Celastrus orbiculatus (Celastraceae) and other exotic plant species in the southern Appalachians, USA. Data were collected in the Southern Blue Ridge Province of the southern Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina, USA. This data set includes data on elevation, environmental disturbance, and the presence and abundance of various plant species. The researchers extracted presence and absence data from various sources, including the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service survey data (NPS/USFS) and Southern Appalachian Volunteer Environmental Monitoring data (SAVEM) (Albright et al. 2009).