Vegetation characteristics around natural windbreaks on sub-Antarctic Marion Island

Résumé fourni par la source

This is the vegetation data recorded around natural windbreaks on sub-Antarctic Marion Island, used to assess the effect of wind exposure on vascular plant species traits and community characteristics. Vegetation was sampled in a 0.7 x 0.5 m quadrat on both the windward and leeward sides of natural windbreaks (i.e. large boulders) across Marion Island, with a control quadrat of the same size sampled ca. 2 m away from the windbreak. In each quadrat, all vascular species were identified, their aerial canopy cover visually estimated, and their maximum height recorded. Several leaf functional traits were measured for vascular plant species with an aerial cover of > 5% on both the windward and leeward sides of each windbreak. The leaf functional traits measured were leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf thickness and force to tear. These leaf functional traits were measured following standardised methods (Pérez-Harguindeguy et al. 2013; Australian Journal of Botany). This data was collected from December 2020 to March 2021 at six sampling sites across Marion Island, ranging from 30 to 1600 m inland from the coast. A total of 90 natural windbreaks were sampled across these sites.

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