Tree and habitat structure data from rainforest fragments and coffee plantations in the Anamalai Hills, Western Ghats, India

<p><strong>TITLE</strong></p><p><strong>Tree and habitat structure data from rainforest fragments and coffee plantations in the Anamalai Hills, Western Ghats, India</strong><br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>DESCRIPTION</strong></p><p>This dataset contains point-centred quarter (PCQ) data on trees and habitat structure measurements data from rainforest fragments and some coffee plantations in the Valparai Plateau and Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. The data were gathered to quantity habitat parameters for bird and small carnivorous mamm community studies. Data were gathered mainly by T. R. Shankar Raman and Divya Mudappa (2000 to 2003), Hari Sridhar (2005), and Akshay Surendra (2019).</p><p><strong>Publications</strong></p><p>Specific portions of the dataset have been used in the following publications:</p><ul><li>Mudappa, D. 2001. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10603/101890">Ecology of the brown palm civet <i>Paradoxurus jerdoni</i> in the tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats, India</a>. Ph. D. thesis, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. https://hdl.handle.net/10603/101890</li><li>Raman, T. R. S. 2001. <a href="https://archive.org/details/raman-2001-ph-d-thesis-iisc">Community ecology and conservation of mid-elevation tropical rainforest bird communities in the southern Western Ghats, India</a>. PhD thesis, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. https://archive.org/details/raman-2001-ph-d-thesis-iisc</li><li>Raman, T.R.S. 2006. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-005-2352-5">Effects of Habitat Structure and Adjacent Habitats on Birds in Tropical Rainforest Fragments and Shaded Plantations in the Western Ghats, India</a>. <i>Biodiversity and Conservation</i> 15: 1577–1607. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-005-2352-5</li><li>Sridhar, H., &amp; Sankar, K. 2008. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467408004823">Effects of habitat degradation on mixed-species bird flocks in Indian rain forests</a>. <i>Journal of Tropical Ecology</i> 24: 135-147. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467408004823</li><li>Surendra, A. &amp; Raman, T. R. S. 2022. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.22.513365">Forest bird decline and community change over 19 years in long-isolated South Asian tropical rainforest fragments</a>. Preprint. <i>BioRxiv</i> 2022.10.22.513365. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.22.513365<br>&nbsp;</li></ul><p>A related dataset is the following:<br>Raman, T. R. S. (2020). Data from: Effects of Habitat Structure and Adjacent Habitats on Birds in Tropical Rainforest Fragments and Shaded Plantations in the Western Ghats, India. <i>Dryad Dataset.</i> https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4mw6m907q<br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Curation and corrections</strong></p><p>Data were collated, curated, and corrected before this upload. Besides addition of new columns, explanations of metadata, and other corrections included few related to canopy measurements, effective girth of multi-stem trees, and species identification.</p><p><strong>Acknowledgements</strong></p><p>We are grateful to P. Jeganathan and P. R. Shankar for assistance with data collection in 2000. Others who assisted with field research, and funding agencies related to the specific studies, are acknowledged in the above publications. The data compilation and publication was carried out as part of a grant from Fondation Franklinia to NCF.</p><p><br><strong>CONTACTS</strong><br>&nbsp;</p><p>CONTACT #1<br>1. Name: T. R. Shankar Raman<br>2. Work Address: Nature Conservation Foundation, 1311, 12th A Main, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysuru 570017, Karnataka, India<br>3. Work Phone: +91 821 2515601<br>4. Email address: trsr@ncf-india.org<br>5. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1347-3953</p><p>CONTACT #2<br>1. Name: Divya Mudappa<br>2. Work Address: Nature Conservation Foundation, 1311, 12th A Main, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysuru 570017, Karnataka, India<br>3. Work Phone: +91 821 2515601<br>4. Email address: divya@ncf-india.org<br>5. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9708-4826</p><p>CONTACT #3<br>1. Name: Hari Sridhar<br>2. Work Address: Wildlife Institute of India, Post Bag #18, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248001, Uttarakhand, India; Nature Conservation Foundation, 1311, 12th A Main, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysuru 570017, Karnataka, India<br>3. Work Phone: +91 821 2515601<br>4. Email address: harisridhar1982@gmail.com<br>5. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3286-0120</p><p>CONTACT #4<br>1. Name:&nbsp; Akshay Surendra<br>2. Work Address: Nature Conservation Foundation, 1311, 12th A Main, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysuru 570017, Karnataka, India; School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT – 06511, USA; New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458<br>3. Work Phone: +91 821 2515601<br>4. Email address: akshaysurendra1@gmail.com<br>5. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-7432<br>&nbsp;</p><p><br><strong>GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE</strong></p><p>1. Location/Study Area: Valparai Plateau, Tamil Nadu, India; Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India</p><p>2. GPS coordinates: Valparai Plateau (10°15'- 10°22'N, 76°52' - 76°59'E); Anamalai Tiger Reserve (10°12' - 10°35'N, 76°49' - 77°24'E)</p><p><br><strong>TEMPORAL COVERAGE</strong></p><p>1. Begins: 2000-01-01 (Year, Month, Day)<br>2. Ends: 2019-12-31 (Year, Month, Day)</p><p><br><strong>METHODS</strong></p><p>Methods involved are described in the publications listed above. The vegetation sampling methods are briefly described below.</p><p>PCQ data: Trees ≥30cm girth at breast height (gbh, at 1.3 m) were sampled in replicate point-centred quarter (PCQ) points in each of the sites (fragments or coffee plantations).</p><p>All trees in the PCQ plots were identified to species, or in a few cases to genus, using available field guides. Using a tape measure, distance from plot centre to the middle of the bole and GBH were recorded for each tree. At each of the PCQ plots, circular plots were laid to enumerate shrubs and cut trees and record presence or absence of lianas, cane, Lantana etc as described in the metadata. Canopy and leaf litter variables were measured at replicate points, spaced 25&nbsp; to 50 m apart, in each site. Elevation readings were also taken at these points using an altimeter or handheld GPS. Canopy height was measured using a rangefinder. Percentage canopy cover was measured using a spherical densiometer at each of the 25 points in each site. Vertical stratification was assessed by noting presence or absence of foliage in the following height intervals (in metres): 0–1, 1–2, 2–4, 4–8, 8–16, 16–24, 24–32, and &gt; 32, directly above and in a 0.5 m radius around each point. Leaf litter depth on the forest floor was measured using a calibrated wooden probe at each point. Where ground vegetation and litter were disturbed along trails, the samples were taken away from trails in the forest floor.</p><p><br><strong>FILES INCLUDED</strong><br>Besides the 00_README.txt file that contains this metadata, the dataset includes the following 7 files, whose details and contents are explained below. (Wherever used in the various files, NA implies not available.)<br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>01) sites.csv -- Details of study sites</strong><br>verbatimLocality: Name of locality as originally used<br>Fragment: Name of rainforest fragment or coffee plantation<br>decimalLongitude: Longitude in decimal degrees North (WGS 84 datum)<br>decimalLatitude: Latitude in decimal degrees East (WGS 84 datum)<br>habitat: Habitat type as mature tropical rainforest, tropical rainforest fragment, or coffee plantation<br>Description: Description of the place<br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>02) allpcqdata.csv -- Tree data from point-centred quarter (PCQ) surveys</strong><br>Year: Year of survey for&nbsp; bird and vegetation study<br>verbatimLocality: Name of locality as originally used<br>Fragment: Name of rainforest fragment or coffee plantation<br>Point_name: Name ID of point-centred quarter (PCQ) point as used within a survey year<br>pointID: Unique ID of point-centred quarter (PCQ) point including year of survey<br>Tree_no: Tree number ID given to the four trees in each PCQ plot (T1 to T4)<br>verbatimIdentification: Scientific name of tree species as originally written or identified<br>scientificName: Scientific name as currently identified under updated taxonomy<br>nativeAlien: Category indicating whether species is native or alien to the region/country<br>kingdom: Taxonomic Kingdom<br>phylum: Taxonomic Phylum<br>Distance_eff: Distance in metres from centre of PCQ plot to centre of tree trunk<br>Girth_eff: Girth in centimetres (cm) at breast height (1.3 m) of the tree after correction (using appropriate formula) in the case of multi-stemmed individuals<br>locationRemarks: Code for site name as originally used<br>SpCode: Species code as originally used during data entry<br>TreeHeight: Tree height in metres (only&nbsp; available in 2019 survey)<br>identificationRemarks: Notes related to identification if available<br>occurrenceRemarks: Notes related to multi-stemmed individuals (girths in cm) if available and note on one possibly errorneous girth<br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>03) pcqlocations.csv -- Locations of sample PCQ points</strong><br>pointID: Unique ID of point-centred quarter (PCQ) point including year of survey<br>note: Site name code<br>decimalLatitude: Latitude in decimal degrees East (WGS 84 datum)<br>decimalLongitude: Longitude in decimal degrees North (WGS 84 datum)<br>coordinateUncertaintyInMeters: Approximate uncertainty of the location in metres<br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>04) allhabitat.csv -- Data on habitat structure variables</strong><br>Year: Year of survey for&nbsp; bird and vegetation study<br>verbatimLocality: Name of locality as originally used<br>Fragment: Name of rainforest fragment or coffee plantation<br>Point: ID of replicate survey point within the Fragment<br>0-1m: Presence (1) or absence (0) of foliage within 0.5 m of point in the vertical band 0-1 m above ground<br>1-2m: Presence (1) or absence (0) of foliage within 0.5 m of point in the vertical band 1-2 m above ground<br>2-4m: Presence (1) or absence (0) of foliage within 0.5 m of point in the vertical band 2-4 m above ground<br>4-8m: Presence (1) or absence (0) of foliage within 0.5 m of point in the vertical band 4-8 m above ground<br>8-16m: Presence (1) or absence (0) of foliage within 0.5 m of point in the vertical band 8-16 m above ground<br>16-24m: Presence (1) or absence (0) of foliage within 0.5 m of point in the vertical band 16-24 m above ground<br>24-32m: Presence (1) or absence (0) of foliage within 0.5 m of point in the vertical band 24-32 m above ground<br>over32m: Presence (1) or absence (0) of foliage within 0.5 m of point in the vertical band greater than 32 m above ground<br>VertStrata: Number of vertical strata with foliage (sum of preceding 8 columns)<br>CanopyHeight: Canopy height in metres<br>CanopyOpenness: Canopy openness in percentage as measured using a spherical densiometer<br>CanopyCover: Canopy cover (closure) in percentage as measured using a spherical densiometer<br>CanopyOverlap: Canopy overlap rank: 0-open sky above; 1-branches above barely touching; 2-overlapping branches above, sky visible; 3-overlapping branches, sky not visible<br>UC: Canopy overlap rank as above, for understorey vegetation only<br>MC: Canopy overlap rank as above, for the midstorey only<br>CC: Canopy overlap rank as above, for the upper canopy only<br>Altitude: Altitude above sea leavel in metres, measued from hand-held altimeter or GPS device<br>RfShrub: Number of shrubs (woody stems at least 1 m in height, GBH &lt; 30 cm) within 2 m radius of point<br>Coffee: Number of coffee bushes (woody stems at least 1 m in height, GBH &lt; 30 cm) within 2 m radius of point<br>Maesopsis: Number of alien Maesopsis eminii stems (woody stems at least 1 m in height, GBH &lt; 30 cm) within 2 m radius of point<br>Strobilanthes: Number of Strobilanthes shrubs (woody stems at least 1 m in height, GBH &lt; 30 cm) within 2 m radius of point<br>TotalShrub: Total number of shrubs within 2 m radius of point<br>Liana: Presence (1) or absence (0) of woody lianas within 5 m radius of point<br>Cane: Presence (1) or absence (0) of cane (Calamus sp.) within 2 m radius of point<br>Lantana: Presence (1) or absence (0) of Lantana camara shrubs within 2 m radius of point<br>Bamboo: Presence (1) or absence (0) of bamboo culms within 2 m radius of point<br>LeafLitter: Depth of leaf litter in cm (to 0.5 cm accuracy) measured using a calibrated wooden probe<br>CutTrees: Number of cut trees within 5 m radius of point<br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>05) gbifnames.csv -- Results of GBIF name matching tool</strong><br>sno: Serial number<br>verbatimScientificName: Scientific name of tree species as originally written or identified<br>scientificName: Scientific name after matching with Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) database to lowest taxonomic level<br>sciNameWithAuthor: Scientific name with author as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>key: GBIF key as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>matchType: Type of match as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>confidence: Confidence as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>status: Status as accepted name or synonym as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>rank: Taxonomic rank as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>kingdom: Kingdom as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>phylum: Phylum as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>class: Class as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>order: Order as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>family: Family as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>genus: Genus as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>species: Species as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>canonicalName: Canonical name as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>authorship: Author of name as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>06) plots2000.csv -- Data from 5 m radius circular plots in select sites</strong><br>verbatimLocality: Name of locality as originally used<br>Fragment: Name of rainforest fragment or coffee plantation<br>PlotID: ID of 5 m radius plot<br>Treeno: Serial number of tree in the plot<br>verbatimIdentification: Scientific name of tree species as originally written or identified<br>scientificName: Scientific name as currently identified under updated taxonomy<br>Girth_eff: Girth in centimetres (cm) at breast height (1.3 m) of the tree after correction (using appropriate formula) in the case of multi-stemmed individuals<br>nativeAlien: Category indicating whether species is native or alien to the region/country<br>kingdom: Kingdom as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>phylum: Phylum as provided by GBIF name matching tool<br>occurrenceRemarks: Notes related to multi-stemmed individuals (girths in cm) if available and identification</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>07) anampcqs4gbif.rmd -- Text file with code in the R statistical and programming language</strong>&nbsp;</p><p>This R code was used for converting data in this Zenodo dataset into Darwin Core occurrence dataset for upload to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, https://www.gbif.org). The published dataset can now be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.15468/cmsveh</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Changes in Version 2</strong></p><p>In sites.csv, changed habitat from "Rainforest" to "Tropical rainforest fragment" for Puthuthottam</p><p>Added the anampcqs4gbif.rmd file with R code</p>