Long-term demographic dataset for Cladonia perforata, including fine-scale cover, occupancy, and subpopulation area data, 2011-2024

This dataset includes all data pertaining to a long-term demographic study of Cladonia perforata (perforate reindeer lichen), a federally endangered lichen endemic to Florida, including fine-scale cover, occupancy, and population area data, conducted by the Archbold Biological Station Plant Ecology Program. This includes 13 years of data (2011-2024) from nine subpopulation (including seven at Archbold Biological Station, and two at the Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area, Royce Unit), all located in rosemary scrub habitat within the Lake Wales Ridge metapopulation. This study sought to characterize the fire ecology and long-term population trends for the species, and thus also includes data on prescribed burn severity and time since fire. Data were collected using a stratified random plot design, with occupancy plots (presence/absence within 1.5 meter radius) throughout the subpopulation and a subset of these designated as cover plots only, with this cover data collected as point intercept hits within a 48x48cm area. Cover data also includes microhabitat data – canopy cover in densiometer reading and dominant ground cover. Cover and occupancy data were taken every 3 years for each subpopulation (subpopulations were on different yearly schedules). Subpopulation area was mapped using a submeter GPS unit every 6 years. Subpopulations were resampled for all metrics as soon as possible following a fire, and the sampling schedule was then reset.