Vegetation data from long term sheep grazing experiment in Setesdal, Norway

Gunnar Austrheim; Atle Mysterud; James David Mervyn Speed

doi:10.15468/qegaql

Vegetation data from long term sheep grazing experiment in Setesdal, Norway

Citation

Austrheim G, Mysterud A, Speed J D M, Kolstad A L (2019). Vegetation data from long term sheep grazing experiment in Setesdal, Norway. Version 1.3. Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/qegaql accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-09-26.

Description

Here we present vegetation data (relative frequencies of vascular plants) collected every other year from 2000 until 2012 in association with a sheep grazing experiment in Setesdal, S-Norway.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

Vegetation analysis was conducted every other summer from 2000 to 2012.

Sampling

There were 10 sites, each with one pair of plots: the grazed control and a sheep exclusure. Plots were 2050m and placed >30m apart. Inside each plot, 10 quadrats (0.50.5m) were used to calculate species frequencies. Relative species frequencies was calculated for each quadrat by noting its presence or absence inside each of sixteen 0.1250.125 sub-quadrats. As an example, a species found in 15 out of 16 sub-quadrats was recorded as having a relative frequency of 93.75 (= 15/16100).

Method steps

See sampling desciption

Taxonomic Coverages

All vascular plant species

Plantae
rank: kingdom

Geographic Coverages

Setesdal Vesthei, covering areas in both Sirdal (Vest-Agder county) and Valle municipality (Aust-Agder county). All sites are in the low-alpine zone with only sparse trees and shrubs present. Elevation: 900-1000 m above sea level. Annual precipitation: 1170-1760 mm. Bedrock: Precambrian bedrock. Low nutrient and quite acidic soils. Vegetation is dominated by NARDUS STRICTA (34% cover), other grasses, and mosses (25% cover). Domestic sheep are the most common grazers in this region, following a pasture grazing tradition that goes back to c. 1840. Seep densities vary between 10-50 sheep per km2. Other herbivores include rodents and reindeer.

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Gunnar Austrheim
originator
position: Professor
University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Trondheim
NO
email: gunnar.austrheim@ntnu.no

Atle Mysterud
originator
position: Professor
University of Oslo
Oslo
NO
email: atle.mysterud@ibv.oiu.no

James David Mervyn Speed
originator
position: Researcher
University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Trondheim
NO
email: james.speed@ntnu.no

Anders Lorentzen Kolstad
metadata author
position: PhD student
University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Trondheim
NO
Telephone: +47 735 97979
email: anders.kolstad@ntnu.no

Atle Mysterud
user
position: Professor
University of Oslo
Oslo
NO

Anders Lorentzen Kolstad
administrative point of contact
position: PhD student
University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Trondheim
NO
Telephone: +47 735 97979
email: anders.kolstad@ntnu.no

Gunnar Austrheim
administrative point of contact
position: Professor
University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Trondheim
NO
email: gunnar.austrheim@ntnu.no