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ausplotsR: An R package for rapid extraction and analysis of vegetation and soil data collected by Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network

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Munroe, S., Guerin, G., Saleeba, T., Martín-Forés, I., Blanco-Martin, B., Sparrow, B. and Tokmakoff, A. (2021) ausplotsR: An R package for rapid extraction and analysis of vegetation and soil data collected by Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. Journal of Vegetation Science, 32 (3). e13046. ISSN 1100-9233

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Article Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13046

Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jvs.13046

Abstract

Abstract The Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), Australia's national land ecosystem monitoring programme, measures critical environmental attributes from local to continental scale and generates quality data for research and land management. Since 2011, TERN has performed standardised field surveys and sampling across a national plot network. At each plot, TERN records vegetation structure, composition and diversity, soil characteristics, and collects plant and soil samples for analysis. At the time of submission, TERN has established over 750 plots and performed over 1,000 plot surveys across Australia. Here we present ausplotsR, an R package for the R statistical computing environment that provides a user-friendly interface to rapidly import, visualise, and analyse TERN plot data. Easy-to-use functions extract the data and compile data tables that can be incorporated into a variety of statistical analysis, most notably multivariate applications requiring plant community data with standardised relative abundances. ausplotsR includes functions to calculate useful vegetation metrics, such as species presence/absence, cover, and basal area. The package also provides information on TERN’s extensive soil and plant sample collection. We expect ausplotsR will help facilitate and advance ecological research and management throughout Australia and provide useful data for vegetation modellers globally.

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Horticulture and Forestry Science
Additional Information:Open access
Keywords:Australia big data biodiversity ecosystem monitoring environmental modelling plot survey R statistical environment Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN)
Subjects:Science > Statistics > Statistical data analysis
Science > Statistics > Statistical software
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Soils. Soil science
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Conservation of natural resources
Live Archive:03 Aug 2021 06:44
Last Modified:03 Sep 2021 16:46

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