Data from: Restoring Mediterranean heathlands for declining birds: Initial responses to mosaic cutting and burning in the Natura 2000 LIFE Program
Data files
Jan 08, 2026 version files 220.66 KB
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Rainsford_et_al_JAE_BIRD_DATA.csv
138.85 KB
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Rainsford_et_al_JAE_VEGETATION_DATA.csv
76.18 KB
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README.md
5.63 KB
Abstract
Bird counts and environmental covariates associated with sampling units in a heathland ecosystem subjected to annual treatments of cutting and burning. Also included are vegetation structural attributes measured in 5 m-radius plots located in treatment and control patches. Data were used to build models of relative abundance of open habitat bird species as a function of spatio-temporal treatment mosaics.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.7h44j1085
Description of the data and file structure
BIRD_DATA
Open-habitat bird species were surveyed along transects within control and treatment areas. Three surveys were undertaken per transect per year from 2017/2018 to 2022 (excluding 2020 because of covid restrictions). The location of first detection of all singing individuals was recorded on high-resolution maps. 3-ha sampling units were overlaid on the transects in QGIS and these are the units that were used to calculate all variables in the dataset.
cells with 'n/a' values indicate no data were collected for that year. For sites with 'n/a' in 2017, this is because they were not established until 2018. For sites with 'n/a' in 2018, it is because they were surveyed first in 2017 and then not surveyed in 2018. For sites in 2020, 'n/a' values are because no surveys were conducted due to covid19 restrictions.
VEGETATION_DATA
5 m-radius circular plots were used to survey vegetation structural attributes in areas that were subjected to treatments - cutting, burning, cutting + burning, hand cutting - and control areas. Plots were sampled pre and up to four years post treatment. The cover of tree and shrub species, grass, litter, and bareground were estimated as well as the height of tree and shrub species.
Cells with 'n/a' indicate no data were collected for that plot that year because of logistical reasons.
Files and variables
File: Rainsford_et_al_JAE_VEGETATION_DATA.csv
Description: Vegetation structural attributes sampled in 5 m-radius plots.
Variables
- time: year since treatment. 0 = pre treatment.
- etichetta: unique plot ID
- sup_area: plot area m2
- site: block location
- tr: treatment
- tr_codice: numerical code to represent treatment
- D_prunus: mean diameter of prunus sp.
- D_tree: mean diameter of trees.
- H_prunus: mean height of prunus sp.
- H_tree: mean height of tree sp.
- trees_cov: mean cover of prunus sp.
- G_basimetrica: basal area
- Sprout_tree: number of sprouting shoot on trees.
- Sprout_prunus: number of sprouting shoot on prunus.
- Erica_stumps: cover of erica stumps
- soilrock: cover of bare soil and rocks
- cwd: coarse woody debris
- grass_fern_cov: cover of grass and ferns
- shrub_cov: cover of srubs
- H_erica: mean height of living erica spp.
- Erica_sprouts: number if sprouts from erica spp.
- erica_cov: cover of erica spp.
- grass_cov: cover of grass
- fern_cov: cover of ferns
- H_media_ginestra: mean height of broom
- altro: cover of other shrub spp.
- soil: soil cover
- rocks: rock cover
- ulex: ulex cover
- ginestra: ginestra cover
- Abete bianco: albes alba cover
- Bianco spino: Crataegus monogyna cover
- Carpino nero: Ostrya carpinifolia cover
- Ciliegio: Prunus avium cover
- Ginepro: Juniperus cover
- Ligustro: Ligustrum cover
- Melo selvatico: Malus sylvestris cover
- Olmo: Ulmus cover
- Orniello: Fraxinus ornus cover
- Pero selvatico: Pyrus pyraster cover
- Pino nero: Pinus nigra
- Quercia sp.: Quercus spp. cover
- Sorbo sp.: Sorbus aucuparia cover
- Noce: Juglans regia cover
- Douglasia: Douglasia cover
- Cedro: Cedrus cover
- Corniolo: Cornus mas cover
- Frangula: Frangula alnus cover
File: Rainsford_et_al_JAE_BIRD_DATA.csv
Description:
Variables
- new_id: unique sampling unit ID
- Macroarea: block with 4 levels
- TreatCont: treatment or control area
- year: survey year
- TST_cat: time since treatment category
- elevation: height above sea level
- slope: mean slope
- aspect: mean aspect
- southness: mean southness index
- tpi: mean topographic complexity index
- AreaTreated_cum: cumulative area treated from 2018-2022
- AT_recent: extent of sampling unit treated less than one year prior
- AT_1year: extent of sampling unit treated one year prior
- AT_2year: extent of sampling unit treated more than one year prior
- broadleaved_forest: cover of broadleaved forest %
- conifer_forest: cover of conifer forest %
- forest: forest cover %
- grass: grassland cover %
- grass_tree_shrub: cover of grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs %
- rocks: cover of exposed rocks %
- shrubs: cover of shrublands %
- shrubs_rocks: cover of rocks with scattered shrubs %
- shrubs_trees: cover of shrublands with scattered trees %
- cultivated: cover of cultivated lands
- Hab.Div: shannon's diversity index of land use types
- NDVI_mean: mean ndvi
- NDVI_median: median ndvi
- NDVI_stdev: standard deviation of ndvi
- Long: longitude
- Lat: latitude
- MoltonisWarbler: maximum count of singing individuals of moltoni's warbler
- CirlBunting: maximum count of singing individuals of cirl bunting
- Woodlark: maximum count of singing individuals of woodlark
- CommonStonechat: maximum count of singing individuals of common stonechat
- CommonWhitethroat: maximum count of singing individuals of common whitethroat
- SardinianWarbler: maximum count of singing individuals of sardinian warbler
- CommonLinnet: maximum count of singing individuals of common linnet
- DartfordWarbler: maximum count of singing individuals of dartford warbler
- RockBunting: maximum count of singing individuals of rock bunting
- EurasianSkylark: maximum count of singing individuals of eurasian skylark
- TawnyPipit: maximum count of singing individuals of tawny pipit
- RedbackedShrike: maximum count of singing individuals of redbacked shrike
- Transect_length: total transect length within the sampling unit