Realm: Terrestrial
Climate: Temperate
Biome: Temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands
Central latitude: 53.250000
Central longitude: -1.919040
Duration: 13 years, from 1994 to 2009

1222 records

47 distinct species

Across the time series Carex flacca is the most frequently occurring species

Methods

Description STEP 1: Climate manipulation Three climate treatments have been applied to 3x3m plots: 1. Temperature has been elevated from November to April each year, beginning in November 1993. Each heated plot contains two 1000 W, 240-V AC heating cables secured to the soil surface in parallel runs spaced 50mmapart. Soil surface temperature of heated plots is maintained at 3°C above ambient by thermocouples in heated and control plots linked to a PC-based control system. 2. Rainfall has been intercepted above the vegetation throughout July and August since the summer of 1994 by means of automatically operating, semitransparent shelters that slide across the plots at the onset of rain and retreat to an off-plot position when rain ceases. Plots of intercepted summer rainfall have significantly reduced summer soil moisture levels compared with control plots, particularly within the interior 2 x 2 m subject to vegetation monitoring. In 2004, a decision was made to shift the drought treatment to alternate years (thus suspending simulated droughts in 2004 and 2006). 3. Since 1994, additional water has been added on a monthly basis to the plots during the months of June to September (inclusive), to maintain an input at least 20% above the long-term (19721982) Buxton average for each month. In addition to treatments 1, 2, and 3, two combinations, (1&2) and (1&3),have been maintained. All five treatments, together with untreated controls, are included in a fully randomized block, replicated 5 times. STEP 2: Vegetation composition data collection In October each year the vegetation has been cut to a height of 4050 mm, and the cuttings have been removed to simulate annual sheep grazing. Over the course of the experiment estimates of annual species abundance in each plot have been made by point-quadrat analysis. Each year we record the number of contacts with living shoots of each vascular plant species when 25 steel pins of diameter 2.5 mm are lowered vertically into the vegetation occupying the central (2.52.5 m) area of each plot. In 2003, surveys were changed from June/July to early October. Species data were not collected in 2005, 2007, and 2008.SUMMARY: The Buxton Climate Change Impacts study was established in 1992 on a steep daleside of calcareous grassland outside Buxton, Derbyshire, UK. The vegetation has been surveyed annually since 1994 with nondestructive point quadrat touches (with gaps in 2005, 2007, and 2008) in early summer that correlate with total plot biomass. In five replicate blocks of 3 x 3 m plots, the vegetation has been subjected to climate treatments of winter heating (3C above ambient, Nov-April), summer drought (no rain, July-Aug), summer augmented rainfaill (20% above the long-term average, June-Sept), and two interaction treatments (heating-drought, heating-watered) in addition to replicated controls. The grassland is maintained in a short turf to simulate sheep and cattle grazing each autumn (Oct). Vegetation abundances here correspond with only measurements taken within control (untreated) plots.

Citation(s)

@Dataset{BioTIME_cit345, Study_id = {580}, Citation_id = {345}, Author = {Grime, P. and Fridley, J.}, Publisher = {Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity}, Title = {Point Quadrat Vegetation Data, Buxton Climate Change Experiment, UK, 1994-2009.}, Year = {2012}, Doi = {10.5063/AA/fridley.3.2}, Url = {doi.org/10.5063/AA/fridley.3.2}, Language = {English} }