Susana Rodriguez-Buritica
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
E-mail: [email protected]

Helen Raichle
U.S. Geological Survey
520 N. Park Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85719
E-mail: [email protected]

Robert H. Webb
U.S. Geological Survey
520 N. Park Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85719
E-mail: [email protected]

Raymond N. Turner
5132 East Fort Lowell Road
Tucson, AZ 85712
E-mail: [email protected]

D. Lawrence Venable
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
E-mail: [email protected]

Plots.csv (MD5: 1af7bca8fed39ea6ed83096a8a5f8a9d)

Plot_corners.csv (MD5: 4453f1811df7edeeeca5ba1cabed6b02)

Species.csv (MD5: 4748a23f710d2a825641d5bdf1af18d3)

Seedling_counts.csv (MD5: ccb55f1a3388cf97c0631af5425f5b2b)

Count1906.csv (MD5: e53119e0461f5946f76f76848e1b75c9)

SMCover.csv (MD5: d95632355ff80d027c3f86112d9eabbc)

SMDensity.csv (MD5: 9cf0072867f8f92ba51ee6210d74e3b7)

Stake_info.csv (MD5: 12f70adb84f0800cd464f328b6f885b3)

Photo_info.csv (MD5: f01aa5bb1dbbdbd2e608f86cee58ddd7)

ZIP files:

PlotLayers.zip (MD5: 000f21fd2115dd27a66f1059270fed68)

PlantLayers.zip (MD5: feebd3c6951cb1448cfb8e9dfbcaaaeb)

CsvFiles.zip (MD5: e4de222b212024ac23cad181dbeacf1a)

We provide four types of data files: (1) *.csv files are comma delimited files with non-spatial information; (2) *.shp are ArcGIS v10 shape files (ESRI) which hold spatially explicit information; (3) *.tif files are scans of original maps; available upon request; and (4) *.zip compressed compilation of *.shp. The following list describes each file:

1. Plots.csv: General information about Spalding-Shreve plots
2. Plot_corners.csv: Coordinates of plot corners
3. px_y_disturbance.shp: Layer depicting disturbance areas for plot “x” in year “y”
4. px_y_boundary.shp: Layer depicting plot boundary for plot “x” in year “y”
5. px_y_control.shp: Layer compiling control points used during census of plot “x” during year “y”
6. px_y_nodata.shp: Areas not surveyed in plot “x” and year “y” due to boundary a mismatch.
7. Plot_Layers.zip: Compressed compilation of files type 3 to 5.
8. px_y_trunks.shp: Layer compiling plant roots for plot “x” in year “y”
9. px_y_crowns.shp: Layer compiling outline of plant canopies in plot “x” during year “y”
10. Plant_Layers.zip: Compressed compilation of file types 7 and 8
11. Species.csv: Summary of plant codes and nomenclature of species detected
12. Seedling_counts.csv: Summary of seedling counts during 1978 census
13. Count1906.csv: Transcription of Spalding’s unpublished notes (1906)
14. SMCover.csv: Summary of plant cover per species, plot, and year
15. SMDensity.csv: Summary of plant densities per species, plot, and year.
16. O_y_Px.tif: Compressed version of scans of original maps for plot “x” in year “y”; available upon request
17. Stake_info.csv: General information on photographic stations
18. Photo_info.csv: Specific information of repeat photographs taken of the Spalding-Shreve plots
19. CsvFiles.zip: Compressed compilation of all *.csv files described above

This data set constitutes all information associated with the Spalding-Shreve permanent vegetation plots from 1906 through 2012, which is the longest-running plant monitoring program in the world. The program consists of detailed maps of all Sonoran Desert perennial plants in 30 permanent plots located on Tumamoc Hill, near Tucson, Arizona, USA. Most of these plots are 10 m × 10 m quadrats that were established by Volney Spalding and Forrest Shreve between 1906 and 1928. Analyses derived from this data have been pivotal in testing early theories on plant community succession, plant life history traits, plant longevity, and population dynamics. One of the major contributions of this data set is the species-specific demographic traits that derived from estimating individual plant trajectories for more than 106 years. Further use of this data might shed light on spatially explicit population and community dynamics, as well as long-term changes attributable to global change. Data presented here consists of digital versions of original maps created between 1906 and 1984 and digital data from recent censuses between 1993 and 2012. Attributes associated with these maps include location and coverage of all shrubs, and, in some cases, plant height. In addition, we present plot-specific summaries of plant cover and density for each census year and all other information collected, including seedling counts, grass coverage, and annual species enumerations. We reference the repeat photography of these plots, which began with original photography in 1906; these images are stored at the Desert Laboratory Collection of Repeat Photography in Tucson. Initial data collection consisted of grid-mapping the plots manually on graph paper; starting in 1993, Total Stations (which allow a direct digitalization, and more accurate mapping) were used to survey root crowns and canopies.

Key words: Arizona; community dynamics; longevity; long-term monitoring; permanent plots; population dynamics; Sonoran Desert; vegetation change.