Table 4 Data structure of the header file of the BEST plant community data.
From: Plant community data along elevational gradients in China’s 17 mountains
Field Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Mountain | C | Name of the mountain where the plot is located. |
Plot_ID | C | Unique plot identifier, composed of letters from the plot name and the plot ID. |
Layer | C | Vegetation layer classification: woody (all woody species), tree layer (DBH ≥ 5 cm), and shrub and sapling layer (DBH < 5 cm). |
spLatin | C | Standardized Latin name of the species following taxonomic verification. |
spCN | C | Standardized Chinese name of the species following taxonomic verification. |
abundance | I | Number of individuals of the species recorded in the plot. |
BA (m²/ha) | N | Basal area of the species per hectare, calculated from the diameter at breast height (DBH) of all individuals of the species within the plot. Expressed in square meters per hectare (m²/ha). |
RA (%) | N | Relative abundance: proportion of individuals of the species relative to the total individuals in the plot. |
RD (%) | N | Relative dominance: proportion of the species’ basal area relative to the total basal area in the plot. |
RIV (%) | N | Relative importance value, calculated as the average of RA and RD, representing the species’ dominance in the community. |
