species (taxonomic group) per site database including environmental information
specify:
1 sq m quadrats along transects across 30 sites
data type:
point data/observation data
short description of the dataset/summary:
This study covered the southern parts of the Okavango Delta - the seasonally flooded Xudum and Boro distributary systems. It was a single campaign aimed at collecting and analysing floodplain vegetation species and abundance data, to establish relationships with hydroperiod for exploratory scenario modelling. A stratified random sample of 30 sites was surveyed for species composition and abundance between mid-March and mid-July 2007, using multiple 1 sq m quadrats along transects orthogonal to the floodplain long axis. Minimum sampled area at each site was 30 sq m. Hydroperiod was established based on three sets of remote sensing data: 1:50,000 analogue aerial photography from 2001, Landsat (annual) and MODIS (monthly) data from 2000-2007, and ground truthing from 2007.
University of Botswana (Funds for Fieldwork and Travel), University of Florida (Adaptive Management: Water, Wetlands and Watersheds program funded by the National Science Foundation), Biokavango Project (Global EnvironmentFacility), JRS Biodiversity Foundation (Reformatting database to DC standards)
University of Botswana Okavango Research Institute
data contributors to/owners of this dataset:
multiple
number:
3
data contributor/owner 1
contact name:
Michael Murray-Hudson
contact email:
mmurray-hudson@ub.ac.bw
contact institute:
University of Botswana Okavango Research Institute
criteria for using this part of the dataset:
The dataset is publicly available (data portal, data archive) and can be used without restrictions, but dataset creator/data contributors must be informed prior to publication. Data must be acknowledged and cited correctly.
data contributor/owner 2
contact name:
Frances Murray-Hudson
contact email:
fmurray-hudson@ub.ac.bw
contact institute:
Peter Smith Herbarium, Okavango Research Institute
criteria for using this part of the dataset:
The dataset is publicly available (data portal, data archive) and can be used without restrictions, but dataset creator/data contributors must be informed prior to publication. Data must be acknowledged and cited correctly.
data contributor/owner 3
contact name:
Wilfred Khaneguba
contact email:
wkhaneguba@ub.ac.bw
contact institute:
University of Botswana Okavango Research Institute
criteria for using this part of the dataset:
The dataset is publicly available (data portal, data archive) and can be used without restrictions, but dataset creator/data contributors must be informed prior to publication. Data must be acknowledged and cited correctly.
citation of this dataset:
author(s):
Makati, K., Murray-Hudson, M.
title and journal (name, number, pages):
Boro and Xudum Floodplain Vegetation Data 2007. Version 1.1. Okavango Research Institute. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/fooskp accessed via GBIF.org on 2019-09-06.
year:
2019
version (if applicable):
1
doi (if applicable):
https://doi.org/10.15468/fooskp
citation of the metadata:
author(s):
Murray-Hudson, M., Makati, K., Mosie, I. & Wolski, P.
title and journal (name, number, pages):
Metadata for macrophyte data from the Boro-Xudum seasonal floodplains of the Okavango Delta. Freshwater Metadata Journal 45: 1-8
year:
2019
doi (if applicable):
https://doi.org/10.15504/fmj.2019.45
dataset related references:
reference 1:
author(s):
Murray-Hudson, M.
title:
Floodplain Vegetation Responses to Flood Regime in the Seasonal Okavango Delta, Botswana. PhD Dissertation, University of Florida, Gainesville
year:
2009
reference 2:
author(s):
Murray-Hudson, M., Combs, F., Wolski, P., Brown, M.T.
title:
A vegetation-based hierarchical classification for seasonally pulsed floodplains in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. African Journal of Aquatic Science 36:3, 223-234.
year:
2011
doi:
10.2989/16085914.2011.636904
reference 3:
author(s):
Murray-Hudson, M., Wolski, P., Cassidy, L., Brown, M., Thito, K., Kashe, K., Mosimanyana, E.
title:
Remote Sensing-derived hydroperiod as a predictor of floodplain vegetation composition. Wetlands Ecology and Management 23:4, 603-616.
year:
2015
doi:
10.1007/s11273-014-9340-z
reference 4:
author(s):
Murray-Hudson, M., Wolski, P., Murray-Hudson, F., Brown, M.T., Kashe, K.
title:
Disaggregating Hydroperiod: Components of the Seasonal Flood Pulse as Drivers of Plant Species Distribution in Floodplains of a Tropical Wetland. Wetlands 34:5, 927-942.
year:
2014
doi:
10.1007/s13157-014-0554-x
reference 5:
author(s):
Murray-Hudson, M., Wolski, P., Brown, M.T., Davidson, T.
title:
A suite of macrophyte species distribution models for investigating hydrology-driven spatial changes in a large flood-pulsed tropical wetland. South African Geographical Journal 101:2, 141-157
year:
2019
doi:
10.1080/03736245.2018.1541021
reference 6:
author(s):
Arias, M.E., Wittmann, F., Parolin, P., Murray-Hudson, M., Cochrane, T.A.
title:
Interactions between flooding and upland disturbance drives species diversity in large river floodplains. Hydrobiologia 814:1, 5-17.
a single survey campaign from mid-March to mid-July 2007
time series data:
no
comments:
Field survey work was carried out over the rising flood, for four months between mid-March and mid-July 2007.
taxonomic resolution:
species
percentage of species level data:
99
comments:
Individuals were identified to species level in the field as far as possible. Where not possible they were pressed as herbarium specimens and submitted to the Peter Smith Herbarium (PSUB) at the University of Botswana Okavango Research Institute for identification. Specific unidentified grass specimens of the sub-family Panicoideae were sent to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom for identification.
Germishuizen, G., Meyer, N.L., 2007. Plants of Southern Africa: an online checklist: http://posa.sanbi.org.
Cook, C.D.K., 2004. Aquatic and wetland plants of southern Africa: An identification manual for the stoneworts (Charophytina), liverworts (Marchantiopsida), mosses (Bryopsida), quillworts (Lycopodiopsida), ferns (Polypodiopsida) and flowering plants (Magnoliopsida) which grow in water and wetlands of Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Republic of South Africa. Leiden: Backhuys.
Gibbs-Russell, G.E. et al., 1991. Grasses of southern Africa - an identification manual. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 58. National Botanic Gardens/Botanical Research Institute, Pretoria.
Clarke, N.V., Klaassen, E.S., 2001. Water Plants of Namibia - an identification manual. Occasional Contributions 2, National Botanical Research Institute, Windhoek, Namibia
coding system:
first three letters of genus, first three letters of species, no separator
example:
Abihis: Abildgaardia hispidula
sample specifications:
quantitative
replicate samples:
no
number of samples:
1080
specification of method(s) used for sampling and sorting:
- Step 1 involved the selection of random sites for vegetation sampling. This was based on historic hydroperiod - a flood frequency map derived from remote sensing which assigned a frequency to each pixel. The frequency map was stratified into 5 strata of approximately equal area, and in each stratum 6 sites were selected by randomising the pixel numbers.
- Step 2 involved doing surveys of the vegetation at each site by laying out transects orthogonal to the long axis of each floodplain, and enumerating plant species within 1 square metre quadrats at 20 metre intervals along these transects. Species-area plots from sampling carried out beforehand indicated that a minimum of 25 square metres should be sampled. A minimum of 30 quadrats was thus surveyed at each site. All species in each quadrat were recorded and their relative abundance estimated according to a modified Braun-Blanquet classification.
reference(s):
Wolski, P., Murray-Hudson, M. 2006. Reconstruction of 1989-2005 inundation history in the Okavango Delta, Botswana from archival Landsat imagery, Globwetland Symposium. Frascati, Italy. ESA-ESRIN.
Wolski, P., Murray-Hudson, M. 2005. Flooding dynamics in a large low-gradient alluvial fan, the Okavango Delta, Botswana, from analysis and interpretation of a 30-year hydrometric record. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. J1 - HESS 10:1, 127-137.
sample type (e.g. habitat specific samples, composite samples etc.):
Quadrats were sampled along transects which crossed the topographic gradients of each floodplain site. That is, they were designed to sample all microhabitats within each floodplain site.
Were any quality control procedures applied to your dataset?
yes
quality control protocols and comments:
Relative abundance estimates were made by consensus of at least two field surveyors, and a one-day calibration exercise was carried out at the beginning of the field work to ensure consistency. Data entry was done by M. Murray-Hudson, and F. Murray-Hudson into a custom-designed Microsoft Access relational database; reading of field sheets and typing was done alternately, and data were cross-checked with field sheets after all had been transcribed.
