Data on bird communities and vegetation in relation to altitude and habitat alteration in the Kalakad - Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India

Besides the README.TXT file, Besides this file (README.TXT), it contains the following comma-delimited text files with data in columns as explained below.

1) 01_Transects.csv: This file contains details of transect in mature rainforests and plantations and plantation-forest edges
TNo: Unique ID number or name of a 600 m long line transect
Tcode: Code used for transect in related publications: A to N in Raman et al. (2005), others in Raman and Sukumar 2002.
Type: Description of type of site
Refer: Indicated whether data from this transect was used in either of the two publications or both
LatitudeN: Approximate latitude in decimal degrees North of the midpoint of the transect
LongitudeE: Approximate longitude in decimal degrees East of the midpoint of the transect
AltimeterAvg: Average of altimeter readings (in metres above sea level) taken at 25 points spaced at 25 intervals along the transect
LocationDetails: Description of location

2) 02_KMTRBIRD.csv: This file contains the data on birds from 5 minute variable radius point count surveys
TNo: Unique ID number or name of a 600 m long line transect
Date: Date of survey of the specified point
StTime: Start time of the point count
Pt: ID of the surveyed point along the 600 m long transect. Most transects started at A1 and had points marked every 25 m in 100 m chunks: A1...A4, B1...B4, ... upto F1...F4, after which it ended with X at the 600 m point. Alphabet codes may vary on longer trails and in some trails the numbers 1-25 were used to mark the points.  
Time: Specific time of observation
Spcode: Code used for bird species name
Species: English common name (India) of the bird species as used in the Ebird India portal in 2022.
No: Number of individuals detected
RD: Radial distance of the detected bird from the centre of the point in metres in the following radial distance classes: 0: 0-5 m; 5: 5-10 m, 10: 10-15 m, 15: 15-20 m; 20: 20-30 m; 30: 30-40 m; 40: 40-50 m; 50: >50 m)
HSF: Code indicating H = heard; S = seen; F = flying under the canopy (UC) or less than 5 m over the canopy (OC)
Remark: Notes and remarks (includes some codes: *: in mixed species flock; E: detected within the point sampling area while entering;  X: detected within point sampling area while leaving;  diff/DIFF/DF: different detection from conspecific; detected on the same point; GP: flock; CC: counter-calling individuals)

3) 03_Birdnames.csv: This file contains bird species codes and matching common and scientific names
Spcode: Code used for bird species name
Species: English common name (India) of the bird species as used in the Ebird India portal in 2022.
ScientificName: Scientific name of bird species (following the Clements classification) as used in the Ebird India portal (https://ebird.org/india)

4) 04_KMTRPCQs.csv: This file contains data from point-centred quarter (PCQ) data. Thirteen PCQ plots, with successive plots spaced 50 m apart along the central trail or transect, were measured in each site, giving a sample of 52 trees per site. The plot centres were located about 10 m off the trail into the forest interior. PCQ plots were not measured in 3 transects where data from 5 m radius plots were used for trees: T10, T12, and P6. Data on species and GBH of 4 trees from 13 circular plots along these transects are included in this file. For circular plot data see treeplots.csv
TNo: Unique ID number or name of a 600 m long line transect
Pt: ID of the surveyed point along the 600 m long transect (note: PCQ point was located in the forest/plantation 10 m away from trail alternating to the left or right of the transect).
TreeNo: Number indicating 1-4 trees recorded at each point-centred quarter (PCQ) point
TreeSpp: Tree species code name
GBH: Girth at breast height (1.5 m) of tree in centimetres
Distance: Distance in metres of the centre of tree trunk from the PCQ sampling point (NA = Not Available)

5) 05_Treenames.csv: This file contains codes and scientific names of tree species
TreeCode: Code for tree species
TreeScientificName: Scientific name of tree species
Notes: Notes, if any (NA = Not available)

6) 06_Habitat.csv: This file contains the main habitat data. Densities and basal areas of trees greater than 30 cm girth at breast height (GBH at 1.5 m) were estimated using the point-centred quarter method (PCQ). Thirteen PCQ plots, with successive plots spaced 50 m apart along the central trail or transect, were measured in each site, giving a sample of 52 trees per site. The plot centres were located about 10 m off the trail into the forest interior. At each of the 13 PCQ plots, 2 m radius plots were laid around the centre point to enumerate shrubs, bamboo culms, and cardamom clumps. In addition, the number of cane (Calamus sp.) plants was counted within a 5 m radius. Altitude, canopy and leaf litter variables were measured at 25 points, evenly spaced 25 m apart along the trail or transect in each site. (NOTE: PCQ plots were not measured in 3 transects where data from 5 m radius plots were used for trees: T10, T12, and P6. Data on species and GBH of 4 trees from 13 circular plots along these transects are included in this file. For circular plot data see treeplots.csv).
TNo: Unique ID number or name of a 600 m long line transect
Pt: ID of the surveyed point along the 600 m long transect (Note that habitat measurements were taken .
Altitude: Altitude reading taken by the point measured using a handheld altimeter in metres
CHT: Canopy height in metres measured by the point using an optical rangefinder
CRNK: Canopy rank measured by the point as: 0 = no canopy overhead, open to sky; 1 = canopy overhead with branches not touching and sky visible in between; 2 = canopy overlapping overhead but with sky visible; 3 = canopy overlapping and closed overhead with sky not visible through the leaves
CCOV: Percentage canopy cover (closure) measured by the point using a spherical densiometer
LITT: Leaf litter depth in centimetres (to nearest 0.5 cm) measured near the point using a wooden probe
VSTR: Number of vertical layers of foliage in eight vertical layers (= sum of next 8 columns)
0-1m: Foliage presence (1) or absence (0) in this vertical height interval in metres (within an imaginary vertical tube of 0.5 m radius around the observer)
1-2m: Foliage presence (1) or absence (0) in this vertical height interval in metres (within an imaginary vertical tube of 0.5 m radius around the observer)
2-4m: Foliage presence (1) or absence (0) in this vertical height interval in metres (within an imaginary vertical tube of 0.5 m radius around the observer)
4-8m: Foliage presence (1) or absence (0) in this vertical height interval in metres (within an imaginary vertical tube of 0.5 m radius around the observer)
8-16m :Foliage presence (1) or absence (0) in this vertical height interval in metres (within an imaginary vertical tube of 0.5 m radius around the observer)
16-24m :Foliage presence (1) or absence (0) in this vertical height interval in metres (within an imaginary vertical tube of 0.5 m radius around the observer)
24-32m :Foliage presence (1) or absence (0) in this vertical height interval in metres (within an imaginary vertical tube of 0.5 m radius around the observer)
32+m: Foliage presence (1) or absence (0) in this vertical height interval in metres (within an imaginary vertical tube of 0.5 m radius around the observer)
SHR: Number of shrubs in 2 m radius plot sampled about 10 m away from the trail (13 such plots in total at points spaced 50 m apart along the trail). (NA = Not Available)
CANE: Number of Calamus cane stems in 5 m radius plot sampled about 10 m away from the trail (13 such plots in total at points spaced 50 m apart along the trail). (NA = Not Available)
BAMB: Number of bamboo culms in 2 m radius plot sampled about 10 m away from the trail (13 such plots in total at points spaced 50 m apart along the trail). (NA = Not Available)
CARD: Number of cardamom clumps in 2 m radius plot sampled about 10 m away from the trail (13 such plots in total at points spaced 50 m apart along the trail). (NA = Not Available)

7) 07_treeplots.csv: This file  contains data from 5 m radius circular plots along 3 transects
TNo: Unique ID number or name of a 600 m long line transect
Plot: Plot number
Ntrees: Number of tree stems within the 5 m radius plot
Basalsqcm: Total basal area of all trees in the plot in square centimetres
BASA: Basal area of trees in cm^2/m^2 = m^2/ ha

8) 08_VegSummary.csv: This file contains averages of estimated habitat variables and number of resident bird species in the transects. Note: these numbers correspond to the analysis as it appeared in the publications in 2002 and 2005 (based on hand-calculated figures), but the values may vary slightly when computed from this dataset which was re-entered in electronic form in 2022.
Tno: Unique ID number or name of a 600 m long line transect
Tcode: Code used for transect in related publications: A to N in Raman et al. (2005), others in Raman and Sukumar 2002.
Type: Description of type of site
AltimeterAvg: Average of altimeter readings (in metres above sea level) taken at 25 points spaced at 25 intervals along the transect
CHT: Average canopy height in metres
CRNK: Average canopy rank
CCOV: Average canopy cover (canopy closure %)
LITT: Average leaf litter depth (cm0
VSTR: Average number of layers with foliage or vertical stratification
HHET: Horizontal heterogeneity (estimated as the CV of vertical stratification)
SHR: Average shrub density (numbers of stems per 2 m radius plot)
CANE: Average cane density (numbers of stems per 5 m radius plot)
BAMB: Average cane density (numbers of stems per 5 m radius plot)
TDEN: Average tree density (trees/hectare) estimated from point-centred quarter (PCQ) data
BASA: Basal area of trees (sq. m/ ha) estimated from PCQ data
TSPR: Number of tree species
CARD: Average cardamom density (numbers of clumps per 2 m radius plot)
CHET: Canopy heterogeneity (CV of canopy cover?)
resbsr: Number of resident bird species recorded along the transect

Funding provided by: Ministry of Environment and Forests
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001421
Award Number:

Funding provided by: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000870
Award Number: