Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge Testing Plant Diversity and Density for Restoration from 2021-2024

This data release consists of data and metadata for a forest restoration experiment investigating experimental outplanting diversity and density in previously grazed pastureland. Five replicate sites, consisting of 11 - 6x6m plots (10 experimental treatments + 1 control), were set up for this experiment. Treatments consisted of two planting densities (double and single) as well as different native plant species compositions (2-, 4-, and 8- species). Plants and plots were randomly assigned to sites. Plants were outplanted and monitored 5 times between June 2021 - January 2024. Vegetation cover was monitored in each plot using point line intercept methods with plant data collected at different height classes. Outplants were monitored for mortality, height, width, basal stem diameter, and all other stem diameters. Metadata includes sites and GPS locations, plot treatments, densities, and species compositions. This data release consists of 4 separate datasets: (1) Hakalau_Plot_Metadata.csv, (2) Hakalau_VegCover_DiversityDensity.csv, (3) Hakalau_Plant_Measurements_DiversityDensity.csv, and (4) a shapefile of the study sites.