Rączkowska, Zofia; Kozłowska, Anna (2024): Vegetation spatial pattern and snow depth in nival gullies in the Tatra Mountains [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.973707 (DOI registration in progress)

The data presents characteristic of the spatial pattern of vegetation and data of snow patches disappearance in 2 nival gullies located on the Beskid Mt. and the Uhrocie Kasprowe Mt. in the Tatra Mountains. The gullies are located above the upper timberline (i.e. 1500 m a.s.l) in subalpine and alpine belts. Quantitative studies of the vegetation were carried out in sample plots of 0.5 × 0.5 m, located 0.5 m apart, along the cross-profiles of the studied nival gullies. For each sample plot, the cover of the following was determined: vascular plants, bryophytes, plant litter, rocks, coarse debris, finer materials. The plant species present in the plot were recorded. Species cover (in %) was estimated using the cover class method (Daubenmire 1959). Slope inclination was measured using an inclinometer. 13 cross-profiles were taken along the longitudinal profile of nival gully on the Beskid Mt. and 10 cross-profiles along the longitudinal profile of nival gully on the Uhrocie Kasprowe Mt. The length of the transect corresponded to the width of the nival gully. The survey of the phases of disappearance of snow patches, was carried out in two or three subsequent time spans in 1990-1991. The thickness of the snow patches was measured every 1 metre along the same cross-profiles as vegetation . Measurements were made with an avalanche measuring rod. The coverage of each plant species was correlated with the thickness of a snow patch. It was found that there are species that correlate positively or negatively with the snow patch thickness. This is manifested by the decrease in the number of species as the snow thickness increases. Two species, Luzula spadicea and Festuca picta, can be recognised as indicators of the sites with long-lasting snow cover.

Plant cover was estimated using the cover class method (Daubenmire 1959): 0 - 0%; 1 - < 10%; 2 - 10-25%; 3 - 25-50%; 4 - 50-75 %; 5 - >75%

Data were collected during field research funded by the Institute of Geography and Spatial Organisation of the Polish Academy of Sciences