Soil and vegetation responses to 1967-1968 disturbances on the Miller Creek Demonstration Forest: thirty year data

This data publication includes vegetation and soil data acquired 30-years after an experiment was initiated (1967-1968) on the Miller Creek Demonstration Forest in western Montana, USA, to determine the effects of harvest in combination with different prescribed fire severities on conifer regeneration. A wildfire in August 1967 burned or reburned initial plots. We identified 11 disturbance categories based on habitat type, harvest level, prescribed fire, and wildfire. Data were collected from 1996 through 1998. Vegetation data included identification, counts, and basal diameters of all shrubs, tree seedlings, and trees, and biomass of herbaceous plants. All plant types were sampled to determine carbon and nitrogen concentrations. Surface woody residue data were obtained through transects. Surface organic horizons and mineral soil data included forest floor and soil wood biomass, coarse rock content, organic matter content, and carbon and nitrogen concentrations.
The primary objective was to document recovery of the vegetation and edaphic condition, with particular impacts on Larix occidentalis regeneration and carbon and nitrogen pools.
Original metadata date was 09/27/2020. Minor metadata updates were made on 05/12/2021.