Plant macrofossil data for 48-0 ka in the USGS North American Packrat Midden Database, version 5.0

Laura E. Strickland; Robert S. Thompson; Sarah Shafer; Patrick J. Bartlein; Richard T. Pelltier; Katherine H Anderson; R. Randall Schumann; Andrew K. McFadden

doi:10.1038/s41597-023-02616-y

Plant macrofossil data for 48-0 ka in the USGS North American Packrat Midden Database, version 5.0

Scientific Data

By: Laura E. Strickland, Robert S. Thompson, Sarah Shafer, Patrick J. Bartlein, Richard T. Pelltier, Katherine H Anderson, R. Randall Schumann, and Andrew K. McFadden

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02616-y

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Data Release: USGS data release - USGS North American Packrat Midden Database, Version 5.0
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Abstract

Plant macrofossils from packrat (Neotoma spp.) middens provide direct evidence of past vegetation changes in arid regions of North America. Here we describe the newest version (version 5.0) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) North American Packrat Midden Database. The database contains published and contributed data from 3,331 midden samples collected in southwest Canada, the western United States, and northern Mexico, with samples ranging in age from 48 ka to the present. The database includes original midden-sample macrofossil counts and relative-abundance data along with a standardized relative-abundance scheme that makes it easier to compare macrofossil data across midden-sample sites. In addition to the midden-sample data, this version of the midden database includes calibrated radiocarbon (¹⁴C) ages for the midden samples and plant functional type (PFT) assignments for the midden taxa. We also provide World Wildlife Fund ecoregion assignments and climate and bioclimate data for each midden-sample site location. The data are provided in tabular (.xlsx), comma-separated values (.csv), and relational database (.mdb) files.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Plant macrofossil data for 48-0 ka in the USGS North American Packrat Midden Database, version 5.0
Series title	Scientific Data
DOI	10.1038/s41597-023-02616-y
Volume	11
Year Published	2024
Language	English
Publisher	Nature
Contributing office(s)	Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center
Description	68, 26 p.
Country	Canada, Mexico, United States
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page