The power of the ITEX network is the ability to do quantitative synthesis of pooled data collected across the tundra biome.  These syntheses are possible because of a shared set of protocols described in the ITEX Manual and have resulted in hundreds of publications.  The synthesis activities are the lifeblood that sustains the ITEX network.  The results of these syntheses are generally of great interest to a wide array of researchers and policy makers.  The continued presence of researchers at the ITEX sites also servers as a platform to access soil or plant tissue samples from across the tundra biome. 

Using ITEX datasets

The ITEX network has agreed to make all data publically available as part of the agreed upon data sharing policy.  However, we ask that users of the data strongly consider offering authorship to all data contributors.  High profile publications are the best way to assure that these sites are maintained and that future data sets will be available.  Including data contributors as authors also assures that the data are used properly and that the conclusions drawn from the analysis are valid and meaningful. 

The community composition database complied by ITEX is being managed by Anne Bjorkman.

The phenology database complied by ITEX is being managed by Janet Prevey and Sarah Elmendorf.

Please contact them for access to the most up to date database.

Direct Links to ITEX Datasets and Code

• Phenology database publicly available at the Polar data catalogue, the data paper is Prevéy et al. 2022 Arctic Science
• data from the Elmendorf et al 2012 syntheses (Nature Climate Change & Ecology Letters) are in the polar data catalog
• list of data papers, links to datasets in repositories (work in progress), here https://github.com/ITEX-sites/ITEX
• Contributor to Tundra Trait Team the data paper is Bjorkman et al. 2018 Global Ecology and Biogeography
• Contributor to TRY Plant Trait Database
• Contributor to Team Shrub
• Contributor to BioTime the data paper is Dornelas et al. 2018 Global Ecology and Biogeography
• Contributor to Arctic Vegetation Archive  a data paper is Walker et al. 2016 Phytocoenologia

ITEX slack

Join the ITEX slack group to discuss ask questions and share code for analysis commonly done on by members of the ITEX community. 

View a brief Github and Slack tutorial: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NZHceLRWBmc3j10qlzRB2u8UBXNmjDZO/view?usp=drive_link

Ongoing and planned synthesis activities using the ITEX network or ITEX data sets are:

Linking root traits with above ground phenology (Elise Gallois)

Mycorrhiza (Kevin Van Sundert)

Arctic plant diversity dynamics (Mariana García Criado)

Arctic vascular plant functional diversity (Joseph Everest)

Arctic vascular plant phylogenetic diversity (Ruud Scharn)

Coexistence theory (Yanhao Feng)

Birch leaf samples (Jolanta Rieksta) email

Seed collection (Sergey Rosbakh) email

Oxyria collection (Anne Bjorkman) email & protocol

Moss traits paper for special Issue (Signe Lett) email of moss functional groups

Fungal mycelia collection (Cole Brachmann) email of fungal mycelia collection explanation

NDVI of plots (Jeremy May) email of NDVI collection and synthesis

Cassiope collection (Elise Gallois) email of Cassiope collection explanation

Dryas (formerly Draba) genetics UBC (Emily Grishaber) email (Cassandra Elphinstone) email of Dryas genetics explanation    MS word description of Dryas genetics

Species Pool (Christian Rixen & Anne Bjorkman & Gergana N. Daskalova & Signe Normand) Link to protocol: https://osf.io/agdfq/

Plant Community Synthesis (Robert Björk & Ruud Scharn)

Tundra Trait Team (Anne Bjorkman)

Phenology  (Christian Rixen, Janet Prevéy, Zoe Panchen, Sarah Elmendorf, Courtney Collins & Geerte de Jong ).

Below Ground Processes  (Juha Alatalo & Sara Hallin)

Herbivore Activity  (Isabel Barrio & Inga Svala Jónsdóttir)

sTundra  (Isla Myers-Smith, Anne Bjorkman, & Sarah Elmendorf)

Eriophorum vaginatum material  (Ned Fetcher)

Common Garden  (Greg Henry, Anne Bjorkman, & Esther Frei)

 

The network is eager to expand synthesis efforts.  Talk a member of the steering committee or chair about leading a new synthesis activity.