Terms and Conditions for the Use of Yosemite tree Data

Data Request: Data requests for new analyses must include the names and organizational affiliations of all prospective collaborators, a specific summary of the work to be done (approximately 250 words) that includes an overview of the analytical methods, an estimated timeline, and a statement that all collaborators will abide by the terms of this agreement. Data requests to reproduce the results of any published manuscript should state that data will only be used for that verification. Undergraduate or graduate students should have their faculty adviser submit a data request on their behalf.

Non-transferability: Collaborators are not permitted to share the YFDP data with any person or entity not mentioned in their data request.

Citation: Any publication that uses YFDP data must include the following two citations in the main text of the manuscript (citations in the Supplemental Information are not sufficient). Prospective data users should note that some journals have limitations as to the number of citations, but these two must be included even in that eventuality.

Lutz, J. A., A. J. Larson, M. E. Swanson, J. A. Freund. 2012. Ecological importance of large-diameter trees in a temperate mixed-conifer forest. PLoS ONE 7(5): e36131.

Lutz, J. A. 2015. The evolution of long-term data for forestry: large temperate research plots in an era of global change. Northwest Science 89(3): 255-269.

Within publications, the plot should be referred to as the “Yosemite Forest Dynamics Plot” and abbreviated as “YFDP”.

Authorship: The YFDP Principal Investigators conceptualized the research at the YFDP, selected the field location, designed the specific data collection protocols, acquired initial and ongoing data, and has worked since 2005 in understanding the plant species, environmental characteristics, and dynamics of the study site in order to make correct inferences about the ecological processes at the YFDP. These intellectual contributions exceed the guidelines for co-authorship of the journals Nature and Science, the USDA Forest Service, and the Ecological Society of America. Accordingly, collaborators will include the YFDP Principal Investigators as co-authors on all resulting publications and will extend to the YFDP Principal Investigators the opportunity to contribute to manuscript drafts. Collaborators will also assure that the YFDP Principal Investigators approve all journal submissions. Use of some ancillary data from the YFDP (e.g., genetic sequence data) may require the co-authorship of additional collaborators as appropriate acknowledgement of their contributions.

Derived Data and Code: Collaborators agree to share their derived data, additionally collected data, and code with the YFDP Principal Investigators (or publish it with their manuscript) and agree that these data will become part of the YFDP data archive and available for the YFDP Principal Investigators’ future use.

Field Access: Any visits to the Yosemite Forest Dynamics Plot and all field data collection must be approved by the Principal Investigator and covered by the research plans agreed between the Principal Investigator and the relevant land management agency each December (for the following year). The Principal Investigator cannot provide any field accommodations for visitors or field staff to assist with bespoke data collection without reimbursement of all expenses.

Limitation of Use: Collaborators may not use YFDP data for projects or analyses other than those specifically described in their data request. A new data request must be submitted (and approved) for any new use of the data. Collaborators acquire no rights to the data and are not permitted to sell or transfer the data or use the data in any way for commercial gain. Any commercial use requires a data use license (contact PI Lutz directly). YFDP data may not be uploaded to any other website, repository, or journal archive. Data are already archived at the Smithsonian. The data availability statement for publications is, “Tree data for the Yosemite Forest Dynamics Plot is available at the Smithsonian ForestGEO data portal, https://forestgeo.si.edu.”

Acknowledgements: All publications that include the YFDP data must acknowledge the institutions and funding that have contributed to the research. The YFDP Principal Investigator will provide an updated acknowledgement statement at the time of manuscript submission.

The Yosemite Forest Dynamics Plot is a collaborative project of Utah State University, the University of Montana, and Washington State University. Funding has been provided by the Smithsonian ForestGEO, Utah State University, the Joint Fire Science Program 16-1-04-02), the National Park Service P14AC00122 and P14AC00197), the Ecology Center at Utah State University, the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station (projects 1153, 1398, and 1423), and private donors. We thank Yosemite National Park for providing logistical support, and the students, volunteers and staff individually listed at http://yfdp.org for data collection. Research was performed under annual National Park Service research permits for study YOSE-0051.