Data belonging to Limpens et al 2020 Shrubs and degraded permafrost pave the way for tree establishment in subarctic peatlands, published in Ecosystems (https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10021-020-00523-6))

Highlights of the study are: • We assessed the mechanisms underlying tree expansion in subarctic peatlands • Tree establishment increased with permafrost absence and shrub cover presence • Subarctic peatlands may transition towards tree-dominated states with climate warming

The dataset contains data on seedling survival and environmental conditions (vegetation characteristics, moisture, temperature, light) of two palsa peatlands in Finnish Lapland