DOI: 10.71615/bexis.32174-5
title: Effects of seeding and disturbance in grasslands on bryophytes across three German regions (2015–2016)

description: This dataset provides bryophyte richness and cover records from a full-factorial grassland experiment conducted in 72 grassland sites across three German regions (Schwäbische Alb, Hainich-Dün, Schorfheide-Chorin) during 2015–2016. At each site, four 7 × 7 m treatment subplots were established (control, seeding only, disturbance only, seeding + disturbance). Within these sites, bryophyte species and their percentage cover were recorded in 2 × 2 m quadrats. The dataset enables analyses of bryophyte community responses to seeding and sward disturbance along the land-use intensity gradient and the environmental contexts.
description: Study design: In each of the 72 agricultural grasslands (25 in the Schwäbische Alb, 23 in Hainich-Dün, 24 in Schorfheide Chorin), we established a full-factorial experiment with seeding and sward disturbance in four 7 m × 7 m treatment subplots (control, seeding only, seeding and disturbance, disturbance only) per site. Subplots were separated by 2 m buffers. In October 2014, the disturbance treatment was applied by mechanical perturbation (rotary harrowing) of the topsoil (to approx. 10 cm depth) using a rotary harrow, a method that creates a high proportion of bare ground (on average around 50% in the following spring; Schäfer et al. 2019). This technique is commonly used in re-seeding practices (Sommer et al. 2025). Bryophyte and vascular plant (root and shoot) fragments of the disturbed sward were not removed but left on the ground, allowing regrowth (see Klaus et al. 2017 for further details on the experimental design and treatments). For the seeding treatments, we used specific mixtures of locally produced seeds of native plant species for each of the three regions. Seed mixture composition was determined according to local species pools (derived from vegetation records by Socher et al. 2012 and Klaus et al. 2013) and availability of regional seeds at certified seed producers. Mixtures consisted of common and less-common grass, legume and forb species that naturally occur in the respective region. For further details on the species sown in the three regions, see Klaus et al. (2017).|Sampling design: In all grassland sites we established 4 treatment subplots. In the center of all treatment subplots, we established a 2 m × 2 m monitoring quadrat, in which we recorded all bryophyte species and their percentage cover. In Hainich-Dün and the Schwäbische Alb, we conducted bryophyte surveys in May and June 2015 and 2016 and in the Schorfheide-Chorin region in September 2015 and July 2016.|Literature references: Klaus VH, Hölzel N, Boch S, Müller J, Socher SA, Prati D, Fischer M, Kleinebecker T (2013) Direct and indirect associations between plant species richness and productivity in grasslands: regional differences preclude simple generalization of productivity-biodiversity relationships. Preslia 85: 97–112. Klaus, V.H., Schäfer, D., Kleinebecker, T., Fischer, M., Prati, D., Hölzel, N. (2017): Enriching plant diversity in grasslands by large-scale experimental sward disturbance and seed addition along gradients of land-use intensity. – Journal of Plant Ecology 10: 581–591. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtw062 Schäfer, D., Klaus, V. H., Kleinebecker, T. … Prati, D. (2019): Recovery of ecosystem functions after experimental disturbance in 73 grasslands differing in land-use intensity, plant species richness and community composition. – Journal of Ecology 107: 2635–2649. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13211 Socher SA, Prati D, Boch S, Müller J, Klaus VH, Hölzel N, Fischer M (2012) Direct and productivity-mediated indirect effects of fertilization, mowing and grazing on grassland species richness. Journal of Ecology 100: 1391–1399. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2012.02020.x Sommer, L., Donath, T.W., Harvolk-Schöning, S., Kleinebecker, T., Schneider, S., Voß, N., Klinger, Y.P. (2025): Grassland restoration practice in Central Europe: drivers of success across a broad moisture gradient. – Restoration Ecology, e70106. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70106