cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.5285/2a817dbf-097f-45b4-85bd-745f4e78e656
title: Soil state and environmental parameters across geo-linked sampling locations on grassland, UK (2016)

description: Data are presented for soil state and environmental parameters of soil samples collected from paired intensive and extensive grassland systems, including low and high pH parent soils, from 32 sites across the United Kingdom. The samples were collected during winter and spring 2015-2016 by project staff experienced in soil core collection. Samples were subdivided for subsequent analysis of total Nitrogen, total Carbon, total organic Carbon, total Phosphorus, soil pH, soil moisture, loss on ignition, sand, silt, clay texture, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra and bulk density.

The data were collected to help understand soil functional change in a variety of management and climatic scenarios as part of NERC U-GRASS (Understanding and enhancing soil ecosystem services and resilience in UK grass and croplands) award (NERC Reference NE/M017125/1) part of the NERC Soil Security Programme.
description: Soil samples were collected from 32 grassland sites across the United Kingdom and stored frozen at –20 degrees Celsius prior to subsequent processing for chemical, physical, molecular and functional characteristics. Analysis was carried out for total Nitrogen, total Carbon, total organic Carbon, total Phosphorus (CEH Lancaster), soil pH, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra, bulk density (CEH Wallingford) , soil moisture, loss on ignition (CEH Lancaster and Wallingford), sand, silt, clay texture (NRM Laboratories). Results were returned from the laboratories compiled into an Excel spreadsheet. The compiled data set was exported as a comma separated value file for deposition into the EIDC.
DOI: 10.5285/d7bfc4ed-8ead-4d06-8e45-b592c1f48f3f
title: CO2 and CH4 fluxes measured using static chamber technique from a hemi-boreal ombrotrophic fen in drought and non-drought years, Mycklemossen, Sweden, 2017-2019

description: Net ecosystem exchange and methane fluxes were measured from a hemi-boreal ombrotrophic fen in Southern Sweden. An automated chamber system, SkyLine2D, was used to measure the fluxes  near-continuously from August 2017 to September 2019. Four ecotypes were identified: sphagnum (Sphagnum spp), eriophorum, heather and water, to assess how these different ecotypes would respond to drought. The 2018 drought allowed comparison of fluxes between drought and non-drought years (May to September), and their recovery the following year. 

description: Near continuous methane and CO2 fluxes measured along a transect on an ombrotrophic fen in Southern Sweden from August 2017-September 2019 using an automated greenhouse gas flux platform SkyLine2D.  
The impacts of drought (in 2018 the mire experienced drought conditions) and different vegetation types (sedge, heather, sphagnum or open water; 6 replicated for each) on the fluxes were determined.
Fluxes were measured within collars of 20-cm diameter, 4-min at each collar.   CH4 and CO2 fluxes were detected using  a Licor infrared gas analyser (IRGA, LI-8100, Licor, NE, USA) to measure CO2 and a cavity ringdown laser (CRD, LGR U-GGA-91, Los Gatos Research, CA USA) to measure both CO2 and CH4. 
 Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 were calculated using linear regression; a deadband of at least 20 seconds was allowed for the chamber headspace to mix and a window of 90 seconds was used for CO2 and 240 seconds used for CH4. Fluxes were adjusted for area, air temperature and gas volume. Further adjustment was made to the CO2 fluxes during daylight hours based upon the light response curve to account for attenuation of light by the chamber material, after.
All data manipulation and analyses were carried out using SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, CA 161 USA). 
GHG flux data (for both CO2 and CH4) were quality controlled in the first instance using the R2 statistic of the CO2 flux measurement, with values < 0.9 discarded. 
Measurements passing this threshold were then assessed using the output statistics from the regression calculation of CH4 fluxes, where regressions with a P value < 0.05 were accepted, while those that did not were treated as zero flux. Data outliers were defined as those ± 1.96 standard errors of the mean flux value for each collar and were excluded from the analyses. 
Data were further filtered to account for overestimation of fluxes during still atmospheric night-time conditions. Using the procedure fluxes where the mean CO2 concentration for the 20 second period before and after chamber closure dropped by more than 25 ppm where discounted.
DOI: 10.5285/2b8029ff-ddf5-47b2-9231-5fa0cbb6cd41
title: Seedlings leaf loss by herbivory in a fertilized forest in Central Amazonia (2019 - 2020)

description: Data are presented showing for individual seedling, herbivory damage at the leaf level; galls, pathogens, trail herbivory presence/absence qualitative data; and leaf mortality. Data were collected in each leaf from a plot based fertilisation experiment. The experiment was carried out at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP) approximately 100 km north of Manaus.

Data were collected bimonthly from February 2019 to January 2020, by the dataset first author. Leaf loss in percentage was made using the choice for direct visual estimate. We also followed the recommendations proposed by the authors, sectoring the leaves with a millimetre grid, improving measurement accuracy. The presence of Galls, pathogens and trail herbivory presence/absence qualitative data were also collected in each leaf.

The work was carried out as part of the Amazon Fertilization Experiment (AFEX), funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Award reference NE/L007223/1, the Brazilian government (Researcher scholarship) and the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP - logistical support and camps maintenance).
description: Within each subplot, all individuals of plants over 20 centimetres in height and with a diameter at ground height (DGH) greater than 1 centimetre were identified and marked. On each individual, the closest ten mature leaves to the apical yolk were marked with permanent ink and followed them bimonthly to analyse the herbivory damage at the leaf level, galls, pathogens and trail herbivory presence/absence qualitative data also collected in each leaf. Data were collected bimonthly, over a period of twelve months, totalling six replicates in each subplot, four in the rainy season and two in the dry season. The data were recorded on field sheets. This data was then transferred to an Excel spreadsheet. The data was exported as a comma-separated file for ingestion at the EIDC.
DOI: 10.5285/6128a4f7-d2ac-43c5-b492-af4c654e89b8
title: Pollinators in oilseed rape fields in relation to local plant diversity and landscape characteristics

description: The number and type of pollinators in winter-sown oilseed rape fields (Brassica napus L.) in relation to local plant diversity (in crop and field margin) and landscape characteristics. Pollinators were collected using two methods (pan traps and transects). Local plant diversity was assessed using quadrats in field margins and in cropped area. The presence of hedges was also recorded. Landscape characteristics included the presence of patches of grassland of different biodiversity levels and the amount of grasslands and other semi natural habitat within a 0.5 - 3km radius circular buffer of the collection points. Data were collected over two years (2014-2015).

These data were collected as part of Wessex BESS project, funded by the NERC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability research program.
This dataset can be used in conjunction with other Wessex BESS WP4 datasets. 
description: Set protocols for field data collection and laboratory data collection were followed with datasheets provided for each collection type. Data were entered in MS Access and anomalous entries were checked for.
DOI: 10.5285/5c404d9f-8b66-48a6-8d9d-250dea74d57a
title: Cockroach reproduction records in the laboratory at 50% and 30% relative humidity

description: Records of offspring production for 192 female cockroaches (Blaptica dubia) kept at either 50% or 30% relative humidity for two weeks during gestation. We then kept all females alone at 50% humidity for 10 weeks and counted the number of nymphs each female produced in up to two clutches.
description: Female cockroaches were obtained from the Evolutionary Ethology Lab stock population, maintained at the University of Aberdeen since 2021. Each female was given the opportunity to mate with two different males from the stock population during a two-week period. The females were then exposed to an experimental treatment of either 50% or 30% relative humidity for two weeks during gestation. Subsequently, all females were kept at 50% relative humidity for 10 weeks, after which the number of nymphs and clutches per female were counted. Data collection took place from 29/12/23 to 23/01/24. Quality checking against original laboratory notebooks and reformatting took place from 18/03/24 to 05/08/24.
DOI: 10.5285/8031c2c1-7032-4958-b314-7664d747b988
title: Hampshire Avon: trace gas fluxes from experimentally manipulated plots in three sub-catchments

description: The dataset contains instantaneous fluxes of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from intact lysimeters in agricultural grasslands in the Hampshire Avon catchment (UK). Manipulations of soil temperature, soil water saturation, additions of nitrogen, phosphorus and of nitrogen and phosphorus were made at three orthogonal experiments in three sub-catchments of contrasting geology (chalk, clay and greensand). Fluxes of carbon dioxide were directly measured continuously during 2014 and 2015 using automated chamber approach, and fluxes of methane and nitrous oxide were measured in 'campaign' mode. Flux measurements consisted of chamber closure for 180 seconds, except when in 'campaign' mode when measurement periods were extended to 300 seconds.
description: All data were generated by the authors. Prior to field deployment, all gas analysers were checked to ensure accuracy (using certified reference gases) and precision (repeated measures) were within accepted tolerance limits. Post hoc analysis of measured concentration of data was subject to a vigorous quality checking procedure, removing data when gas analysers produced unreliable data or failed. Flux calculation also included quality checking to ensure that appropriate linear or exponential curves were fitted, and data was discarded if a poor fit (low R2) was achieved.
DOI: 10.5285/b21e5542-95d3-454e-a2dd-9e6c1966f982
title: Data from automatic water monitoring buoy from Bassenthwaite Lake, 2012 to 2015 

description: This dataset consists of hourly lake temperature, air temperature, solar irradiance and wind speed data from an automatic water monitoring buoy on Bassenthwaite Lake, a lake in the North West of England. The lake temperatures are measured in various depths of the lake (see supporting documentation). Measurements were taken every 4 minutes and calculated as hourly averages. The data were collected by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology between 2012 and 2015 inclusive. This dataset has been used in various publications, please see supporting documentation for more detail.
description: Data from the automatic water quality buoy on Bassenthwaite Lake are collated and processed by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology at Lancaster. Data are available for download from 2012 to 2015. See supporting documentation for further information. Data has been checked visually and any obvious errors introduced by hardware malfunctioning have been removed.
DOI: 10.5285/84600f32-b4e8-4f29-851a-5ed0cd8ec9a4
title: Water level time series for four UK estuaries: Conwy, Dyfi, Milford Haven and Kent, 2020-2023

description: This dataset contains a timeseries of pressure (dbar), sea pressure (dbar), and depth (m), within the inner regions of four UK estuaries: Conwy, Dyfi, Milford Haven and Kent.

Data was collected between 2020 and 2023. The temporal resolution is either 1s or 10 s.

Specific information on the data locations, deployment methods, units and reference levels, data structure, and quality control can be found in the accompanying supporting documentation (read_me.docx).
description: RBRsolo3 pressure sensors were deployed in the upper regions of the four estuaries. Data was collected between 2020 and 2023. The temporal resolution is either 1s or 10 s. 
The data is presented in raw format and no further processing has taken place.
DOI: 10.5285/8eb1b693-8f56-4d97-b42d-f2c206dd33c0
title: Ectomycorrhizal fungal growth rates and biomass in pure culture in response to organic and inorganic nutrient additions

description: Dataset contains biomass and growth rates of ectomycorrhizal fungal species on different types of growth media in response to organic and inorganic nutrient additions. The fungi used were Laccaria bicolor (lb101B), Laccaria amethystina (la56), Paxillus involutus (Pi47), Piloderma byssinium (PbUP185), Suillus bovinus O96, Suillus viscidus (Sv171), and Suillus viscidus (SvAFST1). The diameter of fungal colonies was measured daily using a ruler over a 57 day period. Biomass was determined by removing the fungal mycelia, freeze-drying it and weighing on a microbalance.
description: Fungal isolates sub-cultured onto agar plates that contained different nutrient compositions. The extension rate f hyphae was measured regularly and the fungi were removed and weighed after 38 days.
DOI: 10.5285/aa86a268-559c-4f54-8e52-6292ad7901f4
title: Farm management and vegetation plot data from paired organic and conventional farms in England, 2000-2004

description: The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology gathered a range of ecological data between 2000 and 2004. The data include vegetation, farm management and habitat information, collected from 89 pairs of organic and non-organic fields on 161 farms containing arable crops distributed throughout England. Within these farms, landscape context and farm management practices centred on 30 pairs of target spring cereal fields (in 2000) and 59 pairs of target winter wheat fields (over two seasons 2002-2004).
Data were derived at different scales ranging from field to landscape scale using a range of methods. The vegetation data consists of plant records from within target fields which were sampled in 3 years (2000, 2002, 2003) with each field sampled in one of the years. Three plot types were used. (i) Crop margin plots which recorded species presence in plots extending 1 m from the ploughed edge and 100 m along the field edge. (ii) Field boundary plots which recorded presence and abundance (% cover) of species in plots extending 1 m from the centre of the uncultivated field boundary and 10 m parallel to the boundary. Berries were counted in winter from a sub-set of sites. (iii) Percent cover of within-crop plants was recorded in 0.5×0.5 m quadrats placed at distances of 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 m from the ploughed margin on 12 transects per field. Farm management data were collected via land manager questionnaires. Farmers were asked 40 questions concerning management of the target field and the whole farm. Habitat data were summarised at the farm level from the satellite-derived UKCEH Land Cover Map 2000. Invertebrates and birds were also sampled but do not form part of this data set.
The study was based on a total of 88 non-organic and 73 organic farms over three cropping seasons between 2000 and 2004. This dataset was created to investigate the benefits of organic farming for biodiversity as part of a DEFRA funded study.
description: Data were collected from organic and non-organic farms. The selection procedure for study sites initially focused on the organic farms. Criteria for selecting organic farms were: (1) they should be at least 30 hectares, (2) highly fragmented holdings (i.e. where organic fields were interspersed with non-organic fields) were avoided, (3) agro-forestry and predominantly horticultural and grass enterprises were excluded, (4) they had to be growing the right crops in the right years. All data were collected on paper in the field by professional ecologists. They were then digitised later in the office and stored in a relational database.
DOI: 10.5285/1624fe45-0deb-4bcd-9f13-75578693aaae
title: The Isle of May long-term study (IMLOTS) seabird annual return rate 1988-2021

description: This dataset contains calculated return rates for five seabird species from representative colonies on the Isle of May, off the East coast of Scotland. Annual return rates are measured as the number of individually colour marked individuals seen in any one year that were also observed in the previous year for the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica), common guillemot (Uria aalge), razorbill (Alca torda), European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla). Not every individual is seen in any one year and the data set does not take into account those missed in any previous years hence these data are not to be treated as survival estimates.  In the dataset, each year is represented by a single row of data, there are five columns showing the calculated return rates for each species (indicated by its common name and suffixed 'RR').  The figure quoted in any row is the proportion of marked birds which are observed by the end of the stated breeding season.  Each row also contains the number of individuals seen in that year and the number seen in the previous year, taking into account new individuals which are marked.
description: Standardised monitoring of seabirds commenced in 1987 at which point a proportion of the population of the five study species were individually colour marked.  As a result the first year of data examining return rate was in 1988 when these individuals returned to breed.  The number of plots of individually colour marked birds varies between species and new individuals are marked every year in order to ensure the marked population is maintained at an adequate level for analysis.
DOI: 10.5285/55bc4927-5d9b-4e64-b30e-f4f97c84b87c
title: Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS) surface sediment chlorophyll concentrations in saltmarsh and mudflat habitats

description: The dataset details surface sediment chlorophyll concentrations across six intertidal sites in the winter and summer of 2013. Chlorophyll concentrations in surface sediments (<2mm) provide a quantitative measure of the microphytobenthos (MPB) community present. Three of the sites were in Morecambe Bay, North West England and three of the sites were in Essex, South East England, each of these sites consisted of a saltmarsh area and adjacent mudflat area, twenty two sampling quadrats were placed on each area. Five replicate sediment samples were taken at each quadrat and then underwent acetone extraction of pigments followed by spectrophotometer analysis of absorptions at relevant wavelengths. Values for chlorophyll a, b and c1+ c2 are expressed as micrograms per gram of sediment.

This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme.
description: Sediment chlorophyll content was determined through the collection of contact cores. Contact cores use liquid nitrogen to freeze the top 2 mm of the sediment surface, excess unfrozen sediment is removed and sample core is stored below -80 deg C to ensure preservation of pigments. The sample is freeze dried to remove all water and a sub-sample taken. Acetone is added to the sediment sample and stored at -20 deg C for 48 hours to allow extraction of pigments. The sample is centrifuged and supernatant is analysed in a spectrophotometer for absorption at wavelengths 630, 647, 664 and 750 nanometres (nm). Values for chlorophyll a, b and c1+ c2 are expressed as micrograms per gram of sediment. The location of the sample sites was determined by randomly allocated quadrats. Twenty-two 1 x 1 m quadrats were randomly allocated to each mudflat and saltmarsh site using R (R Development Core Team, 2014) to specify four different spatial scales (A = 1 quadrat only, B = 3 quadrats at 1 m to 10 m apart, C = 6 quadrats at 10 m to 100 m apart, D = 12 quadrats at 100 m to 1000 m or site maximum).
DOI: 10.5285/8ae9c761-3cf9-4709-8632-c4051a244825
title: Soil nematode communities from peri-urban watersheds, China

description: This data set contains nematode community data for soil samples collected from two different land uses (farmland and forest) in the Peri urban area of Ningbo China. Samples were collected seasonally between April 2017 and January 2018.

Nematodes were removed from soil using density centrifugation, DNA extractions were then carried out on these extracted nematodes and directed TRFLP was used to obtain a measure of nematode community structure. Data are relative fluorescence for each TRFLP peak and have been Hellinger transformed.
description: Soil samples were collected across a watershed in the Peri urban area of Ningbo China between April 9-12, 2017; July 15-18, 2017; October 14-17, 2017; January 11-14 2018. In each watershed samples were collected from 2 different land uses (farmland and forest). At each site 250 g of soil was collected be randomly taking 5 soil cores across the site. All soil was stored at 4 °C prior to shipping to the UK. Shipping was carried out in compliance with the Scottish governments import licence and samples were stored in quarantine facilities at 8 °C as per The James Hutton Institute's biosecurity policy.

For further details please see the supporting documentation
DOI: 10.5285/8b3f4857-9809-43cb-b2aa-a988e64a5449
title: Geographic distances between pairs of wild bumblebee colonies across an agricultural landscape in Buckinghamshire, UK

description: Geographic distances between pairs of wild bumblebee colonies across an agricultural landscape centred on the Hillesden Estate, Buckinghamshire, UK. Colony locations were estimated using the foraging locations of workers sampled in summer 2011, genotyped and grouped into full-sib families. The spatial structure of five Bombus species (Bombus terrestris, B. lapidarius, B. pascuorum, B. hortorum and B. ruderatus) was determined, with inter-colony distances varying from 7 to 5264 metres. Data were collected as part of a project led by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, funded under the Insect Pollinators Initiative.
description: Worker bumblebee DNA was sampled non-lethally, stored, extracted, genotyped and individuals assigned to full-sib groups (colonies) using recognised standard protocols. Spatial locations of colonies and inter-colony separation distances were generated in ArcGIS and backed up as Excel files. Data were checked for errors at all stages by staff at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and at the Institute of Zoology.