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Vogt J, Klaus VH, Both S, Fürstenau C, Gockel S, Gossner MM, Heinze J, Hemp A, Hölzel N, Jung K, Kleinebecker T, Lauterbach R, Lorenzen K, Ostrowski A, Otto N, Prati D, Renner S, Schumacher U, Seibold S, Simons N, Steitz I, Teuscher M, Thiele J, Weithmann S, Wells K, Wiesner K, Ayasse M, Blüthgen N, Fischer M, Weisser WW. Eleven years' data of grassland management in Germany. Biodivers Data J 2019; 7:e36387. [PMID: 31598068 PMCID: PMC6778154 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.7.e36387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The 150 grassland plots were located in three study regions in Germany, 50 in each region. The dataset describes the yearly grassland management for each grassland plot using 116 variables. General information includes plot identifier, study region and survey year. Additionally, grassland plot characteristics describe the presence and starting year of drainage and whether arable farming had taken place 25 years before our assessment, i.e. between 1981 and 2006. In each year, the size of the management unit is given which, in some cases, changed slightly across years. Mowing, grazing and fertilisation were systematically surveyed: Mowing is characterised by mowing frequency (i.e. number of cuts per year), dates of cutting and different technical variables, such as type of machine used or usage of conditioner. For grazing, the livestock species and age (e.g. cattle, horse, sheep), the number of animals, stocking density per hectare and total duration of grazing were recorded. As a derived variable, the mean grazing intensity was then calculated by multiplying the livestock units with the duration of grazing per hectare [LSU days/ha]. Different grazing periods during a year, partly involving different herds, were summed up to an annual grazing intensity for each grassland. For fertilisation, information on the type and amount of different types of fertilisers was recorded separately for mineral and organic fertilisers, such as solid farmland manure, slurry and mash from a bioethanol factory. Our fertilisation measures neglect dung dropped by livestock during grazing. For each type of fertiliser, we calculated its total nitrogen content, derived from chemical analyses by the producer or agricultural guidelines (Table 3). All three management types, mowing, fertilisation and grazing, were used to calculate a combined land use intensity index (LUI) which is frequently used to define a measure for the land use intensity. Here, fertilisation is expressed as total nitrogen per hectare [kg N/ha], but does not consider potassium and phosphorus. Information on additional management practices in grasslands was also recorded including levelling, to tear-up matted grass covers, rolling, to remove surface irregularities, seed addition, to close gaps in the sward. New information Investigating the relationship between human land use and biodiversity is important to understand if and how humans affect it through the way they manage the land and to develop sustainable land use strategies. Quantifying land use (the ‘X’ in such graphs) can be difficult as humans manage land using a multitude of actions, all of which may affect biodiversity, yet most studies use rather simple measures of land use, for example, by creating land use categories such as conventional vs. organic agriculture. Here, we provide detailed data on grassland management to allow for detailed analyses and the development of land use theory. The raw data have already been used for > 100 papers on the effect of management on biodiversity (e.g. Manning et al. 2015).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Vogt
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Münster, Germany Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany.,ETH Zürich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Zürich, Switzerland ETH Zürich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences Zürich Switzerland
| | - Steffen Both
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Fresing, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Fresing Germany.,Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Agrar- und Ernährungswissenschaften, Halle, Germany Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Agrar- und Ernährungswissenschaften Halle Germany
| | - Cornelia Fürstenau
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems, Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems Jena Germany
| | - Sonja Gockel
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute of Ecology, Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute of Ecology Jena Germany.,ThüringenForst, Forstliches Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Gotha, Gotha, Germany ThüringenForst, Forstliches Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Gotha Gotha Germany
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany.,Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Forest Entomology, Birmensdorf, Switzerland Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Forest Entomology Birmensdorf Switzerland
| | - Johannes Heinze
- Universität Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam, Germany Universität Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology Potsdam Germany
| | - Andreas Hemp
- University of Bayreuth, Department of Plant Systematics, Bayreuth, Germany University of Bayreuth, Department of Plant Systematics Bayreuth Germany
| | - Nobert Hölzel
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Münster, Germany Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Institute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany
| | - Kirsten Jung
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, nstitute of Landscape Ecology, Münster, Germany Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, nstitute of Landscape Ecology Münster Germany.,Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management, Gießen, Germany Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management Gießen Germany
| | - Ralf Lauterbach
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Katrin Lorenzen
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Andreas Ostrowski
- Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems, Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Institute for Computer Science, Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Distributed Information Systems Jena Germany
| | - Niclas Otto
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Daniel Prati
- University of Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology, Bern, Switzerland University of Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology Bern Switzerland
| | - Swen Renner
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU, Institute of Zoology, Vienna, Austria University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences BOKU, Institute of Zoology Vienna Austria
| | - Uta Schumacher
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F, Frankfurt, Germany Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F Frankfurt Germany
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Nadja Simons
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany.,University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks, Darmstadt, Germany University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks Darmstadt Germany
| | - Iris Steitz
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Miriam Teuscher
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F, Frankfurt, Germany Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F Frankfurt Germany
| | - Jan Thiele
- Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute for Biodiversity, Braunschweig, Germany Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute for Biodiversity Braunschweig Germany
| | - Sandra Weithmann
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Konstans Wells
- The University of Adelaide, Department of Biosciences, Adelaide, Australia The University of Adelaide, Department of Biosciences Adelaide Australia.,University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Georgia University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Georgia
| | - Kerstin Wiesner
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology, Ulm, Germany University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology Ulm Germany
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks, Darmstadt, Germany University Darmstadt, Ecological Networks Darmstadt Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Universität Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology, Bern, Germany Universität Bern, Institute of Plant Science, Department of Biology Bern Germany.,Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F, Frankfurt, Germany Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BiK-F Frankfurt Germany
| | - Wolfgang W Weisser
- Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany Technische Universität München, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan Freising Germany
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