This collection contains measurements of vegetation and soil surface cover measured on the plots of the different sub-experiments at the field site of a large grassland biodiversity experiment (the Jena Experiment; see further details below). In the main experiment, 82 grassland plots of 20 x 20 m were established from a pool of 60 species belonging to four functional groups (grasses, legumes, tall and small herbs). In May 2002, varying numbers of plant species from this species pool were sown into the plots to create a gradient of plant species richness (1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 60 species) and functional richness (1, 2, 3, 4 functional groups). Plots were maintained by bi-annual weeding and mowing. The following series of datasets are contained in this collection:1. Measurements of vegetation cover, i.e. the proportion of soil surface area that is covered by different categories of plants per estimated plot area. Data was collected on the plant community level (sown plant community, weed plant community, dead plant material, and bare ground) and on the level of individual plant species in case of the species that have been sown into the plots to create the gradient of plant diversity.

This data set is an ongoing collection of data on of vegetation and soil surface cover in the Jena Experiment. Please refer to the individual datasets below. Additional data might be available (more recent years). If you are interested in this data, please directly contact the authors via the Jena Experiment data manager [http://www.the-jena-experiment.de/Contact.html].In case you want to cite this collection please use: “Vicky Temperton; Elisabeth Marquard; Christiane Roscher; Enrica De Luca; Alexandra Weigelt; Cameron Wagg; Nina Buchmann; Bernhard Schmid; Markus Fischer; Wolfgang W. Weisser; Guangjuan Luo, Sebastian T. Meyer (2016) Collection of vegetation and soil surface cover in the Jena Experiment (time series since 2002), doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.865275 (downloaded [DATE])”