ALBERT

Description: In september 2010 bulk soil samples were taken from 82 plots in the Jena Experiment main experiment. Per plot 5 cores of 15 cm depth were taken, pooled and sieved. From the extracted DNA the 16S and 18S rRNA gene was amplified with primer sets 515f/806r and FR 1/FF390. The samples were subjected to Roche 454 automated sequencer and GS FLX system using titanium chemistry (Macrogen Seoul, Korea). The 16S dataset includes bacterial and archaeal sequences, the 18S dataset includes mainly fungal and protist sequences.

Description: The present study was conducted at the Jena Experiment field site from 2011 to 2015. The 48 experimental plant communities included twelve monocultures (of which one was removed from all analyses because it was planted with the wrong species), twelve 2-species mixtures, twelve 4-species mixtures and twelve 8-species mixtures. We used two community-evolution treatments (plant histories); plants with eight years of co-selection history in different plant communities in the Jena Experiment (communities of co-selected plants) and plants without such co-selection history (naïve communities). Community-level plant productivity was measured each year from 2012 to 2015 by collecting species-specific aboveground biomass at the time of peak biomass in spring, whereas the traits plant height and SLA were measured once in 2015. We harvested plant material 3 cm aboveground from a 50 x 20 cm area in the centre of each half-quadrat, sorted it into species, dried it at 70°C and weighed the dry biomass. At the end of the experiment, in May 2015, we measured plant height and SLA for 30 species in neutral soil. For each species, we collected up to 20 representative leaves (depending on the leaf size of the species) from four individuals and measured the leaf area by scanning fresh leaves immediately after harvest and determining the mass of the same leaves after drying.

Description: This collection contains measurements of physical and chemical soil properties on the main experiment plots 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 in general by bi-annual weeding and mowing. Since 2010, plot size was reduced to 5 x 6 m and plots were weeded three times per year. The following series of datasets are contained in this collection: 1. Physical soil properties - Soil texture: Proportion of sand, silt and clay in the fine soil was measured in April 2002 before plot establishment at 27 locations distributed throughout the experimental site. Undisturbed soil cores were taken to 100 cm depth and separated in depth increments with a resolution of 10 to 20 cm. Grain size fractions according to DIN 19683-2 were then determined by a combined sieve and hydrometer analysis. Values for each plot were interpolated by ordinary kriging. - Bulk density: Bulk density was sampled down to 100 cm depth in 2002 and 30 cm depth in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Several undisturbed soil cores were taken per plot and separated in depth increments before the bulk material was sieved, dried and weighed. - Soil hydraulic properties: Field capacity and permanent wilting point at 10, 20 and 30 cm depth were derived from soil texture data of 2002 and bulk density 2006 by using pedotransfer functions. Applied was equation four and five of Zacharias and Wessolek (2007) to derive parameters of the water retention curve. Water contents at field capacity and permanent wilting point were obtained using the van Genuchte Eq (e.g. eq 1 in Zacharias and Wessolek), and calculating water contents at - 330 cm matric potential (field capacity, 1/3 of atmospheric pressure) and at -15000 cm. -Soil porosity: the fraction of total volume occupied by pores or voids measured at matric potential 0, already published on https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.865254. 2. Chemical soil properties - Lime content: Percentage of CaCO3 in the soil was measured in April 2002 before plot establishment at 27 locations distributed throughout the experimental site. Undisturbed soil cores were taken to 100 cm depth and separated in depth increments with a resolution of 10 to 20 cm. The bulk material was sieved and CaCO3 content of the fine soil was determined as volumetric determination according to DIN 19684-5. - Soil organic matter: Percentage of soil organic matter was measured in April 2002 before plot establishment at 27 locations distributed throughout the experimental site. Undisturbed soil cores were taken to 100 cm depth and separated in depth increments with a resolution of 10 to 20 cm. The bulk material was sieved and organic content of the fine soil was determined using a loss-on-ignition method. - Soil pH value: soil pH value was determined 2002 and 2010 in water and 2002 also in calcium chloride. Five soil samples were taken per plot and bulk material was diluted in water and calcium chloride. PH values were then measured with an electrode.

Description: This data set contains measures of energy-use efficiency, energy flow, and energy storage in units of dry biomass that quantify the multitrophic ecosystem functioning realized in grassland ecosystems of differing plant diversity. Given are both the measures integrated over whole ecosystems (total network measures) as well as the energy dynamics associated with individual ecosystem compartments including the entire biological community and detrital compartments across the above- and belowground parts of the ecosystem. Data presented here is from the Main Experiment plots 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). Study plots are grouped in four blocks in parallel to the river in order to account for any effect of a gradient in abiotic soil properties. Each block contains an equal number of plots of each plant species richness and plant functional group richness level. Plots were maintained in general by bi-annual weeding and mowing. Since 2010, plot size was reduced to 5.5 x 6 m and plots were weeded three times per year. Trophic-network models were constructed for 80 of the experimental plots, and represent the ecosystem energy budget in the currency of dry-mass (g m-2 for standing stocks and g m-2 d-1 for flows). All trophic networks have the same topology, but they differ in the estimated size of the standing stock biomass of individual compartments (g m-2) and flows among the compartments (g m-2 d-1). Each trophic network contains twelve ecosystem compartments representing distinct trophic groups of the above- and belowground parts of the ecosystem (i.e., plants, soil microbial community, and above- and belowground herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers, all represented by invertebrate macro- and mesofauna) and detrital pools (i.e., surface litter and soil organic matter). Vertebrates were not considered in our study due to limitations of data availability and because the impact of resident vertebrates in our experimental system is expected to be minimal. Larger grazing vertebrates were excluded by a fence around the field site, though there was some occasional grazing by voles. Compartments are connected by 41 flows. Flows (fluxes) constitute 30 internal flows within the system, namely feeding (herbivory, predation, decomposition), excretion, mortality, and mechanical transformation of surface litter due to bioturbation plus eleven 11 external flows, i.e. one input (flows entering the system, namely carbon uptake by plants) and ten output flows (flows leaving the system, namely respiration losses). The ecosystem inflow (a flow entering the system) and outflows (flows leaving the system) represent carbon uptake and respiration losses, respectively. In the case of consumer groups, the food consumed (compartment-wide input flow) is further split into excretion (not assimilated organic material that is returned to detrital pools in the form of fecesfaeces) and assimilated organic material, which is further split into respiration (energy lost out of the system to the environment) and biomass production, which is further consumed by higher trophic levels due to predation or returned to detrital pools in the form of mortality (natural mortality or prey residues). In case of detrital pools (i.e. surface litter and soil organic matter), the input flows are in the form of excretion and mortality from the biota compartments, and output flows are in the form of feeding by decomposers and soil microorganisms (i.e. decomposition). Surface litter and soil organic matter are connected by flows in the form of burrowing (mechanical transportation) of organic material from the surface to the soil by soil fauna. Organism immigration and emigration are not considered in our study due to limited data availability. Flows were quantified using resource processing rates (i.e. the feeding rates at which material is taken from a source) multiplied with the standing biomass of the respective source compartment. To approximate resource processing rates, different approaches were used: (i) experimental measurements (namely the aboveground decomposition, fauna burial activity (bioturbation), microbial respiration, and aboveground herbivory and predation rates); (ii) allometric equations scaled by individual body mass, environmental temperature and phylogenetic group (for the above- and belowground fauna respiration rates and plant respiration); (iii) assimilation rates scaled by diet type (for quantification of belowground fauna excretion and natural mortality); (iv) literature-based rates scaled by biomass of trophic groups (for microbial mortality); and (v) mass-balance assumptions (carbon uptake, plant and aboveground fauna mortality, belowground decomposition, belowground herbivory, and belowground predation). Mass-balance assumption means that the flows are calculated assuming that resource inputs into the compartment (i.e. feeding) balance the rate at which material is lost (i.e. the sum of through excretion, respiration, predation, and natural death). We used constrained nonlinear multivariable optimization to perturb the initial flow rates estimated from the various sources. We assigned confidence ratings for each flow rate, reflecting the quality of empirical data it is based on. We then used the 'fmincon' function from Matlab's optimization toolbox, which utilizes the standard Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse approach to achieve a balanced steady state ecological network model that best reflects the collected field data. Measured data used to parameterize the trophic network models were collected mostly in the year 2010. Network-wide measures that quantify proxies for different aspects of multitrophic ecosystem functioning were calculated for each experimental plot using the 'enaR' package in R. In particular, total energy flow was measured as the sum of all flows through each ecosystem compartment. Flow uniformity was calculated as the ratio of the mean of summed flows through each individual ecosystem compartment divided by the standard deviation of these means. Total-network standing biomass was determined as the sum of standing biomass across all ecosystem compartments. Community maintenance costs were calculated as the ratio of community-wide respiration related to community-wide biomass.

Description: This data set contains measurements of soil pH values. Data presented here is from the Main Experiment plots 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 in general by bi-annual weeding and mowing. Since 2010, plot size was reduced to 5 x 6 m and plots were weeded three times per year. In 2010, soil pH values were determined in water. Five soil samples per plot were taken to 15 cm depth and homogenized before the soil was sieved through 2 mm to remove large debris. Subsamples of soil were then diluted in demiwater and pH value was measured with a glass electrode.