Grassland arthropod trait and associated environmental data collected in arable reversion sites in southern England, 2014
Woodcock, B.A. (2020). Grassland arthropod trait and associated environmental data collected in arable reversion sites in southern England, 2014. NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/78408af3-452f-41af-95f3-ffc13b05c232
This dataset contains arthropod species presence and abundance data, species trait data and environmental data for arable reversion sites in southern England. A chronosequence of 52 arable grassland restoration sites and five target National Nature Reserve grassland communities were sampled for arthropods in 2014. These sites were located on calcareous soils. The majority of these sites were established as part of the South Downs Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), South Wessex Downs ESA, as well as through subsequent agri-environmental schemes including Countryside Stewardship or Higher Level agri-environment. Restoration sites ranged in age (1 to 30 years), habitat quality (e.g. sward structure and floral similarity to target grasslands), management (cutting and grazing) and surrounding landscape (isolation and cover of grassland). This environmental variation was captured and is included in the data set. Arthropods were identified across a wide range of trophic groups (detrititvores, herbivores, predators and pollinators). For arthropod species identified to species, information on functional traits is derived, including body mass, dispersal ability and trophic group.
In 2014 52 arable reversion sites were selected within calcareous soils in southern England. A further five national nature reserves representing pristine examples of the target community were also sampled. Within each site pitfall trapping, suction sampling and transect walks were used to sample bees (Apoidea), ants (Formicidae), butterflies (including Zygaenidae moths), hoverflies (Syrphidae), beetles (selected families of Carabidae, Coccinellidae, Staphylinnidae, Curculionidae, Apionidae, Chrysomelidae and Elateridae), plant/leaf hoppers (Auchenorrhyncha), true bugs (Heteroptera), spiders (Araneae), woodlice (Isopoda) and millipedes (Diplopoda). These species were identified to species. Functional traits were allocated to species to describe body mass, dispersal ability, trophic level and degree of grassland specialism. Site specific information on size, age, management (e.g. grazing and cutting) and surrounding landscape (e.g. distance to nearest patch of species rich grassland) were recorded.
copyright UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
NERC Environmental Information Data Centre