Latvia's results-based agri-environmental grassland scheme "Blooming Meadows": indicator species scoring and landowner questionnaire dataset

This dataset presents the results from Latvia’s results-based agri-environmental grassland scheme Blooming Meadows (Pilot) implemented within the framework of the LIFE Integrated Project LatViaNature: Optimising the Governance and Management of the Natura 2000 Protected Areas Network in Latvia LIFE19 IPE/LV/000010. The main aim of the Pilot was to test and implement a results-based agri-environmental scheme (RBAES). The Pilot involved 72 perennial grassland owners. Grasslands larger than 5 ha were divided into smaller parcels. In total, data from 269 parcels are presented in this file, including both control parcels and parcels from volunteers. Parcel monitoring included evaluation of the presence or absence of vascular plants and grassland structure indicators. Two types of monitoring were conducted on the parcels:Basic monitoring - annual, performed in all parcels by experts and landowners (separately). It involved 10 circular plots arranged along the longest axis of each parcel, recording only plants from the curated indicator species list (including various taxa, not limited to species level; referred to elsewhere as ID species). Detailed monitoring - biannual, conducted only in selected parcels by experts. It involved 19 circular plots along the longest axis of each parcel (overlapping with basic monitoring), recording all vascular plant species. The dataset is comprised by two excel files: Dataset_species_scoring - raw monitoring data from the years 2023-2025. Questionnaire_data - results from the questionnaire that was conducted in 2025 during the annual workshops, collecting landowners opinions on ID species list and scoring approach (n=55). See the workbook sheets named "Field_names" and "Metadata" for detailed descriptions of the column names. This dataset was used in the publication - Rūsiņa, S., Justen, P., Ozols, J., Baranovskis, Ģ., et al. (2026). Plot-based plant indicator scoring approach for results-based grassland schemes: Validation and participatory evaluation in Latvia. Journal for Nature Conservation, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2026.127382. For further details and full Pilot description, please refer to the publication. This study was supported by the project “Optimising the Governance and Management of the Natura 2000 Protected Areas Network in Latvia” (LIFE19 IPE/LV/000010 LIFE-IP LatViaNature), which is implemented with the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union and Latvian State Digital Development Agency.