SoilHet2_Patch_SpeciesComposition

SoilHet2 patch level species composition. Data was collected each year
during the months of June and ended at the end of July beginning in 2017.
Plots are 4.6m x 4m and plant abundance was recorded using percent cover.
Plots are divided into either 120 40cm x 40cm patches or 480 20cm x 20cm
patches. These patches were used to create different forms of heterogeneity
that would be visible at the plot level. For a brief overview: we tested how
the spatial pattern of seed arrival (aggregated versus uniform seed mixtures),
soil heterogeneity, and patch size influence species richness in grassland
plant communities in south-central Kansas. We established 96, 4x4.8 m plots
each divided into 120 large-scale (0.4x0.4 m) or 480 small-scale (0.2x0.2 m)
patches. We then excavated, mixed, and redistributed soil within each plot to
create either homogenous or heterogeneous soil conditions. Finally, seeds
from 40 species were then sown with either one species per soil patch, to
create aggregated species distributions within plots, or were sown uniformly
across plots.