Phytometer experiment data from dBEF monoculture plots (2016-2017)

Monocultures are usually used as a reference for quantifying biodiversity effects in mixtures. Many experiments have shown positive biodiversity effects at the plant community-level, which strengthen over time. However, species-level responses to increased biodiversity are highly variable, and moreover, the well-known long-term deterioration of monoculture varies greatly among species. To directly compare the performance of plant individuals in monocultures of different age, we planted individuals of 60 plant species in its 14-year old monocultures and newly established monocultures on new soil. Based on their average performance in the mixture plots, all species were classified as winners (higher yields than expected) or losers (lower yields than expected). After one year of growth, we measured functional traits and plant individual biomass of each individual.