Insect, plant and tree data from woodland restoration sites in Central Scotland, 2021 and English Midlands, 2022

In 2021 and 2022 a total of 60 broadleaved woodland restoration sites from Central Scotland (2021) and English Midlands (2022) and a further six wildcard sites made up of ancient woodlands (2 in Scotland and 2 in England) and rewilding sites (2 in England) were surveyed to calculate metrics of ecological complexity from biodiversity and habitat structure data. In each woodland, we monitored ground flora (surveyed using quadrats), adult trees (within circular plots), tree seedlings and saplings (transects), volume of deadwood (measured within transects), canopy cover estimations, invertebrates on understorey vegetation (surveyed by tray beating) and (mostly) flying invertebrates (surveyed using Malaise traps). Information on site characteristics were collected, including age of the restoration site, former land-use and features of the surrounding landscape.