Vegetation data of four different short rotation coppice (SRC) life stages

The dataset contains vegetation data collected in four different life stages of short rotation coppices (SRC): harvested, young (2 year old), mature (3 year old) and old (4 year old). In each SRC life stage, there were three sites established, in which a plot of 10 x 20 m was searched for vascular plant and fern species (Total = 12 sites). Each site was investigated once in May, June, July and August 2022. In may and June, plants were identified on species level according to the WFO Plant List and classified in terms of their relative ground cover according to a scale presented in Pfadenhauer et al. (1986): "Überlegungen zu einem Konzept geobotanischer Dauerbeobachtungsflächen für Bayern", complemented by an additional class containing single individuum findings. In the harvested SRCs, the plants were also identified in July and August because plant communities were expected to markedly change in these months as the poplars sprout out again and grew. In June, July and August, the number of flowering shoots were recorded for insect pollinated plant species at each site.