Plant invasions in the Middle Awash Valley, Ethiopia

Although natural ecosystems in Ethiopia are confronted with myriad of plant invasions, research to quantify plant invasion effects is restricted to limited areas of the country or a few species only. Data uploaded here were collected to examine the number and abundance of invasive and expanding plants (a native but spreading species) and their associated effects (individual as well as cumulative effects) on native species richness and diversity in a semi-arid rangeland in the Rift Valley Region, eastern Ethiopia. Data were gathered from forty-eight 20 X 20 m plots (established using systematic random fashion) and we recorded plant richness (both herbaceous and woody plants (comprising all trees and shrubs >1 m height)) abundance-cover, and herbaceous species composition.