SoilHet2_Plot_SpeciesComposition

SoilHet2 Plot species composition. Data was collected each year during the month of August beginning in 2018. 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. The percent cover used in this data set is relative to the whole plot and not an individual patch. 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.SoilHet2 样地物种组成数据集。本数据集的数据自2018年起，于每年8月采集。每个样地尺寸为4.6米×4米，以百分比盖度（percent cover）记录植物多度。样地被划分为两种斑块设置：120个40厘米×40厘米的大型斑块，或480个20厘米×20厘米的小型斑块。通过此类斑块设置，可在样地尺度上构建不同类型的空间异质性。本数据集所采用的盖度百分比为相对于整个样地的相对盖度，而非单个斑块的盖度。简要研究概述如下：本研究针对堪萨斯州中南部的草原植物群落，探究了种子散播空间格局（聚集型与均匀混合种子）、土壤异质性以及斑块尺寸对物种丰富度的影响。研究共设置96个4米×4.8米的样地，每个样地均被划分为120个大型斑块（0.4米×0.4米）或480个小型斑块（0.2米×0.2米）。随后，研究人员对每个样地内的土壤进行挖掘、混匀并重新分布，以构建均质或异质的土壤环境。最后，选取40个物种的种子，采用两种播种方式：其一为每个土壤斑块仅播种单一物种，以在样地内形成聚集型的物种分布；其二为将种子均匀撒播于整个样地。