Estimates of annual loads of phosphorus, sediment, nitrogen and faecal coliform from non-agricultural sources to rivers in Scotland, reported at Water Framework Directive (WFD) catchment scale. The sources of pollutants include: urban, woodland, montane areas, river bank erosion, septic tanks and sewage treatment works. Loads are estimated based upon available data (e.g. septic tank licences) and modelling (bank erosion). The values specify phosphorous, nitrogen or sediment losses in kilograms per year and faecal coliform in 10^6 colony forming units (cfu) per year. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/eb73ca31-7eb9-479c-96be-6063e29c8a7f

[THIS DATASET HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN]. This dataset includes measurements of annual growth of the higher plant species in the experimental plots at the Climoor field site in the Clocaenog Forest, NE Wales. Years include 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and in each the measurements were taken in August (at a time of maximum veteative growth at the site). Data include maximum shoot elongation, leading shoot length, and number of flowers, leaves and branches. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/eb7599f4-35f8-4365-bd4a-4056ee6c6083

This dataset contains data on pollinating insects, floral resources, and environmental conditions from a pollinator monitoring pilot conducted from 2015. Data were collected from a total of 14 sites across the UK, over four sampling rounds from April to August 2015. Half of the sites visited were dominated by agricultural habitats (e.g. crop fields and pasture) and half were dominated by semi-natural habitats. These data were collected to compare methods for sampling pollinators; compare the capacity of different recorder groups to implement different survey methods; gather feedback from recorders on the survey methods; and generate detailed information on implementation costs and support requirements for each method. Three different types of recorder groups were trialled (researcher, consultant, volunteer) using different combinations of sampling methods (pan trapping, fixed transects pollinator survey, fixed transects flower survey, timed focal flower observations, standardised "free search" pollinator survey). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/69a0d888-9f6b-4e67-8d29-402af1412d8e

Ash-free dry mass (AFDM) of three distinct size fractions of organic matter (>1cm, >1mm and > 0.025mm) collected in quantitative samples of the benthic substrate determined from up to 10 replicate samples at three chalkstream sites in the Wessex chalk area (Nine Mile River, River Till and River Wylye) on each sampling occasion. Data were collected on seven occasions on the Wylye and Nine Mile River and on five occasions on the Till, between October 2012 and October 2013. Data were collected to construct quantified food webs detailing the flux of mass and nutrients between nodes of the food web. This dataset was created as part of work package 3.2 of the Wessex Biodiversity & Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) project. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/0446bf29-8f7e-4132-9b34-1b66b9ff5b78

Regular temperature, rainfall and other weather data, as collected between February 1999 and September 2002 from an on-site Automatic Weather Station, located on experimental plots at Sourhope, Scotland. Data were collected as part of the NERC Soil Biodiversity Thematic Programme, which was established in 1999 and was centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders (Grid reference: NT8545019630). During this time, the site was monitored to assess changes in above-ground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/e6e835ae-99e6-445e-b0dc-0d0db44e310a

Density and biomass of fish taxa from three chalkstreams in the Wessex chalk area: Nine Mile River, River Till and River Wylye. Data were collected on five occasions, between October 2012 and October 2013. The density of fish taxa at each of the three streams was estimated using benthic fish sampling and multi-pass electrofishing. The mean biomass of individuals of each taxon at each site on each occasion was then applied to the density estimates to derive an estimate of the biomass per m2 of each taxon at each site on each occasion. Data were collected to quantify food webs detailing the flux of mass and nutrients between nodes of the food web. This dataset was created as part of work package 3.2 of the Wessex Biodiversity & Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) project. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/7eee41f8-dbde-4b5e-b2d5-7296b5bfc558

The dataset includes data on vegetation composition, flower counts, berry availability over winter, pollinator visitation rates, invertebrate, hedge structure and hedgerow regrowth from a set of long running hedgerow experiments. There were three experiments in total. Experiment 1 was based in Monks Wood, Cambridgeshire, and was used to investigate the long-term effects of timing and frequency of cutting on resource provision for wildlife. Experiment 2 was based at 5 sites across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Devon and was used to investigate the effect of timing, intensity and frequency of hedgerow cutting. Experiment 3 was based at 5 sites across Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and was used to investigate the effects of different rejuvenation techniques on hedgerows. All three experiments were randomised plot experiments (full details of plots and their treatments can be found in the supporting documentation. The majority of the data was collected between 2010 and 2016 but for one experiment there is data from 2005. The long running hedgerow experiments had two linked aims focused on management to maintain and restore the hedgerow resource under the agri-environment schemes: • to examine the effects of simple cutting management regimes promoted by Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) and Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) on the quality and quantity of wildlife habitat, and food resources in hedgerows; and • to identify, develop and test low-cost, practical options for hedgerow restoration and rejuvenation applicable at the large-scale under both ELS and HLS. This research was funded by Defra (project number BD2114: Effects of hedgerow management and restoration on biodiversity) and managed by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/95259623-f0b6-4328-a0e3-4aec09ede5b5

A measure of the extent and complexity of riprian vegetation upstream of chalkstream sites derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data for 15 discrete chalkstreams distributed along a white chalk geology extending from Dorset in the south west, through Wiltshire, to Hampshire in the north east. For each site there is an estimate of the minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation height of vegetation along the banks for a range of distances upstream from the sampling location. Information on the extent and complexity of riparian vegetation upstream of chalkstream sites were used to better understand the relationships between in-stream biological communities and catchment and riparian land use. Stream sites surveyed represented a sample of chalkstreams across a gradient of catchment land cover intensification from catchments dominated by extensive calcareous grassland and woodland to those dominated by arable and improved grasslands. LiDAR data were obtained from the Environment Agency in April 2014. This dataset was created as part of work package 3.1 of the Wessex Biodiversity & Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) project. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/49792936-9f11-4df6-98b3-9a9de595ee69

This dataset contains vegetation abundance information from sites in southern England. The data are estimated as percentage cover and flower density of 165 plant species in 1624 vegetation quadrats. The surveys were conducted during 2008 and 2009. The 54 sites are all part of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme network. The data were collected to compare plant abundance and butterfly population density. The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/ca34e25b-6138-4b72-b32c-778d762118f1

The dataset contains annual soil greenhouse gas emissions following sheep urine (real and artificial) applications to a semi-improved upland grassland in North Wales, UK, across two seasons (spring and autumn) within the year 2016-2017. Soil greenhouse gas data were collected using a combination of automated chambers and manually sampled chambers, both analysed via gas chromatography. Supporting data include meteorological data, soil chemistry and above ground biomass data collected on a time-series throughout the study, following urine application. The data were used to calculate sheep urine patch nitrous oxide emission factors from an upland environment, to improve estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from extensively grazed agroecosystems. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/0434c74c-4a8e-45b8-a187-13e422c0ed0f