The soil food webs in this collection represent a total of 32 belowground communities studied by Neutel et al. (2007), from two natural successions in sandy dune soils: one on the Waddensea Island of Schiermonnikoog in the north of the Netherlands and the other at Hulshorsterzand, on the Veluwe, in the central Netherlands. The study sites, which constitute the two gradients, represent four consecutive stages in chronosequences of early primary vegetation succession, increasing in aboveground and below-ground productivity. The Jacobians of the 32 food webs (two series, four stages with four replicates per stage) were calculated by Neutel et al. (2007) from observed average biomass data of the respective systems, and inferring steady-state biomass flow data using a procedure described by Hunt et al. (1987). The Jacobians represent the interaction strengths of the species in the two food webs, evaluated at equilibrium.

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) was used to test glacier ice thickness/glacier bed detectability on debris-covered Himalayan glaciers at a range of frequencies in glacier long- and cross- profiles and at static points. The survey sites were of the Lirung and Langtang Glaciers in the Langtang National Park, Nepal, where debris cover thickness varied from centimetres to several metres. The radar used was the BAS DELORES dipole pulse radar system, operating at 5MHz, 10MHz, 20MHZ and 40MHz. Data were acquired as a stop-go survey at 2-4m intervals on partially snow-covered and entirely debris-covered glacier surfaces in temperatures close to freezing, with a diurnal freeze-thaw cycle. Funding was provided by the NERC grant NE/L013258/1.

This dataset was collected during two Antarctic field seasons (2013-14, 2014-15) using the DEep LOoking Radio-Echo Sounder (DELORES), a ground-based ice-penetrating radar system that was designed and built by the British Antarctic Survey. It is an updated version of the radar used by Hindmarsh and others (2011). The system emits 2500 radio-wave pulses per second with a centre frequency of 4 MHz and samples the return at 250 MHz. Vertical resolution is approximately 30 cm. The radar is towed across the ice-sheet surface behind a skidoo at approximately 15 km h -1 and 512 complete traces are staked for each stored record, resulting in stacked traces approximately every 85 cm.

This dataset provides a 308 year record of methansulphonic acid (MSA) from coastal West Antarctica, representing sea ice conditions in the Amundsen-Ross Sea. Annual average MSA has been calculated from the 136 m Ferrigno ice core (F10), drilled on the Bryan Coast in Ellsworth Land, West Antarctica during the austral summer 2010/11. The sea ice extent is based on geometric mean regression of MSA flux with satellite sea ice extent from 146 degrees west. The record was measured using a Dionex ICS2500 anion system at 5 cm resolution, corresponding to approximately 14 samples a year. Funding was provided by the NERC grant NE/J020710/1.

Water column acoustic data collected in the Scotia Sea (from 2016-12-09 to 2017-01-15) during cruise JR16003. Multi-frequency (38,120 and 200 kHz) acoustic data were collected using a Simrad EK60 echo sounder. The dataset comprises of calibrated and processed 38 kHz volume backscattering strength (Sv, dB re 1m-1). Data processing was undertaken using Echoview and Matlab. Processed netCDF data files are made available as part of the NERC Southern Ocean Network of Acoustics (SONA) and the EU MESOPP project.

Water column acoustic data collected in the Atlantic Ocean (from 2016-09-26 to 2016-11-03) during cruise JR16001. Multi-frequency (38,120 and 200 kHz) acoustic data were collected using a Simrad EK60 echo sounder. The dataset comprises of calibrated and processed 38 kHz volume backscattering strength (Sv, dB re 1m-1). Data processing was undertaken using Echoview and Matlab. Processed netCDF data files are made available as part of the NERC Southern Ocean Network of Acoustics (SONA) and the EU MESOPP project.

This data was collected during two Antarctic field seasons (2013-14, 2014-15) using two Leica GS10 dual-frequency Global Position Systems (dGPS). We installed 53 2m aluminium stakes in the snow surface along lines perpendicular to ice divides on four ice rises in the Ronne Ice Shelf region. In each season we used the dGPS units to measure the position of each pole. During most position measurements we deployed a rover unit for 20 minutes at each stake while a static base station dGPS unit was left in place for 5 or more hours. In the minority of cases the power to the base station unit failed and data from the rover unit is not accompanied by base-station data.

In 1991 a nitrogen x phosphorus fertilisation experiment on dwarf shrub tundra close to Ny-Alesund, Svalbard was established. Treatments (0, 10, 50 kg N ha-1 yr-1; 0, 5 kg P ha-1 yr-1) were applied to Cassiope heath for 3 years and Dryas heath for 8 years. In 2011 the experiment was revisited to investigate the persistence of effects of fertilisation on species composition, vegetation nutrient status and ecosystem carbon stocks. The whole experiment has been led by Dr Sarah Woodin and colleagues, University of Aberdeen. The 2011 study, for which data are provided, was undertaken by Dr Lorna Street. Funded was provided by the NERC grant NE/I016899/1

The soil food webs in this collection represent seven belowground communities from native and agricultural soils. The seven communities are from experimental research sites in the USA, Sweden and the Netherlands. The Jacobians of the seven food webs were calculated by de Ruiter et al. (1995) using the empirical biomass data of the respective systems, and inferring steady-state biomass flow data using a procedure described by Hunt et al. (1987), see further references below. The Jacobians represent the interaction strengths of the species in the two food webs, evaluated at equilibrium.

The data consists of proxy data with associated ages from six moss bank cores from four locations on the Antarctic Peninsula. Proxies included are: 13C, microbial productivity (derived from testate amoeba concentration values), mass accumulation rate and moss growth rate. Sites are Elephant Island (core ELE3), Ardley Island (cores ARD1 and ARD3) and Green Island (cores GRE1 and GRE2). Elephant Island (61.111 S, 54.824 W) and Ardley Island (62.213 S, 58.935 W) cores were collected in January 2012. Green Island (65.322 S, 64.151 W) cores were collected in January 2013. Funding was provided by the NERC grants NE/H014896/1, NE/H014632/1 and NE/H014810/1.