Individual-tree growth is a function of stand attributes, local neighbors, plant size, plant damage, genotype, and local abiotic site conditions. Given a certain time phase (combing further data along the timeline), the following scientific questions will be investigated: a) How does the within-plot individual-tree growth vary within and among species as a function of species richness? b) Wheather diversity reduces competition by quantifying local neighbour interactions in terms of growth rates and branch demography? c) What are the ecological importance of phenotypic plasticity of tree individuals in relation to competition, species richenss, and local terrain conditions? d) How the individual-tree growth is affected by soil feed-backs (mycorrhiza, pedogenetic processes,soil chemistry and nutrient cycle)? The overall objective with the data to be achieved is to test the hypothesis that the diversity effect at the plot level is the overall result of the diversity effects at the local neighbourhood level. This data as a basis can also be linked to other abiotic and biotic factors for investigating the interactions between the tree growth performance and abiotic and biotic factors. Measurement for this data took place in October 2010. Measurements were conducted in the central part (extended core area) of all 1mu-plots in site A. Extended core area is the central 6 * 6 trees in the monoculture and 2-species mixtures ( total 36 tree positions per 1mu-plot), the central 12 * 12 trees in the 4-,8-,16-,24-species mixtures (total 144 tree positions per 1 mu-plot). By applying the conventional measuring methods direct in the field, tree position, tree species, total height, stem diameter 5 cm above ground height (gd), the diameter at breast height (dbh), the distance up to the first branch, the distance up to the longest branch, the diameter, the length, the azimuth and the angle of the longest branch, the crown diameters (N-S and E-W) were measured and the number of branches were counted.

The tree positions in the so called extended core area for each 1mu-plot were surveyed. The extended core area is the central 6 * 6 tree positions in the monocultres and 2-species mixtures (36 tree positions per 1mu-plot) and the central 12 * 12 tree positions in the 4-, 8-, 16- or 24- species mixtures (144 tree positions per 1mu-plot).

This data was collected from site A within the BEF-China experiment, which is located in a hilly subtropical region near Xingangshan Township, Jiangxi Province (29.08-29.11 N, 117.90- 117.93 E), China. The mean annual temperature is 16.7 celsius degrees and the mean annual average precipitation 1821 mm. The natural vegetation of this region is subtropical broad-leaved forest with dominance in abundance of evergreen species (Bruelheide et al. 2011). Site A was planted in 2009 and covers a total area of 26.6 ha, ranging in altitude from 105 to 275 m. The relief is highly variable with slopes ranging from 0 to 45 degrees. The soils are Cambisols and Cambisol derivatives, interfered by Regosols on ridges and crests, and Anthrosols from colluvial deposits on foot slopes and valley floors. Due to the mountainous topography, erosion is a typical feature resulting a mixing of parent material and soil components from crest to valley positions.

Castanea henryi Pinus massoniana Schima superba Choerospondia axillaris Liquidambar formosana Quercus serrata Cyclobalanopsis myrsinifolia Castanopsis carlesii Cyclobalanopsis glauca Lithocarpus glaber Castanopsis eyrei Castanopsis sclerophylla Diospyros japonica Daphniphyllus oldhamii Cinnamomum camphora Koelreuteria bipinnata Sapindus mukorossi Nyssa sinensis Triadica sebifera Triadica cochinchinensis Rhus chinensis Quercus fabri Quercus acutissima Melia azedarach Acer davidii Cunninghamia lanceolata Castanopsis fargesii

The measurements were conducted after the weeding in autumn and before the deciduous trees leaved off. Choosing this season is because a) weeded plots shorten the time consumed for identifying the tree positions; b) during this period, trees reach their highest height for this growing season (Pilot Experiment approved, unpublished data); c) Leaf-on gives a more accurate estimation on crown diameter.