This data documents the shrub growth parameters in 2011 for site A, belonging to the annual inventory taking place for both site A and site B. Individual-shrub 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-shrub 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 shrub individuals in relation to competition, species richenss, and local terrain conditions? d) How the individual-shrub 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 shrub growth performance and abiotic and biotic factors. Measurement for this data took place from the end of September 2011 to the beginning of October 2011. Measurements were conducted in the central part (extended core area) of all 1mu-plots in site A. Extended core area is the central 5 * 5 shrubs in the monoculture and 2-species mixtures ( total 35 shrub positions per 1mu-plot), the central 11 * 11 shrubs in the 4-,8-,16-,24-species mixtures (total 121 shrub positions per 1 mu-plot). By applying the conventional measuring methods direct in the field, shrub position, shrub species, total height, the crown diameters (in N-S and E-W cardinal directions), the length and the diameter of the tallest ramet / branch were measured and the number of ramets /branches and the number of the first-order branches were counted.

The shrub positions in the so called extended core area for each 1mu-plot were surveyed. The extended core area is the central 5 * 5 shrub positions in the monocultres and 2-species mixtures (25 shrub positions per 1mu-plot) and the central 11 * 11 shrub positions in the 4-, 8-, 16- or 24- species mixtures (121 shrub 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). Shrubs in site A were planted in 2011 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.

Ardisia crenata Camellia chekiangoleosa Distylium myricoides Muonymus myrianthus Eurya muricata Gardenia jasminoides Loropetalum chinense Rhaphiolepis indica Distylium buxifolium Syzygium buxifolium

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positions; b) during this period, plants reach their highest height for this growing season (Pilot Experiment approved, unpublished data); c) Leaf-on gives a more accurate estimation on crown diameter.