In all four seasons (summer 2008, autumn 2008, spring 2009 and winter 2010) the gravimetric soil water content of the mineral soil in up to 6 soil layers was determined. Soil sampling was performed in parallel with nitrate and ammonium extractions.

Thickness and mass of the standing leaf litter layer was measured in all CSPs in spring 2009, summer 2009, autumn 2009 and winter 2010. This piece of work will contribute to calculate total carbon and nitrogen pool sizes of the broad-leaved fore...

We measured the concentration of C and N in fine roots of 124 tree and shrub species in the CSPs. This work contributes three addtional traits to the plant trait database: Root N concentration, root C concentration and C/N ratio and will deliver d...

The accompanying file is an aggregate of the data from June 2011 to September/October 2011. Microclimate data from all 27 CSPs. Climate data consists of relative air humidity and air tempreature. Weekly means are given and were calulated from 15 m...

Total basal area per CSP based on living as well as broken stems due to the snowbreak event in 2008.

Comparative Study Plots of the BEF-China experiment were selected according to a gradient of successional age and a crossed gradient of tree diversity. This file describes measures of stem diameter distribution from the CSPs, as well as basal area...