These data are for macroinvertebrate taxonomy and abundance of Welsh upland rivers. The sampling sites were located in small and medium catchments across Wales. Sampling took place in either spring 2013 for sites in the Wye catchment or during 2012 for the other catchments. At each sampling point, 2-minute kick-samples were taken from river riffles to represent macroinvertebrate composition. Samples were preserved in industrial methylated spirit on site. Samples were then sorted and identified in the laboratory. The main goal of this survey was to characterise a gradient of aquatic biodiversity associated with different environmental settings for example land-use intensify and recovery from acidification. Dr Isabelle Durance was the responsible of organising the surveys, Dr Hugh Feeley was in charge of collecting, processing and sorting the invertebrate samples. Kath Layer was commissioned by Cardiff University for the identification. The work was carried out under Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project (Grant reference NERC NE/J014818/1). DURESS was a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/8f7b2269-73b1-449f-8590-e36c7c850913

These data show the presence/absence and identification of Cryptosporidium species from the results of a molecular survey of various upland river biota aquatic invertebrates, biofilms, mammal droppings and fish guts, gills and faeces. Samples were collected from various upland influenced sites from around Wales between 2012 and 2015 and were collected. Additionally, otter samples from UK-wide project were also tested. Sample collection was primarily undertaken by DURESS researchers at Cardiff University. Sample testing and analysis was performed at the Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, Public Health Wales Microbiology, Swansea. DNA was extracted using a commercially available kit (Gentra PureGene), Qiagen stool and tissue DNA kits for the fish and mammal samples. These data were collected to provide new information required for the production of a catchment pathogen model to inform ecosystems (dis)services analysis of land use change scenarios for the Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project, part of the NERC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) BESS Programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/84242834-dc78-49a6-83cb-951edac65d18

These data consist of stream water chemistry for selected Welsh upland rivers. The sampling sites were located in sixty one small and medium catchments. Catchments were chosen from the Welsh Acid Water Surveys (WAWS) program (41 sites) and the Wye catchment (20 sites). Results for pH, alkalinity, conductivity and major cation and anion measurements are presented for the WAWS catchments. Results for pH, alkalinity, conductivity and major anion measurements are presented for the Wye catchment. Samples from the Wye catchment were collected in May 2012. Samples from the WAWS catchments were taken during the summer and autumn of 2012 and spring and summer of 2013. The data were collected to characterise water chemistry variation along a gradient of aquatic biodiversity associated with different environmental settings for example land-use intensify and recovery from acidification. Dr Isabelle Durance was responsible for organising the surveys, Dr Hugh Feeley was in charge of collecting and preserving the water samples. Analysis of the water samples was carried out at the Forest Research Laboratories. The work was carried out under Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project (Grant reference NERC NE/J014818/1). DURESS was a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/d329ca18-c3d8-49f0-b2fd-5243d76dc650

This dataset consists of fish species, fish length and fish weight from samples taken from small and medium catchments across Wales. Samples were collected in the summers and autumns of 2012 and 2013 using electrofishing. All the collected individuals were counted and recorded to represent the fish diversity and abundance of each sampling site and date. The main goal of this survey was to relate fish production with a gradient of aquatic biodiversity associated with different environmental settings (land-use intensify, recovery from acidification). Dr Isabelle Durance was responsible for organising the surveys, Dr Hugh Feeley was in charge of collecting, sorting and measuring the fish samples. The work was carried out under the Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project (Grant reference NERC NE/J014818/1). DURESS was a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/57f95ff8-e1b0-41b9-866a-feb231aecb67

These data are cellulolytic decomposition in eight Welsh upland rivers with contrasting land-use, moorland and exotic conifer, in response to riparian deciduous leaf addition. Eight sampling reaches were chosen at two sites, Llyn Brianne (4 reaches) and Plynlimon (4 reaches). The experiment consisted of adding deciduous leaves to half of the reaches whilst the other half were maintained as a control (no addition of deciduous leaves). To characterise the cellulolytic decomposition of the studied streams, cotton strips were placed and then collected during January 2013 (before deciduous leaf addition) and March 2013 (after deciduous leaf addition) in each sampling reach. The main goal of this survey was to examine how aquatic biodiversity and litter decomposition respond to leaf addition in moorland and conifer forested rivers. Dr Isabelle Durance was responsible for organising the surveys, Dr Dan Perkins was in charge of collecting, processing and sorting the samples. The work was carried out under Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project (Grant reference NERC NE/J014818/1). DURESS was a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/53b4ec90-cb8a-49c6-a6f9-18a77f980b0f

These data are algal production values in eight Welsh upland rivers with contrasting land-use, moorland and exotic conifer, in response to riparian deciduous leaf addition. Eight sampling reaches were chosen at two sites, Llyn Brianne (4 reaches) and Plynlimon (4 reaches). The experiment consisted of adding deciduous leaves to half of the reaches whilst the other half were maintained as a control (no addition of deciduous leaves). In order to characterise the algal production of the studied streams, algal biofilm samples were collected from tiles previously placed, during January 2013 (before deciduous leaf addition) and March 2013 (after deciduous leaf addition) in each sampling reach. The main goal of this survey was to examine how aquatic biodiversity and organic matter stocks respond to deciduous leaf addition in moorland and conifer forested rivers. Dr Isabelle Durance was responsible for organising the surveys, Dr Hugh Feeley, Dr Anne-Laure Sauvadet and Marian Pye were in charge of collecting, processing and sorting the samples. The work was carried out under Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project (Grant reference NERC NE/J014818/1). DURESS was a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/f13b0975-6af4-4315-9e4f-63a1cb4bd796

These data are macroinvertebrate composition and abundance in eight Welsh upland rivers with contrasting land-use, moorland and exotic conifer, in response to riparian deciduous leaf addition. Eight sampling reaches were chosen at two sites, Llyn Brianne (4 reaches) and Plynlimon (4 reaches). The experiment consisted of adding deciduous leaves to half of the reaches whilst the other half were maintained as control (no addition). Nylon mesh bags containing deciduous leaves were fixed in both experimental and control reaches to estimate leaf decomposition rates. The macroinvertebrate composition of the nylon mesh bags was surveyed in January 2013 and again in March 2013 in each sampling reach. The main goal of this survey was to examine how aquatic biodiversity responds to leaf addition in moorland and conifer forested rivers. Dr Isabelle Durance was responsible for organising the surveys, Dr Hugh Feeley, Dr Dan Perkins and Marian Pye were in charge of collecting, processing and sorting the invertebrate samples. The work was carried out under Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project (Grant reference NERC NE/J014818/1). DURESS was a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/3e6a9ffd-59f2-48ea-840b-1582dc6c1e3d

These data are leaf litter decomposition rate in eight Welsh upland rivers with contrasting land-use, moorland and exotic conifer, in response to riparian deciduous leaf addition. Eight sampling reaches were chosen at two sites, Llyn Brianne (4 reaches) and Plynlimon (4 reaches). The experiment consisted of adding deciduous leaves to half of the reaches whilst the other half were maintained as a control (no addition of deciduous leaves). To characterise the leaf litter decomposition of the studied streams, onion bags were placed during November 2012, and then collected during January 2013 (before deciduous leaf addition) and March 2013 (after deciduous leaf addition) in each sampling reach. The main goal of this survey was to examine how aquatic biodiversity and litter decomposition respond to leaf addition in moorland and conifer forested rivers. Dr Isabelle Durance was responsible for organising the surveys, Dr Hugh Feeley, Dr Dan Perkins and Marian Pye were in charge of collecting, processing and sorting the samples. The work was carried out under Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project (Grant reference NERC NE/J014818/1). DURESS was a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/c121f915-6f64-4b74-aa24-cd70708a29d2

These data are macroinvertebrate composition and size in eight Welsh upland rivers with contrasting land-use, moorland and exotic conifer, in response to riparian deciduous leaf addition. Eight sampling reaches were chosen at two sites, Llyn Brianne (4 reaches) and Plynlimon (4 reaches). The experiment consisted of adding deciduous leaves to half of the reaches whilst the other half were maintained as a control (no addition of deciduous leaves). To characterise the benthic macroinvertebrate communities of the studied streams, Surber net sampling was used to collect monthly samples during 2013 in January (before deciduous leaf addition) and from February to April (after deciduous leaf addition) in each sampling reach. Some of the collected individuals were used to characterise the invertebrate biomass of each reach. The main goal of this survey was to examine how aquatic biodiversity responds to leaf addition in moorland and conifer forested rivers. Dr Isabelle Durance was responsible for organising the surveys, Dr Hugh Feeley and Marian Pye, were in charge of collecting, processing and sorting the invertebrate samples. The work was carried out under Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project (Grant reference NERC NE/J014818/1). DURESS was a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/d07fe8a7-d4da-43e5-834d-e1b0f4cff0ac

These data are benthic organic matter stocks of coarse and fine particulate organic matter in eight Welsh upland rivers with contrasting land-use, moorland and exotic conifer, in response to riparian deciduous leaf addition. Eight sampling reaches were chosen at two sites, Llyn Brianne (4 reaches) and Plynlimon (4 reaches). The experiment consisted of adding deciduous leaves to half of the reaches whilst the other half were maintained as a control (no addition of deciduous leaves). To characterise the benthic organic matter of the studied streams, a Surber net was used to collect monthly samples during 2013 on January (before deciduous leaf addition) and from February to April (after deciduous leaf addition) in each sampling reach. The main goal of this survey was to examine how aquatic biodiversity and organic matter stocks respond to leaf addition in moorland and conifer forested rivers. Dr Isabelle Durance was responsible of organising the surveys, Marian Pye was in charge of collecting, processing and sorting the samples. The work was carried out under Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability (DURESS) project (Grant reference NERC NE/J014818/1). DURESS was a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/32eaf811-be10-40cb-9794-7c5a1b97a915