These data comprise substrate utilisation profiles (using the BIOLOG gram-negative method) and moisture content data from soil sampled in an upland grassland experiment at Sourhope, Scotland. BIOLOG-GN (gram-negative) substrate utilisation analyses were used to give an indication of the ability of a subset of the bacterial community to utilise various carbon sources. These data include both temporal and spatial diversity in different depths of semi-natural grassland soil cores collected at different sample dates. Samples were collected in July 1999, October 1999, April 2000 and August 2000. Data were collected as part of the NERC Soil Biodiversity Thematic Programme, established in 1999 and centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute)'s farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders (Grid reference: NT 8545 1963). During this time, the site was monitored to assess changes in aboveground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/c42b0e3b-69e4-4941-addf-20c2e0612c58

This dataset comprises botanical composition and earthworm species and abundance data, sampled from a mesocosm experiment (named Sweethope) in October 2001. The mesocosm site replicated the layout of the main experimental plots at the NERC Soil Biodiversity site at Sourhope, Scotland and was established to avoid contaminating the main Sourhope plots. The NERC Soil Biodiversity Thematic Programme was established in 1999 and was centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders (Grid reference: NT 8545 1963). During the experiment, the site was monitored to assess changes in above-ground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/ca8f85c5-0595-4fda-80e5-4f41839effed

This dataset comprises enchytraeid worm abundance and Delta 13C values from enchytraeid cholesterol. The data were collected as a component of the NERC Soil Biodiversity Programme, consisting of a one year study of the diversity and activity of Enchytraeid worms, small relatives of the earthworm. These worms are very common in upland soils and often outweigh all other fauna, including sheep. The project focused on investigating the importance of Enchytraeid species, or group diversity, in maintaining soil carbon cycling. The NERC Soil Biodiversity Thematic Programme was established in 1999 and was centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute)'s farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders. During this time, the site was monitored to assess changes in aboveground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/0a443a55-28b6-4d82-9042-5a35bfdbebe0

This set of data describes earthworm diversity in soil samples taken at the Sourhope experimental site in 1999 and 2001 by the Universities of Glasgow and Dundee. Data were collected during a project funded under the NERC Soil Biodiversity Programme. The NERC Soil Biodiversity Thematic Programme was established in 1999 and was centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders (Grid reference: NT 8545 1963). During the experiment, the site was monitored to assess changes in above-ground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/649d6c94-1fe9-4b39-914a-d1d59bbbd419

The dataset comprises nitrous oxide (N2O) flux data, collected from static chambers as part of a study to determine how land management affected nitrogen cycling by nitrifiers and denitrifiers in an upland agricultural grassland soil and to determine the effects of changing environmental conditions on nitric and nitrous oxide production and emission as a result of land management. Data were collected during a project funded under the NERC Soil Biodiversity Programme, established in 1999 and centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders (Grid reference: NT8545019630). During the experiment, the site was monitored to assess changes in above-ground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/46b23af7-0f63-4416-ad71-c08ee028c3b2

This set of data describes protozoa abundance and diversity in samples taken at the Sourhope experimental site in 1999 and 2000 by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Glasgow. Data were collected during a project funded under the NERC Soil Biodiversity Programme. The NERC Soil Biodiversity Thematic Programme was established in 1999 and was centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders (Grid reference: NT8545019630). During the experiment, the site was monitored to assess changes in above-ground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/a5737c31-5c8d-43f3-980a-4736510d6b05

These data comprise arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi diversity data from Sourhope field experiment site. AM fungi are biotrophic symbionts colonizing the majority of land plants, and are of major importance in plant nutrient supply. Using the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) strategy, the diversity of AM fungi was assessed in 89 roots of three grass species (Agrostis capillaris, Festuca rubra, Poa pratensis) that co-occurred in the same plots of the Sourhope field experiment. The impact of different soil amendments (nitrogen, lime, nitrogen and lime) and insecticide application on AM fungal community was also recorded. Data were collected during a project funded under the NERC Soil Biodiversity Programme, established in 1999 and centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders (Grid reference: NT 8545 1963). During the experiment, the site was monitored to assess changes in above-ground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/5aa0e9ee-9604-4cba-a1ae-5d6708cf6438

This set of data comprises substrate utilisation profiles for saprotrophic fungi (using the commercially available BIOLOG plate method) and moisture content data from soils sampled from experimental plots at Sourhope, Scotland. The data were collected in order to determine how the high species richness of decomposer (saprotrophic) fungi and their relative frequencies of occurrence influence the decomposition of organic matter. Data were collected during a project funded under the NERC Soil Biodiversity Programme, established in 1999 and centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders (Grid reference: NT8545019630). During the experiment, the site was monitored to assess changes in above-ground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/662b8cb3-afca-43c6-a6e8-e56fcf94626b

Data comprises patterns of diversity in a below-ground community of microarthropods (mites and collembola), measured during a nutrient (calcium and nitrogen) manipulation experiment, located at the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Soil Biodiversity Site in Sourhope, Scotland, UK. Data collected include abundance of microarthropods, and also microbial biomass carbon, soil respiration, wet pH using de-ionised water, soil loss on ignition, dry root biomass, total carbon and nitrogen content of soil and roots and soil moisture content. The data were collected as a component of the NERC Soil Biodiversity Programme, established in 1999 and centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute)'s farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders. During this time, the site was monitored to assess changes in aboveground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/fe2ba292-08b0-428c-8e27-8c851a4a8bbc

These data comprise culturable cell counts in different media from soil microbial analysis within a microcosm experiment investigating moisture perturbations on microbes, set up at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Oxford. The experiment used soil turves from outside the main experimental plots at Sourhope, Scotland, collected in July 2001. Soil moisture data are also included. Data were collected as part of the NERC Soil Biodiversity Thematic Programme, established in 1999 and centred upon the intensive study of a large field experiment located at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute)'s farm at Sourhope in the Scottish Borders. During this time, the site was monitored to assess changes in aboveground biomass production (productivity), species composition and relative abundance (diversity). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/999b9188-1784-497a-bdce-8fdfbd03e15b