Metadata for the study: Communities in infrastructure habitats are species-rich but only partly support species associated with semi-natural grasslands Summary This study makes part of the research project GINFRA – green rights-of-way infrastructure for biodiversity and ecosystem services. The aim of the project was to quantify whether linear infrastructure habitats (road verges and power-line corridors) support biodiversity by assessing the influence of the area of these habitats in the landscape, their contribution to landscape connectivity and population persistence. The linked data was collected by surveying butterflies, bumblebees, and vascular plants in five types of prevalent grasslands (pastures, road verges along small gravel roads, road verges along big paved roads, power line corridors, and field borders). These grasslands were embedded in 32 4 km2 landscapes that differed in the area of linear infrastructure habitats (road verges and power line corridors) and semi-natural grasslands of high nature value, while other land-use types were kept constant. The landscapes were dominated by forest. Within each grassland habitat, the surveyor established a 200 m transect and then identified all butterflies and bumblebees along it. For plants, a 1 x 1 m quadrat was established at the centre of a 50 m section in each transect, i.e. each transect had four plots in which all plant species were identified. Sammanfattning på Svenska: Denna studie är en del av projektet GINFRA – green rights-of-way infrastructure for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Projektets huvudsyfte var att kvantifiera om linjära infrastrukturmiljöer (vägkanter och kraftledningsgator) bidrar till mångfalden av växter och insekter i olika rumsliga skalor. Detta gjordes genom att uppskatta hur linjära infrastrukturmiljöers mängd i landskapet bidrar till mångfalden samt hur mycket de bidrar till landskapets konnektivitet. Datan samlades genom att inventera dagfjärilar, humlor, och växter i fem typer av gräsmarker (betesmarker, vägrenar längs enskilda vägar, vägrenar längs allmänna vägar, kraftledningsgator, och åkerkanter). Alla dessa habitat typer fanns inom 32 4 km2 landskap som skilde sig i areal av linjära infrastrukturmiljöer (vägrenar och kraftledningsgator) och ängs-och betesmarker. Arealen av andra markanvändningar var konstanta mellan landskap och alla landskap var skogsdominerade. The dataset consists of the following files: 1. Transect coordinates: this file contains the coordinates for the beginning, end, and centroid of each transect. The explanation for each column in this file is as follows: Landscape: corresponds to the code of each 2 × 2 km landscape in which the transects are embedded. Transect_type: The name of the grassland habitat type is given. All landscapes contained at least three of the habitats: pastures, road verges along small gravel roads and road verges along big paved roads. The other two habitats, power line corridors and field borders, were present in only some of the landscapes. Power line corridors were present in half (i.e. 16) of the landscapes due to the design of the study. Start_X: Gives the x-coordinate for the start of the transect. Start_Y: Gives the y-coordinate for the start of the transect. End_X: Gives the x-coordinate for the end of the transect. End_Y: Gives the y-coordinate for the start of the transect. Centroid_X: Gives the x-coordinate for the centroid of the transect. This was calculated with ArcMap 10.7 using the start and end coordinates stated above. Centroid_Y: Gives the y-coordinate for the centroid of the transect. This was calculated with ArcMap 10.7 using the start and end coordinates stated above. All coordinates use the Swedish National reference frame, SWEREF99. 2. Database alpha diversity: This file contains the necessary information for the analysis exploring whether species richness of butterflies, bumblebees, and vascular plants differs among the grassland habitat types, and whether such differences relate to the area of linear infrastructure habitats in the surrounding landscape and/or on the area of semi-natural pastures of high nature value. Landscape: corresponds to the code of each 2 × 2 km landscape in which the transects are embedded. Transect_type: The name of the grassland habitat type is given. All landscapes contained at least three of the habitats: pastures, road verges along small gravel roads and road verges along big paved roads. The other two habitats, power line corridors and field borders, were present in only some of the landscapes. Power line corridors were present in half (i.e. 16) of the landscapes due to the design of the study. Butterfly richness: Gives the number of butterfly species found along the corresponding transect type in a specific landscape. Bumblebee richness: Gives the number of bumblebee species found along the corresponding transect type in a specific landscape. Vascular plant richness: Gives the number of vascular plant species found in all the four plots placed along the transect. Semi-natural pastures: Gives the total area of semi-natural pastures of high nature value in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Powerline: Gives the total area of power line corridors in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Railway: Gives the total area of railways in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Road: Gives the total area of private (small) roads in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Public road: Gives the total area of public (big) roads in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Between fields: Gives the total area of grassy field borders in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Forest: Gives the total area of forest in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Arable: Gives the total area of arable land in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Semi-natural pastures: Gives the total area in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Open areas: Gives the total area of open areas (e.g. ley, parks, or other open grassy areas that are not semi-natural pastures of high nature value) in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Urban: Gives the total area of urban areas in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. Water: Gives the total area of water surfaces in square kilometres within the corresponding 2 × 2 km landscape. PL: Stands for PowerLine. This field indicates whether the corresponding landscape had a presence (1) or absence (0) of a power line corridor. This was used as an explanatory factor in the models. RD: Stands for Road Density. This field indicates whether the corresponding landscape had a high (1) or a low (0) density of roads. This was used as an explanatory factor in the models. 3. Mean abundance: This file contains the list of species found in the study, whether they were present in the Swedish Red list (2015), as well as the mean abundances, minimum abundances, and maximum abundances for each species in each habitat type. Taxa: describes to which species group (taxa) the corresponding species belongs to. It can be either a bumblebee, a butterfly, or a vascular plant species or species group. Species: name of the species or species group Red listed: If the corresponding species was present in the Swedish Red List (2015) then the species is classified as 1. If the species was not in the species list, the species or species group was classified as 0. An empty field corresponds to the category NA in the Swedish red list (Not Applicable). Mean abundance Pasture: Mean abundance of the corresponding species / species group in pastures. Min abundance Pasture: Minimum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in pastures. Max abundance Pasture: Maximum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in pastures. Mean abundance Power line: Mean abundance of the corresponding species / species group in power line corridors. Min abundance Power line: Minimum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in power line corridors. Max abundance Power line: Maximum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in power line corridors. Mean abundance Big road: Mean abundance of the corresponding species / species group in road verges along big paved roads. Min abundance Big road: Minimum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in road verges along big paved roads. Max abundance Big road: Maximum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in road verges along big paved roads. Mean abundance Small road: Mean abundance of the corresponding species / species group in road verges along small gravel roads. Min abundance Small road: Minimum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in road verges along small gravel roads. Max abundance Small road: Maximum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in road verges along small gravel roads. Mean abundance Field border: Mean abundance of the corresponding species / species group in uncultivated field borders. Min abundance Field border: Minimum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in uncultivated field borders. Max abundance Field border: Maximum abundance of the corresponding species / species group in uncultivated field borders.