Dataset title:
Data for: A National-scale Dataset of Arable Plant Abundance from Citizen Science Surveys of Swedish Field Margins. 

Language:
English/Engelska

Recommended citation: 
Örnberg, R. C., Menegat, A., Hickman, D. T., Auffret, A. G., Nilsson, J., Nyborg, G., Wikberg, S., Andersson, J. Y., & Sundberg, S. (2026). Data för: A National-scale Dataset of Arable Plant Abundance from Citizen Science Surveys of Swedish Field Margins [Data set]. Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet. https://doi.org/10.5878/xnzn-7k56

Responsible organization: 
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Description: 
The project "Åkerogräsinventeringen" (the inventory of arable plants), done by the Swedsh University of Agricultural Sciences and the Swedish Botanical Society 2020-2023, aimed to map out the occurrences of arable plants in Swedish fields. Here, cleaned and filtered data from the survey is presented. The dataset and the project are thoroughly described in the article "A national-scale dataset of arable plant abundance from citizen science surveys of Swedish field margins" (Note that this article is a data description, and not a study). 

Collection method: Volunteers from the Swedish Botanical Sociaty surveyed a 100*1 m transect, along the ploughed part of the field margin. All plants in the transect were noted and their abundance estimated. Fields from all of Sweden were surveyed. 
Data cleaning: The data have been checked and errors corrected in communication with the surveyors. In the cases where uncertainties remained, the sites have been removed in this cleaned and filtered version of the dataset. 

The excel file consists of two tabs. The first tab provides important information on the proper usage of the data. The second tabs contains the data. The data file consists of 24 columns and 7364 rows. Note that all coordinates are given according to WGS84.

Licence: 
CC0 1.0

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Included files: 

Survey_data_filtered -> Survey data, available in Three file formats (.xlsx, .csv, .txt)
Cleaning_log.docx -> Description of what data points have been removed and why, as well as a list of how things have been translated from the original Swedish.

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This documentation file contains important information about the uses and contents of the datafile. For a full description, please refer to the article "A National-scale Dataset of Arable Plant Abundance from Citizen Science Surveys of Swedish Field Margins". 


Table of contents: 
1. Important information about the dataset 
2. Description of included columns
3. Red list categoties - meaning of abbreviations






1. Important information about the dataset 

This information is also in the excel file (Survey_data_filtered.xlsx), tab 1 ("Data instructions"). 
Some of the included species in the dataset are often sown as cover crops or ley species. Because these are part of the weed Community, we have elected to keep them in the dataset. Species that are always sown and do not reproduce in the wild are marked with an asterisk (*). Note that Daucus carota exists in both a wild and a cultivated form (subsp. carota). Note also that Lilium multiflorum is classed as a non-native species, despite reproducing in the wild. The following species are often or always (*) sown:

Avena sativa*
Brassica napus subsp. napus*
Brassica oleracea*
Brassica rapa subsp oleifera*
Cichorium intybus
Dactylis glomerata
Daucus carota
Fagopyrum esculentum*
Festuca rubra
Helianthus annuus*
Hordeum vulgare*
Hordeum vulgare var. distichon*
Lepidium campestre
Linum usitatissimum*
Lolium multiflorum
Lolium perenne
Lotus corniculatus
Medicago sativa subsp. sativa
Pastinaca sativa
Phacelia tanacetifolia*
Phaseolus vulgaris*
Phleum pratense
Pisum sativum*
Pisum sativum var. arvense*
Poa pratensis
Raphanus sativus*
Secale cereale*
Schedonorus arundinaceus
Schedonorus pratensis
Trifolium hybridum
Trifolium incarnatum*
Trifolium pratense
Trifolium repens
Trifolium resupinatum*
Triticosecale (Triticosecale rimpaui)*
Triticum aestivum*
Vicia villosa






2. Description of included columns 

Taxon_ID: Identifier (Dyntaxa) for the species in the SLU Species Information Centre register.
 
Scientific_name: The scientific name of the observed plant. 

Unit: How many individuals were estimated to grow along the surveyed transect. Empty cells means a unit was not provided by the surveyor.

Site_Number: Number identifier for the surveyed site. 

East: Longitude coordinate of the site according to the WGS84 system. 

North: Latitude coordinate of the site according to the WGS84 system. 

County: County in which the survey was done. 

Municipality: Municipality in which the survey was done. 

Province: Province in which the survey was done. 

Parish: Parish in which the survey was done. 

Date: The date the the survey was done. 

Year: The year the survey was done. 

Unclear_identification: Indicates if the surveyor was unsure of the identification of the species. 

Conservation_status: Indicates the conservation status of the species according to the Swedish redlist of 2020. 

Site_type: Indicates if the surveyed site was chosen by the surveyor or part of a priority grid to give better coverage. 

Management: Indicates if the field was under organic or conventional management. 

Crop: Indicates what crop was growing in the year of the survey. 

Time_of_sowing: Indicates if it's a spring/summer or autumn/winter crop. Empty cells mean the time of sowing could not be determined.

SGU_soil_type: Gives the soil type of the site according to SGU. 

Jordart_ed: Correction to the SGU soil type column. Empty cells means that what is given in the column SGU_soil_type is correct. 

Field_size: Gives the field size in hectares. 

FIeld_entrances: Gives the number of field entrances along the surveyed transect. 

Field_corners: Gives the number of field corners (maximum angle 135°) along the surveyed transect.






3. Red list categories - meaning of abbreviations 

NA - Not applicable.

NE - Not evaluated.

LC - Least concern.

NT - Near threatened.

VU - Vulnerable.

EN - Endangered.

CR - Critically endangered.

Several - Given when several categories are applicable (for example when it is a species complex or aggregate).
